Текст книги "More Than This"
Автор книги: Jay McLean
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Текущая страница: 1 (всего у книги 16 страниц)
Table of Contents
Dedication
More Than This
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Epilogue
To my very own Knight in Shining Armor,
and our two little Princes.
Thank you for making me your Queen,
and giving me my own happily ever after.
More Than This
Prologue
*Mikayla*
He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.
I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future. I couldn’t even predict it.
It was one night.
One night when everything changed.
It was so much more than just the betrayal.
It was the tragedy.
The deaths.
The Murders.
But it was also that feeling.
That feeling of falling.
Chapter 1
*Mikayla*
I finish getting ready with 15 minutes to spare. I look in the mirror to make sure everything’s in place. I’m nothing special to look at. I’m definitely no Megan, my best friend. I have naturally olive skin from being quarter Filipino on my mom’s side, slightly almond shaped eyes from that side too. Everything else is from Dads Irish/Scottish side. My dad’s 6 foot, my mom’s a tiny 5 foot nothing. Luckily, I’m a good in between.
I’m not naive in thinking that I’m popular based on looks, or extra curricular activity. I’m book smart, but not so much so that I’m socially awkward. I’ve made the popular list by association. My best friend is the head cheerleader, and my hot boyfriend is captain of our basketball team.
I take one more look in the mirror, I’m good to go.
I open my bedroom door and virtually run into my parents who are standing just outside. They have that look on their face, like whatever they’re about to say is imperative and has to be taken seriously. My dad’s arm is wrapped around Mom’s shoulders. Emily, my 9 year old little sister, is nowhere to be seen. They take a step forward, united, causing me to take a step back.
I’m officially worried.
They keep taking steps forward until I’m forced to sit on the edge of my bed. I look up at my parents. They finally let go of each other and sit on either side of me.
Dad blows a big breath out and shakes his head. “Honey, your mother and I have something we need to tell you.”
I look at my mom, she looks away. She’s nervous.
Shit.
Dad continues, “We figure since you’re graduating in two weeks, and you’ve been 18 for a few months now… well, I guess we both decided it was about time we tell you something very important.”
I’m mentally scanning my brain for what the fuck this could be.
Im adopted.
I knew it. I was always different, less asian looking than I should be, and I don’t know where my nose comes from. No one in my family has this nose. Oh, God. Who are my birth parents? And Emily, what about her… is she adopted too?
“Mikayla?” Dad interrupts my raging thoughts.
Shit.
I close my eyes, hoping that by doing so, it might take away the sting of what he’s about to tell me. “Are you listening to me?”
I nod once, eyes still closed.
“Mikayla...” long pause. “…boys have a penis…”
My eyes dart open. My dad's stifling a laugh, my mom’s face is beet red with held in laughter. I’m glaring at them with narrowed eyes, waiting for my pulse rate to decrease.
I would have bet a million fricken dollars they were about to tell me something life altering.
I want to junk punch my own dad.
I know he’s behind this shit. This is totally something he would do. My mom, she doesn’t have it in her to think of something like this.
As I’m about to stand so I can turn and face them both, Emily comes running into the room with her life size Justin Bieber card board cut out. She’s hiding behind it, cackling to herself. Then she breaks out in song, waving the cut out in front of her.
“And I was like penis, penis, penis, ohhhhh
Like penis, penis, penis, nooooo
Like penis, penis, penis, ohhhh
I thought you’d always be mine, mine…”
I’m trying so hard to hold in my laughter, in case this is one of those situations where it’s funny for us, but inappropriate for a 9 year old girl.
I look to my parents and wait for their reaction.
Mom giggles and Dad breaks out in a weird dance, which I’m pretty sure is supposed to be something resembling ‘The Dougie’, and starts to belt out… “You know you love me, I know you caaaare…”
I can’t help but laugh. I start down the stairs to wait for Megan and James, shaking my head at their craziness. Of course, they all follow, Justin Bieber cut out and all, and keep singing, at the top of their lungs, mom included…
“And I was like penis, penis, penis, ohhhhh
Like penis, penis, penis, nooooo
Like penis, penis, …”
The front door swings open…
“What the fuhhhhhh…” Megan’s words die in the air when she sees Emily (and the Beibs) behind me.
James scratches his head, “Are you guys singing about Penises?… to Justin Bieber?”
They all start laughing and snorting. I love my insane family.
