Ch.16 - Unofficial Date
Jared considered himself a responsible person. While it was true he’d had some slip-ups in his youth, the fallout from it had caused him to take a serious grip on his life and where it was headed. When he resurfaced form the chaos, he vowed he would never be so careless, so reckless, or so naïve again.
In the past ten years, he’d made a life for himself he was proud of. He’d distanced himself from the people and situations that had been pulling him into a downward spiral. He moved away, went to college, and spelled into the small town of Lakeland Valley, a place he’d felt more at home than the place he’d lived his whole life.
The next town over from Lakeland Valley was just populated enough to contain one four-year college. Jared had chosen a business major on a whim and found Kyle O’Shea sitting in every class of his first two semesters. Apparently, the blonde, had also opted for business at random. In their sophomore year, Jared had abandoned his determination to make it as a loner, as had been his resolution when he decided to move, and roomed with Kyle for the rest of their college education. He’d also taken up socializing again, including casual dating.
The decision to keep his distance emotionally with women hadn’t been a conscious one, but after Kyle had started ring-shopping for his then almost fiancée he’d informed him of his observations and Jared had to eventually admit the truth to them. He didn’t want to be stuck in that place. He didn’t want to be one of those guys who shut off their emotions and ended up alone. Despite the trauma from his youth, he told himself he had to break down his own barriers and the only way to do that was to push himself head over heels in love.
Well, he pushed himself. Right over the edge of the cliff into a relationship crazypants!Stacy. She was gorgeous, for sure, but she had a tendency to be clingy. The more time she demanded of him, the more she forced his hand to give everything he had to her – and so soon in their relationship, two weeks – the quicker his infatuation came to a screeching halt. In those first days after he’d seen her, he’d been starstruck and professed to Kyle she was the love of his life. He cringed at the thought now because it was as reckless a move as he would have pulled at sixteen. A month and a half later he broke things off with Stacy.
He had grown so much though, even since that break up. Sure he hadn’t really given any other girl a shot at his heart, but he figured he’d know the right girl when he saw her, that he wouldn’t have to wake up every morning and remind himself that the love of his life was out there and he needed to keep his eyes pinned to every female in the vicinity in the hopes that she might be the one. It might be said he’d given up looking, despite his insistence that he hadn’t, and if that was the case, it certainly explained his reaction to the most recent female companion in his life.
As if he’d summoned her by magic, Jared saw her before him in the distance. The flash of Sunny standing up and dashing from her side to a nearby vendor was what drew his eye to the still body bathing in the sun near where she’d been. He couldn’t see her face but he knew it was Melanie from this distance, and his body clenched with desire. Forcefully, he shoved his hands into his pants’ pockets so they would stop tingling. He could almost feel her as if she was right beside him and he was holding her close.
He knew what the smart thing was to do in this situation. He could no longer return to Kyle, able to come back with a clever quip to whatever he would throw about him concerning Melanie. He’d talked a good game in his head, but all it had taken was one look at her – from a distance, no less – and his mind was so foggy all he could think about was touching her. Staying where he was now though would just be asking for trouble. The best possible solution was to turn around and walk in another direction entirely. He wanted to enjoy some of this nice, sunny weather. There were plenty of other places around town in which to do so. Encouraged by that thought, Jared decided it was exactly what he would do. He took one step forward and then another, until he was mere feet from Melanie Stryder.
His feet, it seemed, had the same idea as his hands – and all other parts of his anatomy.
The sound of her voice saying his name questioningly brought him out of the reverie that was sure had had him walking in the wrong direction. If she hadn’t noticed him he could have safely turned around but it was too late. She had caught him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, smiling flirtatiously. His heart sped up faster and he returned her smile with a wide grin. She was irresistible when she flirted with him because she was completely unaware that she was doing it. He leaned against a tree near her and prided himself that he was able to still keep his hand stuck deep into his pockets.
“What’s more interesting,” he began, “what I’m doing here or…” his gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. “Why you’re all wet?” He raised an eyebrow, daring her to answer the question with an intelligent answer.
