Sweet (True Believers #2)(38)
Author: Erin McCarthy

“Really?” Tyler sounded surprised.

“Sure. Rory is stuck out at her dad’s working her summer job, and I’m here. I can help.”

He was looking at me like I’d just parted the Nile.

“What?” I growled.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Nada.”

“Then stop looking at me like that.” I poured some water haphazardly into the coffeemaker. Truthfully, I had been surprised the Manns had a coffeemaker. But apparently it had been handy for hiding drugs, so their mother had bought it at a garage sale, according to Riley. I hoped there weren’t any lingering drug bits in there, though I was too naive to really know what she had been hiding and/or doing. Sure, I’d popped a Vicodin here and there and had smoked a blunt or two, but it wasn’t like I really had any clue about having a real drug habit other than what I had seen on intervention shows.

Ever since the funeral though, I had decided that getting an occasional itchy high from a pill or two wasn’t worth the risk of addiction. Who was to say when it might go too far, and I didn’t want to do that to myself or to my family. So not worth it.

“By the way, the pictures in the hall?” Tyler smiled at me. “Nice touch, Jess. It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, feeling uncomfortable with his praise. I was used to compliments on my appearance, not on my actions.

He studied me as I reached for a mug, looking like he wanted to say more.

“Yes?” I snapped.

Tyler laughed. “God, you’re as big of an ass**le as Riley.”

Now that I was more comfortable with. “Watch what you say or I’ll freeze your underwear when we’re cleaning out your room. One of the many skills I learned at Bible camp.”

“How do you freeze underwear?” Jayden wanted to know.

Tyler rolled his eyes. “Oh, great, Jess, thanks, way to give him an idea.”

I grinned. “You dunk them in water and put them in the freezer, Jayden.”

Jayden cackled at the thought. “Watch out, Tyler, or I’ll freeze your underwear, too.”

“If anyone freezes my underwear I’ll beat the shit out of you.” Though Tyler looked more amused than pissed.

Jayden’s response was to flip his brother off. I figured that was as good of a comeback as any, so I followed suit. Jayden and I met eyes and laughed.

“I like you,” he told me, expression honest and guileless.

I can’t even begin to say how much that wiggled inside my heart and pleased me. I’d never thought of myself as particularly sentimental, but Jayden’s open approval made me feel awesome. Normally I avoided hugs and casual contact at all costs, but I found myself reaching out and actually initiating a hug with Jayden, pulling him close. “I like you, too.”

It was a toss-up who was the most surprised—me, Jayden, or Tyler.

Easton wasn’t paying attention. He was resting his head on the table and tracing his finger over the cookie jar, speaking quietly to the Mystery Machine.

And maybe for the first time in my whole life I felt protective.

So I turned and poured myself a huge mug of coffee.

***

That night I sat in my sublet apartment and tried to concentrate on the TV. When I had seen the apartment, I had liked that two girls lived there and were clean, their furniture pretty and shabby chic, the dishes in the kitchen matching. But now with my suitcases tucked away in the one free bedroom, it felt frilly and too perfect, and empty.

Lonely.

The girl, Maggie, who lived in the other bedroom, was already in bed. It was midnight, and I was still keyed up from work, and worried about the social worker’s visit the next day. But I knew I couldn’t text Riley because he would be asleep. So I had nothing to do but sit there wide awake and stress out.

My phone buzzed with a text message. Riley.

U awake?

Yes. U ok?

No. Can’t sleep.

It’s going to b ok, promise.

Wish u were here Pita.

That made me inhale sharply, a giddy thrill. It was a new feeling. Usually if a guy said that, I laughed or rolled my eyes, knowing he was just talking about sex.

But this had nothing to do with sex.

Me too.

Then I shocked myself by adding, Pick me up?

Just three little words that hung out there, making me feel as stripped down and vulnerable as I ever had. How selfish and stupid and pathetic was that request?

He had a social worker coming the next day. He didn’t need to be dealing with me. And why would he want to get out of bed, drive over to my place, and bring me back just to lay in bed together? I knew he wouldn’t want to have sex. It so wasn’t the right time for that, especially for our first time together.

Panicked, I was going to add a “haha” to make it seem like I was joking. But he responded before I could.

Be there in ten.

Huh.

K.

So I stuffed a change of clothes in my purse, along with my toothpaste and deodorant, and went downstairs to the lobby to wait for him. He was actually there in nine minutes and I pushed open the door to the building and climbed in. “Hey,” I said, a little breathless from running down the stairs and from nerves.

“Hey.” He leaned over and slid his hand to the back of my head before kissing me. “Thanks.” Resting his forehead on mine, he sighed.

“For what?”

“Coming back.”

I liked the sound of that, like my leaving had been a big deal. “You might change your mind when you see me in the morning without makeup.”

He gave a soft laugh and pulled away, putting the car in drive. “I doubt that. You’re beautiful, and I’m going to keep telling you that until you believe me.”

“Okay,” I agreed. I was down with that. “Twice on Sundays would be great.”

“Brat.”

For some weird reason, I reached out and rested my hand on the back of his neck, stroking up into his hair. I had no idea why I was having such a touchy-feely day, but he seemed to like it. “What time is the social worker coming?”

“Ten. I think I scared Easton. I was trying to prepare him, coach him, you know? I was giving him examples of questions she might ask him and how he should answer and he started crying. Then he denied it and locked himself in his room.”

“Well, you had to tell him what was going on. And of course he’s scared. You’re all scared. But he’ll tell the truth and it will be fine.” I massaged his neck, feeling the tension in his muscles. “I mean, it’s sad to say, but since your mom passed, there hasn’t been any drama in the house. What could he say that would damage your case?”