***
After a good ten minutes of photos, and my dad retelling the humiliation of the shit they just pulled on me, we’re out of the house and on our way to Bistro’s. It’s an Italian restaurant downtown that’s famous for loud atmosphere and big tables for large groups. Perfect for pre-prom dinner.
When we get to the restaurant we notice a few other tables with kids our age all dressed up. We don’t recognize them, they must go to different schools. The place reeks of new garments, cheap cologne, overpowering perfume, hair product and sexual tension. It’s everything prom should be.
We find our table and sit with Andrew and Sean, two of James’ friends from his Basketball team, and their girlfriends.
Megan decided to go stag. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been asked, about a trillion different guys asked her. She said she wanted to keep her options open. She didn’t want to go with some guy because he was hot, only to find out he was a dick throughout the night and then have to put out at the end, her words.
We make small talk until the waiter comes and takes our order. The place is loud with conversation, like you would expect with a bunch of teenagers in the room. Once we’ve all placed our order, James stands up, “Where’s the toilet in this place? I need to take a leak, that champagne from the limo’s gone straight through me,” charming as always.
“I’ll show you, I need to use the ladies to re-adjust my underwear. It’s riding up my ass,” Megan states loudly.
They walk away towards the back of the restaurant, where the restrooms are.
I’m in the middle of talking to Andrew about the new gym they’re building at the school, when I feel something wet trickle down my back. Im frozen for a second, then turn to find some dude in a tux looking at me wide eyed, half a glass of beer in his hand. The other half, I’m sure, is down my back.
“Shit, babe. I’m sorry,” wide eyed douche bag says. Babe? Really? This guy has to be a joke.
“Jesus Christ, Logan. Turn down the asshole a little, would ya?” his friend behind him says. He has an accent, like English or South African or Australian or something.
Logan, I assume, turns around to face him so quickly, his hand holding the remains of his beer slams against accent boys broad chest. Beer spills on the crispy white shirt under his open tux jacket.
Logan stifles a laugh. Accent boy groans and pushes Logan to the side, heading to the back of the restaurant, towards the restrooms I presume. “Naw, don’t be like that, Jakey,” Logan coos.
I stand up to go to the restroom to see if this night/dress is worth salvaging. Douchebag Logan blocks my way. He eyes me up and down, and walks a slow circle around me. He comes to a stop in front of me and a small smirk pulls at his lips, “Well, hello there, little lady,” he drawls.
I physically push him out of the way and head towards the restroom. I’m wearing a backless dress. It’s halter style, all black, it reconnects just above my ass, so close to it that there’s no room for underwear just in case. Because of this, I’m hoping, fingers crossed, that the beer has just spilt on my back and not the dress. I’ll be able to clean my bare back at least. More than I can say for the kid with the accent.
As I turn into the hallway where the restrooms are, I stop in my tracks. Megan is halfway out the door of the ladies room. She’s adjusting her dress slightly, her hair is in shambles and her lipstick is smeared all around her lips. She’s giggling and her hands come up slowly, most likely to the face of some random guy she’s just hooked up with.
Megan is every guys walking wet dream. She’s your typical tall, leggy, blond haired, blue eyed, sex on legs. And she loves sex, and has sex, so much sex.
So, it doesn’t surprise me at all that we’ve been here all of fifteen minutes and she’s been doing god knows what, with some random dude, in a public bathroom. What does surprise me though, as I get closer to her, is that it’s not some random guy her hands are on, it’s James, my boyfriend. Her hands are on his face, cleaning the smeared lipstick from around his mouth. My eyes are drawn to his hands, which are at the front of his pants. He tucks ‘himself’ back in and does his fly up.
I feel the vomit creeping up my throat and make a noise trying to keep it down. The noise must be loud enough to distract them. It almost feels like slow motion, they both turn to face me at the same time, their eyes huge, mouths hanging open.
Like they’re surprised I’m intruding on their intimate fucking moment.
Chapter 2
*Jake*
Fuck, Logan can be an asshole sometimes.
I’m in the bathroom doing everything I can to save this beer stained shirt that’s clinging to my body. There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s dunzo.
I take off my tux jacket and start undoing the buttons of the shirt, hoping the tank I have on underneath will be okay. I’ll have to run home and grab a new shirt. Luckily, Mom is always prepared for this kind of stuff and has a spare ready to go.
I can’t believe Logan did that, and all to get that girl’s attention. I mean, I get it, I noticed her the minute she walked in the door, smiling up at the kid who’s hand she was holding. She walked in with another guy, you’d think that was enough of a sign to call the game off. But not for Logan. The minute her boyfriend, or whatever, left her side it was game on. I followed him for a laugh, I wasn’t supposed to end up here.
