The Winning Ticket (Circle of Friends #1)

12. It’ll Be Good For Both Of Us

brIANNA

12

Turning around, I lead Maddie back to Jake’s building and ring the intercom again.

“Hello?” Jake’s voice comes through.

“Hey, it’s Bri. I think I left my car keys up there.”

“Sure, come back up - I’ll see if I can find them.” He buzzes me in, and I head back up via the elevator.

“Hey, found ’em.” Jake waves the keys at me when I walk back into the apartment.

Maddie jumps up on him again, and he crouches down to pet her.

“I think you’ve got a fan.” I smile when he roughs her up before grinning back at me.

“Yeah, well, she’s got a fan too.” He stands up and hands me my keys.

“Thanks.”

“No worries. Actually, it was good you came back. I wanted to chat with you about something, but your sister was being weird.” He crosses his arms and shifts his weight, looking almost nervous.

“Yeah, sorry about that. She saw me leave your room on Sunday morning and accused me of taking your honour.” I roll my eyes.

Jake’s eyes widen, and he coughs. “Seriously? So that’s why she was being so painful this afternoon? Sorry, Bri. I should have told them I’d offered you the bed. I copped some flack from Chris about it last night but didn’t realise it was Morgan, too.”

“Never mind, I set her straight. So what’d you want to chat to me about?” I ask, leaning my hip against the kitchen bench.

I drop Maddie’s lead, and she wanders off to make herself comfortable on the couch again.

“Well, Chris mentioned you weren’t exactly loving being with your parents, and I need someone living here full time, so I thought I’d see if you’d maybe consider moving in here?” Jake asks.

I stare at him for a moment. “Wow… I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yeah, what were you expecting me to say?” Jake leans back against the dining table and crosses his arms while he surveys me.

“I honestly had no idea. Why me? Why not Will and Annelisa? Or Chris and Morgan?”

“Chris and Morgan are starting to look for a place to buy now, and honestly, I don’t know that I’d want to impose on Will and Annelisa whenever I wanted to come back,” Jake says.

I cock my head to the side. “Why not?”

“Cause I don’t want to intrude on coupledom. Besides, they like their place now, and I figured you were probably over living with your parents already, so this would be better all around.”

He’s clearly given this a lot of thought, but for some reason I can’t explain, I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.

“I don’t want to be anyone’s charity case, Jake.”

“I didn’t say you were,” Jake says, lifting an eyebrow.

“I don’t need saving, then.”

“Bri, seriously. I don’t think you’re a charity case, and I’m certainly not saving you from anything. I just figured, I know you. You need somewhere to live, and frankly, I’d rather have someone who I know will take care of the place.”

I look at him for a few moments before I say anything.

“Can I think about it?” I ask, and he nods.

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to make a decision that quickly. Take some time to think about it. But I think it’ll be good for both of us. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live in a place like this?” He opens his arms wide.

I smile at him. “I lived in a place like this for the last four years. It’s not really anything new to me.”

“Exactly! You’ll fit right in,” he says with an eager grin.

“I don’t know that I ever really fit in when I was there,” I reply quietly.

His face drops a little while he regards me closely. “You always fit in here with us, little B,” he says, and his face suddenly lights up, “That’s it! I forgot about that nickname! Little B!”

I groan. I’d never been a fan of that nickname. It always reminded me that he only saw me as Morgan’s little sister.

“If I stop calling you JJ, will you promise not to call me Little B?”

“Not a chance, Little B.” He steps closer to me and looks down into my eyes. “And it was never because you were one of the little sisters, Bri.”

I peer up at him, wondering how he could have known that’s what I was thinking. “Why, then?”

“Because it riled you up. And I like that,” he said with that cheeky grin.

I poke my tongue out at him, ignoring the slight rumble in his voice and the way my body reacts to it.

He flashes me a grin, still looking down at me, and I have to resist the urge to move closer to him.

What am I getting myself into with this man?

Sunday rolls around, and I head to Morgan’s for lunch, Jake’s offer still on my mind.

On paper, it seems like a perfect solution to my dilemma. But after Richard kicked me out, I am worried that if I live with someone who owns the place again, they will be able to do the same thing to me.

I know Jake isn’t Richard, not even close, but it’s still hard to push aside the fear that I’d be at the mercy of another man.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Morgan asks when she puts a plate of chicken and salad in front of me.

I start picking at the skin that Morgan has left on the chicken and look up to see her glaring at me.

“What?” I ask, realising I haven’t been paying attention to anything she’s said for the last few minutes.

“What are you doing to that chicken?” she asks, her eyes narrowing while she looks at the pile I’d started to make.

“I…” I look down at my plate. I hadn’t even realised what I was doing. “Picking the skin out.”

“Why?” Her voice is dangerously low.

“Um… habit.” I shift a little under her watchful gaze.

“Brianna Watkins. Did that asshole tell you off for eating the skin on roast chicken?”

She knows very well he did. Richard always claimed it was for my own good that he cared so much about what I ate, but the further I move away from his influence, the more I’m starting to realise just how controlling he was over every aspect of my life.

I let out a puff of air before stabbing my fork into the pile of skin and shoving it into my mouth. Morgan nods and goes back to eating her own lunch.

“So, Jake asked me to move into the apartment,” I say before shoving another mouthful of food in my mouth, hoping the change of topic will get her to stop watching me so closely.

Morgan nods while she chews, and I’m surprised at how calmly she’s taken the information.

“Yeah, Chris mentioned he might ask you. I think it’s a great idea.”

I stare at her for a moment. “You do?”

“Of course I do. That apartment is fucking amazing.”

“But… On Friday night, you acted like it was such a big deal that Jake and I were even friends, and now you’re fine if I live with him?” I’m starting to get whiplash from my sister’s mood swings.

“I was being overly sensitive on Friday. You say nothing is going on, and I believe you. Besides, Jake is awesome, and he’ll barely be there anyway, so it’s not a big deal.”

My stomach sinks a little at the reminder that I’ll only see Jake on the odd occasion he’s in town. I shouldn’t feel as disappointed as I do, and I shove the thought to the back of my mind.

“So you think it’s a good idea?”

“I already said I think it’s a great idea… Why? Do you not think it’s a good idea?” She waits for me to answer while I try to work through whatever it is I’m feeling.

“I just… I don’t think I’m ready to live with someone who has the power to make me homeless again,” I say in a half whisper while staring down at my plate.

“Oh, honey… Jake would never do anything like that to anyone. But if you’re really worried about it, maybe suggest that you sign an official lease to him. Something to protect you.”

I mull this over while we continue eating.

“Yeah… That’s a good idea. I’ll call him this afternoon and see what he says.”

“He’ll say yes. Jake won’t want you to feel uncomfortable at all, you know that. But seriously, it’s Jake. He would never do that, and he’s all about helping people. It’s going to be so great. And it means I can come to visit that sweet apartment… I mean you… all I want.”

I laugh at my sister's antics, the ball of nervous energy beginning to unfurl in my stomach.

I’m going to do it. It’s too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

A part of me is excited at the idea of spending even a tiny amount of time hanging out with Jake without our friends around to monitor our movements constantly. But I’d never admit this to anyone.

Because nothing can ever happen between us.