Page 73 of No Good Deed

“You can, but I don’t think it’ll make a difference.”

“What about Danny?”

“Same thing. Jake will know I asked Danny to call him and won’t pick up.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to keep calling him and hope he answers. But not tonight. It’s late.” She gives me a kiss. “Let’s go to sleep.”

We lie down and I hold Brook in my arms, thinking about how much I’ve changed since I met her. She saved my life, and that’s not an exaggeration. She really did save me. I’d be dead or in prison if it weren’t for her. When we met, I was strugglingto get through school. I didn’t want a girlfriend. But now I’m almost done with college and Brook and I are engaged.

It just shows how powerful love can be. It changes you, and makes you do things you never thought you’d do. Falling in love with Brook was the best thing that ever happened to me.

But love isn’t always good. With the wrong person, it can set you on a dangerous path. I’m afraid that’s what’s happening with Jake and this girl. And I don’t know how to stop it.

19

JAKE

“Yeah, it was fun,”I say to Dean, referring to the party last weekend that I didn’t actually go to. “Hey, I need to go. I have to get to class.”

“Okay, I just wanted to check in. You sound good, Jake. I’m glad everything’s going well.”

“Yeah, talk to you later.” I end the call, feeling a little guilty for lying to him, but he doesn’t need to know everything that’s going on in my life. He wouldn’t approve of what I’m doing so it’s better if I don’t tell him.

Three weeks have passed since I started spending time with Tara. I don’t call it dating because we haven’t actually gone on a date. We just hang out at her apartment. I want to go out, but she’s worried someone will see us. Troy’s uncle started dating a girl that lives a few miles from Tara and she’s worried he might see us together and tell Troy.

Tara still hasn’t broken up with Troy, but she also hasn’t seen him. He’s doing some temporary job in St. Louis with a guy his uncle knows. I’m sure it’s something illegal, like stealing auto parts. Sean said Troy admitted his uncle uses stolen parts at hisgarage, so when I heard Troy had this temporary job out of town I just assumed it was to get more parts.

It’s been great having him gone. I get to spend all my time with Tara, even on weekends, when she’d normally be going to see Troy. She promised me she’ll end it with him when he gets back, but I’m not getting my hopes up. She told me she wouldn’t call him, and yet last night I caught her talking to him. She said he’s the one who called, but even if that’s true, she didn’t have to answer.

If Dean knew I’m still seeing Tara when she’s technically still with Troy, he’d be calling me every second, telling me to end it with her. He might even come here to Chicago to make sure I did it. That’s why I have to lie to him. Instead of telling him the truth, I tell him what he wants to hear—that I’m meeting people, making friends, doing well in my classes. The last part is true. I’m doing well in school, mainly because of Tara. When I go to her place, she makes me bring my books and study. She tells me she thinks it’s sexy that I’m smart, and that watching me study turns her on. I’m sure it’s just a trick to make me study, but it works. My grades are all A’s and B’s. I’m even getting a B in English.

“You miss me?” I say, as Tara greets me at her door.

“Always.” She loops her arms around my neck and kisses me.

We continue to kiss as she backs into her apartment, letting me through the door. I kick it closed, drop my backpack, and start undressing her. She does the same to me. This happens every time I come over. We keep saying we’ll do it later, to prove we have at least a little control over our urges, but then we see each other and can’t wait.

“I love you,” I say, thrusting into her. I’m holding her up against the wall. We’re only a few feet from the door. We couldn’t even make it to the bedroom, or the couch.

“I love you too,” she says.

We’ve been telling each other that for a week now. I know it’s soon, but it’s how we feel, so why hold back? And if Tara knows I love her, she won’t keep waiting to break up with Troy. She doesn’t love him, and I know he doesn’t love her, so she has no reason to stay with him.

Tara and I are a much better match than she ever was with Troy. We’re good together in every possible way, and we’re really good at what we’re doing now.

“Harder,” Tara says.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” She gives me a sexy smile.

I smile back, then pound into her, thinking the neighbors will probably come yell at us for banging against the wall. If they do, I’m not stopping. Not when we’re this close. Tara comes first and I follow a few moments later.

When I set her down, I can barely feel my arms, but it was worth it. We’ve never done it like that, but I definitely want to do that again. We’ve been mixing it up, trying different positions, different places in the apartment. I couldn’t be that adventurous with Haley. She’d only do it one way, and only in her room when her parents were asleep or weren’t around.

“I love watching you study,” Tara says as we sit on the couch.

Two hours have passed and I actually got a lot done. I finished a paper, did a short assignment for my history class, and now I’m studying for a math test I have on Monday.

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