I roll my eyes at myself in the mirror. I’m gonna look like an ultra douche walking out in suit pants and a wife beater. Fuck Logan.
I open the door and stop in my tracks when I see her, but it’s not the same girl that walked in. Her eyes are brimming with unshed tears and she’s fuming. I’ve only opened the door enough so I can just see her, I haven’t stepped into the hallway yet. She’s staring daggers into something, or someone. I take a tentative step forward and see her glaring at a couple standing in front of the women’s restroom. It’s like the couple are frozen in time, the blond girl’s hair is messed up and her dress is all twisted, her hands are on the guy’s face. I can’t see him properly. His back is to me. I can however, see that his hands are adjusting himself. It’s obvious this couple just screwed in the bathroom. At least their prom will be memorable.
I almost turn to leave when I hear her strained voice. “How long?” she says, her tone flat.
What? The guy turns to face her and it’s then I realize who this asshole is. It’s her boyfriend, I assume. Well, it’s the dick she walked in with.
“How long?” she asks again, a little louder, but still the same even tone.
“Baby…” asshole says reaching out for her.
“Two years,” the blond says, at the same time.
Fuck.
I look over at the cute brunette and wait for a reaction.
I feel like I should leave, like what I’m witnessing is too intimate, too personal. But my feet are locked to the floor. I have no idea why, but I can’t look away. I can’t walk away. I want to punch this asshole square in the face. If for nothing else but causing the pained look on this girl’s face. No way anyone deserves to be treated like that, especially this girl. I feel the need to protect her. I don’t even know her.
Two fucking years, what the hell?
Asshole steps forward so his back is to the blond. The blond glares at the back of his head. “Baby…” he says. I ball my fists. “I love you, Mikayla.”
What?
“WHAT?!” both girls yell.
Asshole and the brunette both turn to the blond, “Shut up, Megan!” they yell in unison.
“Megan,” the brunette says, taking a deep breath. “You’re my best friend. What the fuck?” Tears start streaming down her face.
Megan looks at her, then at the asshole, “I’m sorry, Mick,” she shrugs. But she’s not sorry, not even a little. She walks away, brushing past me.
I still haven’t said a word. I still haven’t moved an inch.
Mikayla and this asshole are staring at each other. Neither know I’m standing here like a creeper.
“Jesus, James,” Mikayla whispers, her voice shaky now. “I’ve been with you for four fucking years. And half that time you’ve been screwing my best friend!” her voice gets louder with every word.
There’s silence as he wipes a tear from his face. Why the fuck is he crying?
“Why the fuck are you crying?” she says forcefully. He flinches. Exactly Mikayla, I think to myself.
“For four years I never so much as looked at another guy. I was loyal to you when you weren’t even around, when you wouldn’t have even known, because that’s how much I loved you.” She’s in his face now, her words clear as day. She’s beyond the broken girl she started as, and now she’s just plain pissed.
“Were there any others?”
“NO! I swear it.”
Silence. The only sound is their heavy breathing.
“Why her?”
“C’mon, Micky. You don’t wanna know this shit. Let’s just go to prom and have a good time, okay?” He has an accent, Texas, I think.
“Why her?” she asks again.
He sighs, defeated, “The first time was when we had that away game a couple years back, where we stayed overnight to support the cheerleaders at some tournament they were doing the next day.”
“The one when my dad was out of town, and my mom and sister were sick so I couldn’t go with you?” she asks quietly, looking at the floor.
He nods. “Yeah, that’s the one, Micky, it was so stupid. We just… there was alcohol, and she wanted me and I didn’t think. Well,… I did, but not with my head.”
“And all the times after? God, how many times were there?”
He flinches at the question. Asshole.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“I’m sorry, Micky,” he sighs, “she just… I dunno. She’s always wanted me and it was always so easy.”
“What?” she asks quietly.
Then fire burns in her eyes.
“WHAT?” she says louder. “You’re going to put this on me? At what stage did you think that I didn’t want you? I gave it up to you whenever you wanted! I never said no to you. EVER! I wasn’t easy enough? Because we had to sneak around and wait for parents or brothers and sisters to not be around, or go to hotel rooms, or cars… Because she lived next door and her mom was never home? That’s why it was easy? What the fuck, James!”