Melanie smiled brighter, barely suppressing a giggle. Her happiness bubbling over made him smile even wider till he realized it almost hurt to be smiling so much for so long.
“Sunny pushed me in the lake,” she finally said. “I think…” She turned around to see where the raven-haired vixen had gone and found her nowhere near the vendors or anywhere else for that matter. Jared couldn’t spot her either. “Well, she was supposed to get towels.” She frowned. “I even gave her money.”
Jared chuckled and plopped down beside her on the warm grass. He was so close to her at first that he brushed against her arm and took some of the moisture with him. She turned back to him and caught her breath at the closeness of him. He eased a few inches away subtly.
“Looks like you’ve been conned,” he murmured, leaning in so it was a whisper.
“And she seemed like such a nice girl.” Melanie shook her head, lamenting mockingly.
“Oh yeah, nice girls definitely push you into lakes.” He nodded assuredly.
Melanie burst out laughing and shortly after he joined in too. He bumped his shoulder against hers and she pushed at him with her hand. He easily went down on his back and she followed suit, still smiling wide just as he was.
She turned to look at him when the laughter subsided and she could safely lessen her smile to a normal size.
“So, what are you doing here?” she asked again.
He sighed and shrugged. “Ah, you know, Kyle was getting on my nerves.”
“Oh?” she asked, silently asking for an explanation.
Jared didn’t respond to her at first, but he could feel her staring a hole into the side of his face and finally turned on his side and propped himself up.
“Imagine Sunny pushing you into the lake repeatedly. Wouldn’t you get up and leave eventually?”
“As you can see,” she gestured to the empty space around him. “I don’t have that problem.”
“Lucky you.” He grinned.
Again the smiles widened and seemed to stretch across the silence forever, never awkward but all-consuming. Jared knew he was in trouble when he let himself drink Melanie in like this, but even Kyle’s cackling in the back of his mind couldn’t make himself focus. It was like a drug being with Melanie. She was the ultimate high. With his hands dangerously out of his pockets, he ached to touch her again.
He reached forward, seeking a legitimate excuse. Was there a strand of hair that needed to be tucked behind her ear? Her shirt strap that needed to be put back over her shoulder? Did he have a jacket he could throw over her very wet, very sexy body?
Jared, stop.
He swallowed and forced himself to refocus on the legalities.
She’s seventeen, remember. SEVENTEEN. That means she’s a minor. That means if you find out you can’t stop you could get arrested for having sex with a minor.
The thought of sex with Melanie made the blood beat hot in his veins.
ARRESTED, his common sense reminded himself. Besides, it continued, none of your hopeful excuses are available to you anyway.
That much was true, he allowed. Melanie’s hair was plastered to her head, she was wearing a t-shirt and it was too warm out to bring a jacket anywhere during the day. He’d been so eager to get away from Kyle’s teasing that he hadn’t bothered to take one.
Leave. Go take that sunny walk you wanted to. Say you need alone time. She’ll understand. She will.
“Jared…”
He realized her stare that had sunk so deep into his eyes was now dropping to his lips and knew this was the time to retreat.
“Has Sunny taken you to Mama’s Cooking?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, then, she blinked.
“I know the name sounds a little corny, but it’s actually a really nice restaurant somewhere between fine dining and a fast food restaurant.”
Her lips parted and a short laugh came out. He could tell she didn’t know what to say but finally she looked down at herself.
“Am I…suitable?” she asked, on the verge of giggles again.
“You’ll be dry before we get there,” he said and winked. He got to his feet and held out his hand to her.
She groaned a moment when the implications set in.
“It’s a long walk,” she stated grudgingly, but took his hand anyway.
“I promise I’ll make it worthwhile,” he said, keeping hold of her hand as he pulled her along. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Evidently she realized she was, because a beat later she nodded happily and squeezed her hand around his own.
“Let’s go then,” she said and walked with him.
They slipped into easy conversation and Jared relaxed, ignoring completely how this looked, like they were dating, like they were a couple, like they were in love, like this wasn’t in the least bit suspicious looking.
