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I lie face down in my pillow, letting it out. Jake Larson is the one for me. And I might’ve run him away.
One week later...
JAKE
I feel like I’m being set up.
I don’t go to museums. I’m not a museum guy, and I probably willneverbe a museum guy. So I’ve no idea why Sarah and Taya have asked me to meet them at a museum. We’re about thirty minutes away from campus at the Turnstile Museum. The art’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but this is just...fucking weird.
I go through security and immediately see them looking at a Pablo Picasso painting. I can’t suppress the smile that forms across my face. These girls are so nerdy, I love it.
I walk up behind them, and Sarah must feel my presence as she turns around, greeting me with a smile. “You made it.”
I give her a small smile, trying to avoid making eye contact with Taya. I chance a glance, and she’s giving me a friendly smile.
“Good to see you again, Larson.”
I’m surprised to see the look in her eyes. There’s no sign of attraction or nervousness. She’s just being cordial. That makes me a bit more relieved.
I give her a nod and look back to Sarah, who has a mischievous look on her face.
“So you’re gonna hate me.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. I knew she was setting me up. Who the hell suggests amuseumto hang out at? I cross my arms over my chest, staring her down. This only makes her smile bigger.
“Sarah, why am I here?” It comes out more aggressively than I’d hoped.
She rolls her eyes and motions for me to follow her. I look to Taya for a clue, but she just waggles her eyebrows at me before smiling. These girls are cryptic.
We walk farther inside the museum, leaving the Picasso exhibit. I frown again, trying to figure what the hell is going on. Suddenly, we walk into a Shakespeare exhibit, and I look around at the wall art. It’s literally a bunch of words on walls, each in a different font. What message are these girls trying to send?
We walk up to a painting where all of the words are circling. I slow up when I see a familiar, feminine body. The same feminine body that I’ve had a taste of more times than I can handle.
My breath immediately hitches when the girls stand behind her. I’m standing a few feet from them, refusing to walk any closer. I can’t stand next to her right now. Sarah turns around, giving me a confused look. I shake my head, and she beckons me over. I look back at Leia, and she’s still looking up at the painting. I slowly move forward, standing next to her.
Sarah and Taya back up, winking at me. She hasn’t looked at me. I glance at her and then back at the painting. It’s a painting of a young girl and an older boy embracing.
“You made it.” She repeats the same words Sarah said. Her voice startles me, and I jump. She chuckles at me.That goddamn laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just asked the girls to bring you here.”
“Leia, baby—”
“Your letter was sweet.”
She’s looking at me now. I look at her. Ireallylook at her. She has her hair straightened. She’s a fucking gorgeous girl. At some point, I willhaveto get over this. It’s creepy how much I drool over. She has a growing smile that makes my heart ache.
“I meant every word, doll. You have to know that.” I can beg. Iwillbeg if I have to. This girl can bring me to my knees in a way that no one else can. She’s my girl. She always will be.
“But...it doesn’t change what you want from me.” She isn’t asking me. The definitive tone in that hurts. I gulp in response. I hate that she’s right.
“I can’t sustain a girlfriend, doll. I’ll hurt you,” I whisper. I gently cup her cheek. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch. Her eyes open again slowly. There they are. I lean in to kiss her, but she shakes her head. I frown at her. This is at least the fifteenth time she’s shot me down.You don’t know what you want from her, idiot.Of course she won’t let you kiss her.“Leia—”
“You know,” she cuts me off, looking back at the painting. “They say Romeo and Juliet’s love was so...powerful. Torrid, even. Almost like lust,” she expresses.
I look at the painting, and it dawns on me; it’s a painting of Romeo and Juliet. I look back at her. God, those eyes aren’t facing me anymore.
“Yeah, they were pretty crazy, though.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “They were in love, and they were just kids. Their age difference was a big one, but...love is love. The passion was there...”
