The Winning Ticket (Circle of Friends #1)

44. Lets Do This

JAKE

44

Several hours later, all but Morgan and Chris’s closest friends have admitted defeat and called it a night, but we are still dancing away to the best of the 90‘s R&B tracks. I’ve long since abandoned my tie and jacket, and the girls have ditched their shoes. Morgan devised a way to get her dress up off the floor so she could dance freely without tripping over the long train. Knowing it’s called a train tells me that I have spent far too much time talking about this wedding over the last few months.

“Okay, I’m starting to wilt,” Bri says with a slight slur and leans against my chest.

We’ve been dancing together all night, and I tighten my arms around her, not ready to leave her again.

“Yeah? Are you ready for bed?” I ask, cupping her cheek as she smiles at me.

“Definitely. Can you take me home? Can you stay with me?” Her voice cracks a little, and my heart skips a beat.

Home. Wherever this woman is, that’s my home, and hearing her call the apartment our home does something to my insides. I am ready to tell her and everyone else how I feel.

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

We say our goodbyes, and Morgan hugs her sister tightly, whispering something in her ear that makes Bri freeze momentarily before nodding at her. When it’s my turn, Morgan gets teary.

“I know I made it difficult for you guys, but after watching you two together tonight, you are perfect for each other. Thank you so much for falling in love with my sister,” she whispers, and I squeeze her a little tighter before stepping back.

Reaching down, I clasp Bri’s hand in mine. We head for the doors, and I arrange for an Uber to take us home.

Once we’re inside the apartment, silence falls over us, and I wonder who will break it first while Bri checks on Maddie, shooting me uncertain looks every few seconds.

She moves closer to where I’m standing at the end of the kitchen bench, shuffling my feet a little.

“Can you help me out here?” Bri asks finally, turning her back to me and pointing at her elaborate hairstyle.

“What do you need me to do?” I ask, eyeing it warily.

“Take out the two hundred hairpins that are buried in there.”

“Two hundred?!” I step closer and start inspecting it.

“I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m pretty sure that’s how many she shoved in there.”

I let out a puff of air. “Okay, let’s do this.” I lead her towards the couch, sitting down and guiding her to sit on the floor between my legs.

“Tonight was perfect,” she whispers, and I can hear the happiness in her voice.

I gently start removing the pins, trying my best not to take any strands of hair with them. “Yeah, they looked so happy.”

“I can’t believe they are finally married. It was starting to feel like it wouldn’t ever happen.” She nuzzles her face against my knee.

“Hey, no falling asleep yet. I need to get all these pins out first.”

She grumbles in protest but sits up, silently running her hand up and down my calf until I remove all the pins. Her hair once again flows down her back. The hairdresser must have curled it first, as I’ve never seen her hair like this before, a perfect, curly mess of blonde. She pushes up off the ground and turns to face me, looking down at me with her hair tumbling down over one shoulder, and I feel as though the breath has been knocked out of me when I stare up into her eyes. I trace a finger over her hip while she runs her hand through my hair.

“Want to take a shower with me?” she whispers, and I nod, swallowing hard.

We’ve showered together countless times now, but for some reason, this feels so different, like it’s our first time, and a nervous tension fills the air.

I allow her to lead me into the bathroom, and she turns to face me, stepping close and unbuttoning my shirt with slightly trembling fingers. I don’t know whether to help or let her keep going, so I stay frozen in place. When she looks up at me, her eyes so perfectly framed by her long lashes and glistening with unshed tears, I frame her face with my hands before leaning in to gently kiss her lips. Once she’s finished with my buttons, she slides the shirt down my arms and moves onto my belt. When I’m completely naked, she turns her back to me. I silently unzip her dress, and she lets it fall to the floor before slowly sliding her underwear off. Without the sound of rustling clothes, the silence in the bathroom is all-consuming, and I can hear my heart pounding in my ears.

After piling her hair on top of her head, Bri reaches in and turns the water on in the shower before stepping in and facing me. I follow her, and once we’re both wet, I reach for her body wash and loofah.

“Can I touch you?” I ask, my voice wavering.

She nods, her lips curving into a small smile when I move my hands over her body in slow strokes. She closes her eyes and sighs, and it takes all my resolve not to kiss her right now. Something about this moment feels different, more intimate than any other moment between us.

Once she’s clean, it’s my turn. She tentatively moves her hands over my chest, keeping eye contact with me, and I hold my breath, afraid I’ll break this spell that seems to have fallen over us.

When she moves behind me and begins washing my back, I hold myself perfectly still until I’m positive I couldn’t be any cleaner.

Turning quickly, I place a finger under her chin and force her to look me in the eye.

“I really need to kiss you right now,” I say, but I don’t make a move.

She nods slightly, and I surge forward and capture her lips with mine.

We both sink into the kiss, sighing together, and it feels like coming home. One short week where I thought I might never do this again felt like an eternity, and I pull her in close, afraid to let her go.

“God, I’ve missed you so much,” I say, moving my lips down her neck.

She clings to me. “I’m so sorry,” she says, her voice thick, and I pull back to find tears in her eyes.

“Hey, no. There is nothing for you to be sorry for.” I shake my head, cupping her face with both hands.

Her lower lip wobbles as she looks into my eyes for a moment. “I let you walk away when what I should have done is tell you how much you mean to me. How much better my life is with you in it. But I pushed you away because you deserve better than me and my baggage – someone who isn’t damaged.”

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Brianna Watkins. When I look at you, I don’t see someone who is damaged. I see an incredibly strong woman who is loyal to her loved ones and puts others before herself.” I take a deep breath, making sure she’s really listening before I continue. “I see the woman I have loved since I was a teenager. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Bri freezes, and her eyes widen while she stares at me. For the longest time, I wonder if I’ve been too honest and pushed too hard. But then she brushes her lips against mine while pressing our bodies close. I kiss her back, doing my best to keep from deepening the kiss too much, letting her take the lead.

When she pulls away after a moment, it’s to look me in the eye again while she holds my face in her hands with a determined expression.

“I want a future with you too, Jake, wherever that is. Because I love you too. And I’m sorry it took me so long to admit that to myself and you. You have made me realise how I deserve to be treated, and I am so incredibly thankful that I found you again.”

I’m no longer able to hold myself back, leaning down and lifting her off her feet, and she wraps her legs around my waist while I crush my lips to hers, guiding her back to the wall and pinning her in place.

“Fuck, you have no idea how much I needed to hear those words, Little B.”