More Than This

She turns to leave, but I jump up off my bed and run to her, grabbing her arm, forcing her to turn around.

“WHAT?!” she growls out.

“What the fuck is going on?!”

“What the fuck do you think is going on, Jake?”

“You tell me, you were the one playing happy little family with my sister. Having a good old laugh together? What were you doing? Talking about how stupid I was… Stupid Jake, has no idea what you guys are up to!”

“That’s what you think? That we we’re fucking behind your back?”

“That’s what it fucking looks like to me!”

“He’s your best friend, Jake! There’s no wa-"

“So fucking what! Megan was your best friend!”

Her face falls instantly.

Tears immediately pool in her eyes, she’s quick to wipe them away.

“Call Logan,” she says, before turning and walking away from me.

***

*Mikayla*

I ended up having to Facebook message Lucy to pick me up and drive me back to the mall to get Mandy’s car. She didn’t ask questions. I didn’t tell her anything.

When I get back to the house, I hear Jake and Julie in the back yard. When I look through the gate, I see her holding a baseball bat and him pitching balls slowly at her, encouraging her while she laughs.

He’s trying to make up for it.

Good. He should. He’s an asshole.

***

I’m laying in bed when I hear tapping on my window.

I get up and lift it open without saying a word and get back into bed.

Once I’m in bed and under the covers, I feel the bed dip next to me and hear him place something on my nightstand. My phone.

“I called Logan.”

“Good.”

“He didn’t tell me anything though.”

“Good.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Have you quit being an asshole?”

“Yes.” He tries to get me to flip over so I can look at him. When I do he rests one hand on my leg and moves the hair out of my eyes with the other.

“I’m sorry, Kayla… for what I said about Megan, and the way I acted. I don’t know what got over me. The thought of you and Logan, of anyone else… it just-"

“Jake, stop.” I sit up so I can see him properly. “Logan saw me buying a pregnancy test and-" Jake's eyes bug out for a second before I assure him. “I’m not.” I wave my hands in the air. “I just thought I was. I was late, and I was buying the tests, he saw me, I panicked. He took me to see his dad, he confirmed I wasn’t. I had to pick up Julie from her friends, and he took me to get her because Mandy’s car was still at the mall, Julie's friend lived a street over from his house, so he drove home to pick up his gear before he was going to drop us back off to the car. That’s where you come in and act like an asshole, asshole.”

He’s silent. I continue.

“He was going to meet you at the cages after he dropped us off. He was just there for me, that’s all.” I pause for a minute. “Wait, he didn’t tell you?”

Jake’s shaking his head, taking it all in. “He said it wasn’t his story to tell and if I wanted to know I had to hear it from you.” He blows out a breath, puffing out his cheeks with the force of it. “Fuck, Kayla. I really am an asshole. I was a dick to him and to you. And Julie, shit, I scared the shit out of her. Why didn’t you tell me? Was that what last night was about?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think about it until I was at the pharmacy with Julie, and then I wigged out and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to be sure first. I didn’t know what I was going to do if… you know.”

“So you’re not. For sure? Like 100%?”

“Yeah, Jake.” I nod my head. “I’m sure.”

He breaths out a heavy sigh and we sit in silence for a long time.

“Can I stay with you tonight… please, Kayla?” It’s barely a whisper.

I scoot across the bed and lift the covers. He takes his shirt off and gets in. We face each other. Holding on, not wanting to let go, not even for a second.

We’re looking so intently into each others eyes, trying to see into each others souls.

Talking without speaking.

Feeling without touching.

“Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just you. It’s only ever been just you. It will always only ever be just you.”

And then he kisses me. A quick kiss on the lips. But it has the passion of a thousand kisses, and holds the power of a thousand promises.

“So much more than a lot,” he says, before we fall asleep, the best way we can, in each others arms.

Chapter 27

*Jake*

After that night of the pregnancy scare, or whatever it was, Kayla and I have been a little off. We still talk, and we're still close, but it's like, I don't know, like our planets aren't aligned or something.

I was an asshole to her, and to Julie, and even to Logan. I apologized to him, and he gets it, but still, I feel like a dick. I should have been there for her, instead, I went all neanderthal on her and fucked it up.

***

I've just finished at the gym with the guys, they're all meeting up at some club tonight. One of those ones where you can get in at 18, Dylan's cousin or something is the bouncer so we'll be able to get drinks, no problem.

Obviously, they asked Kayla to come with. I don't know if she'll want to, but I know I'm not going without her.

"It's open," she yells out after I knock.

I walk into her room, she's lying in bed with her e-reader.

"Hey,” I say shyly, not looking at her.

It's bad enough that things have been off between us but her lying in bed like this… I don't know that I can handle it.

"Whats up?" She hasn't taken her eyes of her book.

Fuck, her and Lucy are book best friends, whatever the hell that means.

I clear my throat, because truthfully, her in bed is making me nervous. "The guys are all going to this club tonight, they wanted to know if we'd come." It's said as a question.

"Jake, I don't really feel like it, you can totally go though.” She puts her book down and looks at me.

I'm still standing by the door. I haven't moved closer to her. It's too damn tempting.

"It's cool, honestly, I'd rather just stay with you.” I tell her, because it's the truth.

She smiles a small smile. "I have like, two chapters of this book left, and then can we go?"

I smile and nod.

Then we're just looking at each other.

No one saying anything.

And I realize I should probably be going and leaving her to read, but I don't want to leave, because I'm a fucking creeper.

She must somehow know this because she rolls her eyes just slightly, and lifts the covers of the bed on one side.

It's an invitation.

And I'm sure as shit going to accept.

I know a huge grin is smeared on my face, but I don't care.

I walk over to the bed, but then I realize I'm still in my gym gear and I smell like sweat covered asshole.

"I think I should take a shower first,” I tell her.

"Okay,” she says, and continues to read her book.

I get in and out of the shower in 1.3 minutes flat. As I'm drying off I remember that I don't have any clothes.

Shit.

I can't get back in my sweat covered asshole clothes, so I put the towel around my waist and think.

If I leave this room, I can go down and outside, then through the house to my room, but if my parents and Ju-ju are home then I have to explain why I'm stepping in from outside in nothing but a towel.