Page 107 of Withered

I go into the living room and find Jake sitting on the same couch while Kevin is busy talking on the phone in the corner. Jake’s eyes soften when he looks at me, and he pats the seat beside him, motioning for me to join him.

“I did my best, didn’t I?” Jake asks, putting his hand over my shoulder.

I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “You can do better, but I appreciate the effort.”

He chuckles and plays with my hair.

Denaley brings us some dessert, which Jake politely declines, saying he is full from dinner.

I, on the other hand, don’t mind. When Denaley gives me my dessert, I happily thank her, and Jake chuckles.

“Is there some inside joke?” Denaley asks.

Jake points at me and says, “No, she just has a sweet tooth.”

When Kevin and Denaley smile, I see it’s not because of me but because of Jake. He is being himself without even trying it.

When I take a spoonful of my dessert, the sugar coats my lip, and I have to lick it away. Jake watches my every move, and his fingers, which are playing with my hair, now approach my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Once I finish our dessert and we get up to leave, Jake tenses again, so he says, “I’ll go get the car.”

He walks away without saying goodbye.This idiot.

Kevin speaks first. “Thank you for bringing him here, Rose. I thought he’d never want to see me.”

“He is nice; he’s just hurt,” I tell him, and he nods weakly.

Denaley hugs me and tells me I am welcome anytime. They’ve both been so nice to me. I don’t want this night to end, but I’ve got school tomorrow.

The honk of a car snaps me out of my thoughts. I wave goodbye to them and walk towards the car. Getting in, I swat his arm.

“What?” He asks, confused.

“You could have said a proper goodbye.” He drives away as I fasten my seat belt.

Tonight is a long night, but I’m glad it turned out okay. Sure, Jake needs to work on himself, but the fact that he’s here is a start.

When we get home, he cuts off the engine. I walk out, and he calls out to me when I’m at my door.

“What?” I ask him.

He gets out of the car and walks over to me. “I listened to you today. Where is my present?”

“Huh? What present?” I ask him, confused.

He inches closer and says, “I was a good boy today.”

“Yeah. You were. But…” I stop midway.

“But?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I like my bad boy better,” I say, and he crashes his lips against mine without warning.

He backs me up against the wall, kissing me like there’s no tomorrow. My lips part, and he sucked on my tongue, making me moan.

I drop my clutch and thread my fingers through his hair, earning a soft growl from him. I like the effect I have on him. If it weren’t for oxygen, we wouldn’t part at all. I could, and I surely would kiss him forever. I can never get enough of this boy.

My forehead rests on his, and we both breathe heavily, our chests falling in sync. He kisses my forehead, whispers good night, and he’s gone.

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