Page 106 of Withered

Jake sighs and gets up, taking my hand in his as we follow her to the dining area. The room is furnished with various sizes of cutlery, a gorgeous fancy cloth on the table, and a variety of dishes lined up.

My hand feels warm in his, and I love this feeling.

“I…I apologize for my behavior. I hope I didn’t ruin the night before it even began,” Jake states.

His father stares at me, then at his son.

“It’s okay,” Kevin adds as Denaley smiles.

“Rose, you and Jake sit here, on this side.” She gestures to one side of the table while Kevin sits across from us. Denaley makes a plate for Kevin, he thanks her before she takes a seat beside him.

She went out with this dinner. And why not? They were expecting their son. The table has dishes from beef, to salmon, to pork and turkey. I pile my plate and Jake does the same. He remains quiet, not even glancing up.

“So, Jake, how are you enjoying The States?” Kevin asks Jake.

“Good so far,” Jake says, his voice irritated.

I shoot him a glare, but he avoids me. I pinch his thigh under the table which gets his attention.

“When I called your mother, she didn’t mention you got yourself a girlfriend.” Kevin casts a peek at me.

“She is not my girlfriend,” Jake says as the spoon in my palm slides from my grasp.

My head whips in his direction, and all eyes are on me. I manage a small smile.Of course, what was I expecting?I’m not sure why, but I feel as if something has been taken away from me that was never mine to begin with.

“She is a good friend,” Jake says.

Kevin and Denaley exchange a puzzled look.The damage has been done, Jake.A lump grows in my throat, making me difficult for me to swallow my food.

“So, Rose, what do you plan on doing after high school?” Denaley asks, changing the topic.

I’m grateful that the topic is on me. Better to answer some questions than to ponder on some. “My parents are doctors, and I’ve always wanted to be one.”

Kevin nods before he asks Jake, “How is your sister?”

Denaley stops and looks at Jake too, awaiting his reply. “She is great and extremely smart for her age.”

I nod as they both smile. She is intelligent, cute, and energetic.

The rest of the dinner is filled with questions. Jake stays silent for the most part, answering in one word, and avoiding the conversation.

Jake enters the living room after dinner, and Kevin follows him while I help Denaley with the dishes. Not that she needs help, but I’d prefer to stay here than be in an awkward tension-filled setting in the living room. Jake has to put in effort without my help.

I dry the dishes while she washes them. She suddenly speaks, “I wasn’t expecting Jake at all.”

I look at her, waiting for her to continue. “When Kevin contacted Jake’s mother, Esme, we knew he wouldn’t show up. Kevin nearly didn’t believe it when she called later to say he’d be there. He always spoke highly of him, and I was thrilled to meet him.”

I dry the dish as I tell her. “It wasn’t easy to change his mind.”

“Wasn’t it you who changed his mind?” She gives me a look.

“I tried.” I manage a small nod.

She stops and turns to face me. She puts her hands on my arms and says, “It means a lot to us, Rose. Thank you so much.” She then embraces me with a hug.

“He said you’re not his girlfriend. I’ll simply saynot yet.” She winks and turns off the faucet.

“Time for some dessert,” she voices herself, clapping her hands. “You go wait in the living room. I’ll bring them.”

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