She takes a deep breath. “Oh my God… did you use protection? I mean, she’s been with a lot of guys… A LOT. And that’s only the ones I know about… I didn’t even consider the ones she didn’t…” she trails off. “James…?”
“I always used a condom with her, always. I know I’m an asshole, but I knew she got around, and with you… there was never that barrier with us and I didn’t want to risk it. Babe, you have to-"
“You mean you didn’t want to get caught?”
He sighs, “Mikayla, I’m so sorry.” Asshole has the decency to sound sincere. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me? I mean, we had plans to go to college together. We planned our future tog-"
“OH MY GOD…” she gasps, panic written all over her face. “Who was your first, James?”
He flinches, it’s a small movement but we both catch it.
“Our first time at the hotel on my birthday, that wasn’t your first time was it?”
This guy just bought asshole to a whole new level.
“God, you faked it all, and the lies… I must be so fucking stupid!” she cries.
It’s silent for what seems like the longest time. Asshole must sense that nothing he says is going to make this any better.
A sob escapes from her and he begins to move forward to comfort her. I do everything I can to stay still. He manages to hold her while she sobs in his arms. After a minute, she rears back from his hold and pushes him away. “Was I not good enough in bed? Is that what it was? Did I do it wrong?” She sounds so sad now. “If you didn’t want to be with me, you could have just broken up with me, James. You didn’t have to cheat on me, over, and over, and over again. With my best friend. You could’ve just told me you didn’t want to be with me anymore, and you could’ve had all the girls in the world. It didn’t have to be like this. God, James…” she looks up at him. “You didn’t have to break my heart,” she whispers.
My chest tightens at her words.
Tears are falling freely down both their faces.
She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin, “You need to go, James. I can’t even stand to look at you right now.”
“Mikayla, please,” he begs.
“Please, James. Just go,” she pleads.
He actually listens, and walks away, brushing past me, as if I don’t even exist. I look back at her. She’s leaning against the wall, and slowly, her body gives up and she slumps against it, falling to her ass. Her body breaks out in silent sobs. Her arms shielding her head from the outside world.
I’m still standing here like a creeper and she has no idea. I need to do something. I need to comfort her, to make sure she’s going to be okay. Or maybe I should just go out there and kick that guy’s ass.
I clear my throat.
She looks up startled.
“Holy shit, accent boy. How much of that did you see?”
Chapter 3
*Mikayla*
I can’t believe accent boy has just witnessed that whole thing. I’m so fricken embarrassed by all of it. Mainly because I was the dumb girl that got played for so long.
“So that just happened, huh?” he says, with this deep voice that doesn’t belong on a teenage boy. It belongs to a rough middle aged lumberjack… or something. He starts towards me and motions his head to the spot on the floor next to me, I nod once not looking at him.
“So… your boyfriend’s an asshole and your best friend’s a selfish whore,” he states, taking a seat next me.
I can’t help but laugh, “That pretty much covers it.” I sniff.
“I’m Jake, by the way.” He nudges my side with his elbow. He’s looking straight ahead, not at me. He’s taken his dress shirt off. The beer obviously ruined it. I don’t even know what my dress looks like, I never got the chance to check. I look down at the satin material.
“Mikayla,” I say to the dress.
“Yeah, I figured that.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, then he clears his throat. It might be a nervous habit, I don’t know. He clears it again, causing me to look to my left at his profile. He senses my gaze and turns to look at me.
It’s the first time I see him properly and he’s extremely handsome, not boyishly, more rugged and manly. Like he could grow 5 inches of facial hair in one night. He smiles at me then quickly looks away.
I was staring. Shit.
“So…” he starts, “you’re all dressed up and nowhere to go, huh?” Where is that accent from?
“Yeah, I guess so. Hey… um, where are you from?” I have to know.
He’s confused for a second, “Oh, my accent, huh? Yeah, um, it’s Australian, but I’m actually from here. It’s a long story.”
“Okay.”
“So…” he starts again. He rubs his hand through the hair on the back of his head, little curls of dark brown, almost black form at the bottom of his hair line. His hair has a kink in it that can only be caused by wearing a baseball cap anytime he’s not sleeping or dressed in formal wear, it’s long enough that the ends would curl over the edges of his cap. “You heading to senior prom?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I mean, yeah, I was. I don’t think I could handle going anymore.”
“To yours, or any?”
Huh? What was he saying?
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t really processed everything, y’know?”
