The Winning Ticket (Circle of Friends #1)

16. I Am Here If You Ever Just Want To Let It Out

brIANNA

16

Morgan

How are things going?

Brianna

All good - nothing exciting on my end.

Morgan

Have you heard from Jake?

Brianna

Not today, why?

Morgan

Just checking.

Brianna

You’re doing it again.

Friday evening rolls around, and I’m once again relaxing on the terrace with a book when Maddie starts barking and launches herself off my lap, running towards the door.

“Hey, Maddie Moo.” Jake’s voice echoes through the apartment, and my chest squeezes.

“Hey, stranger,” I call out, and moments later, he joins me outside.

I check him out subtly, unable to resist admiring him in his boardshorts and white T-shirt with some brewery’s name on it.

“Hey. I see that you’ve actually moved to the terrace, not the apartment,” he says with a grin.

“Correct. Between the view and being surrounded by all my plant babies, this is my heaven now. I’m never leaving, sorry.”

“I’m fine with that. You do know that you’re allowed to live in the apartment, too, though, right? Cause every time I’m here, it looks like a show home.” He sits at the end of my sun lounger, and Maddie immediately jumps onto his lap.

“She has claimed you. I’ve never seen her take to anyone this fast,” I say, sidestepping his comment.

He scratches Maddie’s ears, and her little tongue hangs out while she stares at him. He gives me a curious look before shrugging.

“I keep telling you it’s because I’m awesome.” He looks at the book in my lap. “Ah, we’ve moved on to another naked man’s chest, I see.”

“Correct. Pretty much the same storyline, though.” I shrug.

I have long refused to be embarrassed about my preferred genre. After years of being a high achiever and doing all the studying, I have found romances easy to fall into, and they relax me.

“I’ll have to check one out sometime, see what all the hype is.”

I raise an eyebrow. “If you are serious, I have a few I can give you to try. I wasn’t sure if you were into reading much.”

“I read mostly crime novels. When I first moved to Stanthorpe, I didn’t have much to do to fill my spare time, so I found the library and discovered I didn’t mind reading after all those years of avoiding it in school. Mum was so proud.”

“I’ll bet. I need to go and check out the store. I haven’t been there in years.” I smile while I think of his Mum’s cute little store.

I remember spending hours there as a kid.

“Yeah, she started giving me so many books when she caught me reading one day.”

“It helps when you aren’t forced to read books you would never pick up of your own free will. I remember how much you hated English,” I say, the memory of him glaring at his homework when we were all studying in the library one day rising to the surface.

“I hated Shakespeare. I didn’t mind when we had to read those George Orwell books, but Shakespeare just didn’t do it for me,” he says with a grimace, as though the memory causes him physical pain.

“That’s because the bard’s writings were meant to be enjoyed as plays, not studied in stuffy English classes.”

“Oh, the Bard? La-de-da, I didn’t realise you were on such close terms with him.”

“Ours was a torrid love affair, it is true,” I say with a grin.

He laughs before nodding back towards the apartment. “Dinner again?”

“Careful, Mr Boyd, a girl could get used to having chef-cooked meals every time you come home if you keep this up.”

He looks at me for a moment, his expression unreadable, before shaking his head with a smile. “It’s just steaks on the barbecue and salad this time. It’s been a long day, and I don’t have it in me for anything fancy.” He finishes with a yawn, and I notice the dark circles under his eyes.

I reach forward and put my hand on his leg. “Why don’t you let me deal with dinner, and you go get settled?”

That same expression flitted across his face. “Are you sure? I don’t expect you to cook for me, Bri.”

“It’s no big deal, and we both need to eat. You just chill out for a bit. I’ll go get it started.”

He moved his hand to cover mine that was still on his leg, squeezing it gently.

“Thanks, Bri. That actually sounds amazing.”

“One of the joys of having a partn – housemate, is sometimes we can share the load.” My cheeks redden as I realise my near mistake.

“I’ve never actually had a housemate before… Or a partner,” he says with an easy smile, and I want to melt on the spot.

“Sorry, force of habit,” I say, moving my hand away slowly and getting to my feet.

