AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
My hand slapsover my mouth as I helplessly watch him crawl out of the lake from a distance. He shouldn’t have been running and staring.
“Are you okay?” I yell, and then cover my mouth again to hide the chuckle. He totally ate it.
He holds up a hand to signal he’s okay and peels off his soaked shirt, the evidence of his newfound motivation and zest for life beneath. His six pack is more defined, the sharp V on either side of his torso visible from here.
So, he hasn’t been full of shit in his interviews. He’s been more focused. Is making better choices…at least physically.
He wears healthy well.
My feet start in his direction.
He starts in mine.
We meet where the asphalt trail breaks off into a cobblestone pathway toward the pool.
“Hey,” he says. He brings with him that clean, sweaty, spicy scent I didn’t realize I missed so much until it hits my nose.
“Hi,” I say back.
He flicks his shirt to rid it of the dampness, runs his hand through his wet hair.
I fight to keep my eyes above his chin.
“How long have you…when did you…?” He flails to grasp the meaning of my being here as hard as he did to keep his footing a moment ago.
“I should have called,” I admit.
“Aw, shit,” he hisses, suddenly remembering something, and digs around in his pockets and pulls out a ruined phone. He holds it up and watches it drip with a sizzle onto the asphalt.
I chuckle. “I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s my fault. I surprised you.”
“No,” he rushes out, then shoves it back where it was like he could care less now about the ruined thing. “I’m glad you came by.”
Control your eyes, Scarlett. They keep pulling down.
His dimples surface with a smile. “Were you in the area or something?”
My instinct is to fib. To say I was. To save myself the embarrassment of looking like a desperate idiot. But I don’t. No more secrets. No more lies…
“No, I…I just wanted to see you, I guess.”
His smile widens at the prospect, but it makes me uneasy. I don’t want him to also think that means anything more.
Not that it’s fair for me to expect that of him. I did drive all the way from Atlanta, for God’s sake, with absolutely no indication he would even be here. How else is he supposed to take it?
My eyes fall to the ground as I decide what to say next. Lift back up to him. “You look good,” I say, continuing with the transparency. I attempt to say it in a way that sounds friendly, not flirty. I also need to continue being guarded until we have the chance to talk things out. And probably even after. “I needed to see the new Jake with my own eyes.”
He laugh-groans. “My PR lady wants everyone to know how reformed I am.”
“Well, that is her job,” I counter. I hand him one of the waters I grabbed.
He twists the cap and downs it. The muscles flickering along his dewy neck distract me for a moment.
“So,” I say, “Does that mean no more partying or drinking?”
He wipes his mouth and tucks the empty bottle into his waistband. A wink. “No more partying and drinking.”