More than anything else he ignored the voice in his head that said,
You are going to freaking hell.
In the past ten years, he’d made a life for himself he was proud of. He’d distanced himself from the people and situations that had been pulling him into a downward spiral. He moved away, went to college, and spelled into the small town of Lakeland Valley, a place he’d felt more at home than the place he’d lived his whole life.
The next town over from Lakeland Valley was just populated enough to contain one four-year college. Jared had chosen a business major on a whim and found Kyle O’Shea sitting in every class of his first two semesters. Apparently, the blonde, had also opted for business at random. In their sophomore year, Jared had abandoned his determination to make it as a loner, as had been his resolution when he decided to move, and roomed with Kyle for the rest of their college education. He’d also taken up socializing again, including casual dating.
The decision to keep his distance emotionally with women hadn’t been a conscious one, but after Kyle had started ring-shopping for his then almost fiancée he’d informed him of his observations and Jared had to eventually admit the truth to them. He didn’t want to be stuck in that place. He didn’t want to be one of those guys who shut off their emotions and ended up alone. Despite the trauma from his youth, he told himself he had to break down his own barriers and the only way to do that was to push himself head over heels in love.
Well, he pushed himself. Right over the edge of the cliff into a relationship crazypants!Stacy. She was gorgeous, for sure, but she had a tendency to be clingy. The more time she demanded of him, the more she forced his hand to give everything he had to her – and so soon in their relationship, two weeks – the quicker his infatuation came to a screeching halt. In those first days after he’d seen her, he’d been starstruck and professed to Kyle she was the love of his life. He cringed at the thought now because it was as reckless a move as he would have pulled at sixteen. A month and a half later he broke things off with Stacy.
He had grown so much though, even since that break up. Sure he hadn’t really given any other girl a shot at his heart, but he figured he’d know the right girl when he saw her, that he wouldn’t have to wake up every morning and remind himself that the love of his life was out there and he needed to keep his eyes pinned to every female in the vicinity in the hopes that she might be the one. It might be said he’d given up looking, despite his insistence that he hadn’t, and if that was the case, it certainly explained his reaction to the most recent female companion in his life.
As if he’d summoned her by magic, Jared saw her before him in the distance. The flash of Sunny standing up and dashing from her side to a nearby vendor was what drew his eye to the still body bathing in the sun near where she’d been. He couldn’t see her face but he knew it was Melanie from this distance, and his body clenched with desire. Forcefully, he shoved his hands into his pants’ pockets so they would stop tingling. He could almost feel her as if she was right beside him and he was holding her close.
He knew what the smart thing was to do in this situation. He could no longer return to Kyle, able to come back with a clever quip to whatever he would throw about him concerning Melanie. He’d talked a good game in his head, but all it had taken was one look at her – from a distance, no less – and his mind was so foggy all he could think about was touching her. Staying where he was now though would just be asking for trouble. The best possible solution was to turn around and walk in another direction entirely. He wanted to enjoy some of this nice, sunny weather. There were plenty of other places around town in which to do so. Encouraged by that thought, Jared decided it was exactly what he would do. He took one step forward and then another, until he was mere feet from Melanie Stryder.
His feet, it seemed, had the same idea as his hands – and all other parts of his anatomy.
The sound of her voice saying his name questioningly brought him out of the reverie that was sure had had him walking in the wrong direction. If she hadn’t noticed him he could have safely turned around but it was too late. She had caught him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, smiling flirtatiously. His heart sped up faster and he returned her smile with a wide grin. She was irresistible when she flirted with him because she was completely unaware that she was doing it. He leaned against a tree near her and prided himself that he was able to still keep his hand stuck deep into his pockets.
“What’s more interesting,” he began, “what I’m doing here or…” his gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. “Why you’re all wet?” He raised an eyebrow, daring her to answer the question with an intelligent answer.
Melanie smiled brighter, barely suppressing a giggle. Her happiness bubbling over made him smile even wider till he realized it almost hurt to be smiling so much for so long.