“Okay… well…” he clears his throat again. “I mean, you can come to mine. I have a spare ticket and it would be a shame to waste that amazing dress. You look beautiful, by the way.” His eyes dart to mine quickly, then look back down. James didn’t even comment on the way I looked. “I swear I’m not a psycho,” he continues, “and we have the limo for the whole night so you can just leave when you want, if you hate it I mean, or me, if you hate me,” he lets out a single laugh. “God, you must think I’m crazy, and my mate Logan, spilling his beer on you…” He shakes his head, “Shit, I’m sorry, by the way. He’s kind of a dick.” He hasn’t stopped rambling and I let him. “Look, I just don’t think you should let bad people dictate what should be a good time. Come hang out with me and my friends… It’ll at least take your mind off things for a little bit. I just think that maybe-"
“Okay,” I cut him off.
“Huh?”
“Okay,” I say again. I look into his deep blue eyes and he smiles, a panty dropping smile that most girls would swoon over. Too bad I’m not most girls.
“Okay,” he confirms with a nod. “So… I’ll just let the guys know what’s happen-"
“Yo, Jake. What the hell man? You’ve been in here for ages, I was about to-" Logan stops in his tracks when he sees us, how were sitting, and probably the state of my face.
“Give us a minute?” Jake says to Logan.
“Yeah man, sure, of course.” Logan starts backing away from us.
“So… I should probably go tell them what’s up. I mean, they won’t mind you coming along but they’ll probably want to know why. I can lie to them if you want, but I don’t think they’d care either way, so it’s up to you, what you want me to tell them.”
“It’s okay,” I smile at him. “You can tell them the truth. I’m just gonna go freshen up and then I’ll be right out, okay?”
“Sure.” But it comes out more like… shaw. It’s the accent.
***
Ten minutes in the restroom to freshen up and I’m almost back to normal. I hope ten minutes is enough time for all his friends to ask whatever they need to. I just don’t want to ruin their night, but I don’t want to down play what happened here either. I can’t believe I’m doing this, with a stranger, but right now, I think it’s what I need.
I check my phone, it’s been blowing up with calls and messages from James. None from Megan, not one. Two from my parents and a text from them asking if I’m okay, and that James has called there a few times. I text them back to tell them everything’s fine, and I’ll see them at home later tonight and explain everything then.
I tell them I love them, because I really do, and nothing has made me realize it more than the shit that’s just happened here.
A few seconds later I get a text from Mom,
‘We love you too, sweetheart. Have a good night. Emily is begging for ice cream. We’ll bring you back a big batch of cookies’n’cream. It will be waiting for you in the freezer, wake me if I’m asleep to share it.’
I’m actually really looking forward to it.
I walk out from the back of the restaurant and into the dining area. Jake and his friends are waiting for me at the entrance foyer. They turn towards me as I walk up. They all smile, but I don’t know them well enough to know if it’s genuine.
Jake puts his hand on the small of my back to lead the way. It’s skin on skin contact because of the way my dress is, and I don’t think he expected it. He tenses for a second next to me, before he asks, “Ready?”
I nod my head and smile up at him.
“Well, let’s go then.” he smiles back.
***
Once were all seated in the limo, Logan’s outside having a cigarette, so we wait for him while introductions are being made. I can tell by their builds that all the boys are jocks. The guy opposite me looks familiar, maybe he plays basketball and I’ve seen him play against our school. I did go to all of James’ games. He’s introduced to me as Dylan. Dylan does a quick head nod and then returns his eyes to the girl sitting on his lap. Obviously a man of many words.
“I’m Heidi,” the blond on his lap says. “Don’t mind him, he’s quiet. Likes to make me feel real special by not looking at other girls for more than a second. It’s sweet, but it can be awkward if you don’t know him,” she shrugs.
“‘Him’ is sitting right here, Heids,” Dylan says, rolling his eyes.
“It’s nice to know there are actually guys like that around,” I say flatly, looking out the window.
“Oh shit!” Heidi gasps. “I’m such a fucking idiot.” She pounds her palm to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Mikayla. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”
“It’s fine.” I smile at her. “Honestly.”
“I’m Cameron, or just Cam,” the guy next to them says. I think Heidi is relieved to move on. “That little lady,” he says, pointing to the girl on the other side of Jake where we share a bench seat, “her name’s Lucy.”