“Unsurprising, you guys were together for what, five years?” Jake asks, rising to his feet as well.

For some reason, talking to him about Richard doesn’t seem as hard as it does with everyone else.

“Yeah… A real prize, huh? Five years together, and that’s how he ends it?” I hear the bitterness creeping into my voice and push it aside, but Jake’s eyes soften, and he nods.

He reaches for my hand that hangs at my side, lacing his fingers through mine before tugging me closer. I resist for a moment before allowing him to pull me into a hug.

“I know you’re set on not talking about it, and that is one hundred percent your right, but I am here if you ever just want to let it out, okay?” he says in my ear, and I cling to him.

I have always felt safe when wrapped in one of Jake’s hugs. “Thank you,” I whisper, and he hugs me tighter.

We stand like this for a long time, not speaking, while he allows me to take comfort in his arms.

I finally pull away, stepping out of his arms, which drop to his side. “Okay, dinner. You chill out here with a beer or something, and I’ll get dinner sorted.”

He looks at me for a moment before nodding. “Aye, aye, captain. Steaks are in the fridge.”

I leave him and Maddie out on the terrace and head into the kitchen, resolutely pushing all thoughts of Richard from my mind while I connect my phone to the sound system and put on my upbeat playlist. While preparing the food, I glance out the window and watch Jake throw Maddie’s toy for her.

How is this guy real? I know for a fact that he has all the qualities that most women look for in a boyfriend, and yet, somehow, he is still single. It is a mystery, and I hope that when he finds that person, I can keep him in my life. After rediscovering his friendship, I am selfish enough not to want to lose him again.

Once I’ve finished pan-frying the steaks and preparing the salads, I take our plates outside, and Jake joins me at the table.

“Hopefully, this meets your culinary standards,” I say, watching him take his first bite while I chew my thumbnail.

“Bri, any meal I don’t have to cook for myself is great as far as I’m concerned,” he replies with a grin when he looks up at me. His eyes narrow, and he reaches over to gently move my hand away from my mouth. “But this is great, thank you.”

We chat over dinner, and the relaxed atmosphere continues through the evening. I open a bottle of wine, and we move inside to continue chatting on the couch.

“So, what’s on the agenda this weekend? Is everyone coming over tomorrow?” I ask.

“Actually, no. I have no set plans this weekend,” he says with a shrug, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Really? Do the others know you’ve come home?”

“Nope. Only you.”

I mull over these words for a moment. “So, you’re not doing anything tomorrow?”

“No, why?” he asks.

“Well, I was planning to wander around with my camera tomorrow. I’ve meant to get it out and play with my new lens, and I need more content.”

“That sounds fun. I can be your assistant. What time were you thinking?” He sounds far more enthusiastic than I expected.

“Well, I was going to try to go early to get the morning light, but you probably need to sleep in after a busy week. We can go a little later,” I say with a smile.

“No, I’m good with early. I don’t sleep in much these days. So, like 5?”

“Ha, no. I was thinking 7?”

“So, I do get a sleep-in after all?” He grins, and I roll my eyes.

“I think I need to teach you the real meaning of sleeping in,” I say, and he raises an eyebrow while I slap my hand over my mouth. “That was not meant to be a suggestion of anything else.”

“Sure, Little B, I believe you.”

I don’t know how to respond to that.

After a moment, I get to my feet and begin clearing the plates.

“Hey, B, that’s my job. Cook doesn’t clean, remember.” Jake reaches over to take the plates from my hands and heads inside, leaving me standing on the terrace, staring after him.

What just happened?

In my years with Richard, he never once did the dishes. It was my job, even though I was the one to cook when we ate at home. To have someone take the plates and tell me they would clean up, no questions asked… I didn’t know how to reconcile that action in my head.

Although he never contributed to the household chores, Richie needed the apartment spotless, and it was expected that it didn’t look lived-in. He told me it was because he was a photographer that he needed to be surrounded by things of beauty.

But… Maybe it was time I started to see beauty amidst a bit of chaos…

Maybe it was time I realised I didn’t have to carry the load alone…