“Sunny pushed me in the lake,” she finally said. “I think…” She turned around to see where the raven-haired vixen had gone and found her nowhere near the vendors or anywhere else for that matter. Jared couldn’t spot her either. “Well, she was supposed to get towels.” She frowned. “I even gave her money.”
Jared chuckled and plopped down beside her on the warm grass. He was so close to her at first that he brushed against her arm and took some of the moisture with him. She turned back to him and caught her breath at the closeness of him. He eased a few inches away subtly.
“Looks like you’ve been conned,” he murmured, leaning in so it was a whisper.
“And she seemed like such a nice girl.” Melanie shook her head, lamenting mockingly.
“Oh yeah, nice girls definitely push you into lakes.” He nodded assuredly.
Melanie burst out laughing and shortly after he joined in too. He bumped his shoulder against hers and she pushed at him with her hand. He easily went down on his back and she followed suit, still smiling wide just as he was.
She turned to look at him when the laughter subsided and she could safely lessen her smile to a normal size.
“So, what are you doing here?” she asked again.
He sighed and shrugged. “Ah, you know, Kyle was getting on my nerves.”
“Oh?” she asked, silently asking for an explanation.
Jared didn’t respond to her at first, but he could feel her staring a hole into the side of his face and finally turned on his side and propped himself up.
“Imagine Sunny pushing you into the lake repeatedly. Wouldn’t you get up and leave eventually?”
“As you can see,” she gestured to the empty space around him. “I don’t have that problem.”
“Lucky you.” He grinned.
Again the smiles widened and seemed to stretch across the silence forever, never awkward but all-consuming. Jared knew he was in trouble when he let himself drink Melanie in like this, but even Kyle’s cackling in the back of his mind couldn’t make himself focus. It was like a drug being with Melanie. She was the ultimate high. With his hands dangerously out of his pockets, he ached to touch her again.
He reached forward, seeking a legitimate excuse. Was there a strand of hair that needed to be tucked behind her ear? Her shirt strap that needed to be put back over her shoulder? Did he have a jacket he could throw over her very wet, very sexy body?
Jared, stop.
He swallowed and forced himself to refocus on the legalities.
She’s seventeen, remember. SEVENTEEN. That means she’s a minor. That means if you find out you can’t stop you could get arrested for having sex with a minor.
The thought of sex with Melanie made the blood beat hot in his veins.
ARRESTED, his common sense reminded himself. Besides, it continued, none of your hopeful excuses are available to you anyway.
That much was true, he allowed. Melanie’s hair was plastered to her head, she was wearing a t-shirt and it was too warm out to bring a jacket anywhere during the day. He’d been so eager to get away from Kyle’s teasing that he hadn’t bothered to take one.
Leave. Go take that sunny walk you wanted to. Say you need alone time. She’ll understand. She will.
“Jared…”
He realized her stare that had sunk so deep into his eyes was now dropping to his lips and knew this was the time to retreat.
“Has Sunny taken you to Mama’s Cooking?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, then, she blinked.
“I know the name sounds a little corny, but it’s actually a really nice restaurant somewhere between fine dining and a fast food restaurant.”
Her lips parted and a short laugh came out. He could tell she didn’t know what to say but finally she looked down at herself.
“Am I…suitable?” she asked, on the verge of giggles again.
“You’ll be dry before we get there,” he said and winked. He got to his feet and held out his hand to her.
She groaned a moment when the implications set in.
“It’s a long walk,” she stated grudgingly, but took his hand anyway.
“I promise I’ll make it worthwhile,” he said, keeping hold of her hand as he pulled her along. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Evidently she realized she was, because a beat later she nodded happily and squeezed her hand around his own.
“Let’s go then,” she said and walked with him.
They slipped into easy conversation and Jared relaxed, ignoring completely how this looked, like they were dating, like they were a couple, like they were in love, like this wasn’t in the least bit suspicious looking.
More than anything else he ignored the voice in his head that said,
You are going to freaking hell.
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