Lucy looks up from what looks to be an e-reader with a timid smile on her face. “Hi, Mikayla. It’s nice to meet you,” she says quietly, then resumes her reading. I look over at Cameron, he just shrugs. “She’s on the last few chapters of some book she’s been reading. She can’t stay away from it. We’re used to it now, we always find her reading at the oddest times. Don’t we, babe?” He says the last sentence a little louder to get her attention.
What! These two are dating?
“uh-huh,” Lucy says, not looking up from her book.
“I have the biggest dick you’ve ever seen, don’t I, babe?” Cam yells at her, trying to distract her.
The car erupts in laughter, me included. Jake shakes his head next to me.
“Yeah, babe. I know exactly what you said, and I’d deny it if it weren’t true, but your right, it’s true, it’s definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen,” Lucy says with a small smirk, eyes never leaving her book.
“Awwe, I love you, babe. Best. Answer. Ever.” He smiles a shit eating grin.
“But… Babe,” Lucy says, eyes still on the book, “yours is the only one I’ve ever seen so I have absolutely nothing at all to compare it to, it could be tiny and I wouldn’t have a clue. Now let me finish my book.”
Everyone laughs again and Heidi leans over to give Lucy a high five which she enthusiastically provides.
I smile at Lucy. She’s something else. “What are you reading?”
She looks up at me and blushes a little, “um, it’s called ‘The sea of tranquility’, it’s by-"
“Josh Bennett, right?” I interrupt. She smiles a huge smile, like she’s finally found someone she can talk to about this stuff. Inside, I’m kinda feeling the same way, none of my friends read the kind of books I enjoy.
“I’ve definitely found my new book boyfriend,” she swoons, holding her e-reader close to her heart. Cam just shakes his head at her.
“I bet you’ll never look at wood the same?” I say faking a dreaminess in my voice. The car is silent for a second and then everyone cracks up, including Lucy. Then it hits me, what I just said.
“NO!” I yell “I mean, because he likes to build things, from wood.” I’m animated now, trying to prove my point, and backtrack my words. I start using my hands to explain further. All eyes go to my hand and everyone starts laughing harder. I look down at my hand and almost die of embarrassment. Who would have thought that motioning sanding a chair leg, which made total sense in my head, would look the same as jerking off.
I make a moaning sound of defeat and embarrassment and try to hide my face on Jake’s shoulder. He chuckles into my hair and adjusts us so he can put an arm around me. I’ve known this guy for a minute and I’m already comfortable with him.
The laughing at my expense is still going strong when the door opens and Logan looks inside.
“What’s so funny, assholes?” He looks around the group and no one bothers to fill him in. “Fine, don’t tell me.” He starts to look at the seating arrangement, and though it would make complete sense to sit on the opposite side of me, he squishes in next to me, forcing us all to move along to the point where I’m nearly sitting on Jake’s lap.
Lucy, who is still enthralled in her book, works out what’s happening and moves to the other side to sit on Cam’s lap. I smile at her, she reminds me of me a little.
“Tell me when you get to the last two words,” I tell her.
“Almost there,” she says, lifting her finger to shush me. Then her eyes go wide and I know she’s done. “No shit,” she says.
“Shit,” I nod my head. “It’s my favorite book.”
“We should totally be book best friends.”
I laugh, “Yeah, sure.”
“What the fuck are they talking about?” Logan looks between me and Lucy. No one says anything.
“Hey, uhhh…” he nudges my leg with his.
“Her names Mikayla, asshole.” Jake says, slightly tightening his hold on my shoulders.
“Mikayla,” Logan nods, “I owe you an apology about the beer thing… it was an asshole thing to do. I wasn’t think-"
“Hey,” I cut him off with my hands. “it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Actually, I should probably be thanking you. If you hadn’t spilt that drink on me I would’ve never walked in on what I did. I’d probably be at my own prom right now, dancing with my so called ‘perfect’ boyfriend, clueless to the fact that he and my best friend were fucking for two years behind my back.” I try to smile but the anger overcomes me.
There’s an awkward silence in the car.
Jake slowly removes his arms from around me, probably because I’m batshit crazy.
Just as I’m about to apologize to them for my instant display of wack job, Lucy pipes up, “You should totally key the dickheads car,” she says mid yawn. Everyone turns to her, then slowly to me. I should laugh it off as a passing comment, a little joke between friends.
“Well, I do have his keys. I know his trucks at his house and no-one’s home.” I can’t help the smile that creeps on my face.
I look at Jake and he grins, eyeing me sideways.
“Wait…” Cam breaks the silence, “are you saying you have his car keys, you know where his car is, and no one is around?”
