Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
ELIZABETH
W hat a godawful mess, and it’s all my fault. I hate myself for what happened. I hate that I’m weak when it comes to my feelings for Jayson and Ryder. I wish I knew what to do to fix it.
Freda dragged Jayson home to clean him up and call his father. Mom sent Hailey up to her room and told her to stay there until she called her because she wanted to talk with me in private. I had to rehash the past twelve hours to Mom—I left out the part where Jayson came through my window, and we made out for hours after he declared he loved me. Yeah, I didn’t think that would go over well.
Mom was quite understanding about everything, her parting words before I asked her permission to check on Jayson being, “It’s about time that boy made his move,” followed by, “Your dad is going to have a fit that his little girl is dating now.”
She laughed about that one. I didn’t. Dad was going to kill me.
So, here I am, standing on the front porch next door, wringing my hands together, wondering what happens next.
“Hey, Lizzie,” Freda greets me as she opens the front door to let me in. “Jay is upstairs in his room where he will be grounded for the next week until we leave for our trip. But you are more than welcome to come in. I was just about to make some soup and bring it up to him.”
Freda could lay down the law, but she did it in the nicest way possible.
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s pretty banged up, but he’ll live. Nothing some ibuprofen and an ice pack won’t take care of.” She smiles, but it’s not reassuring. “Jay told me what happened. How are you feeling about things, sweetheart?”
“What do you mean?”
“Jayson said he asked you out.”
He did a lot more than ask me out.
“I’m assuming that was what the fight was about. But from my perspective, it seems as if you have been thrown in the middle of a tug-of-war between those two boys.”
This is getting awkward. I nod my head.
“I know you have your mom and dad and Hailey, but if you ever need someone else to talk to, I’m here too, sweetie.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Jameson. Is Julien upstairs with Jayson?”
“He left a few minutes ago. Go on up, honey. I know Jay would love to see you.”
I take my time walking down the hallway to the twins’ bedroom, examining the pictures Freda has hung all along the wall. One in particular catches my attention. It’s a photograph of me and the boys last Christmas, standing beside the six-foot snowman we built. Jayson is carrying me piggyback style, Julien has his arm slung around Ryder, and Ryder has his pinkie looped with mine. Will things ever be the same for us again?
I stop in front of the bedroom door and give a soft knock before opening it. Jayson is lying in bed, phone in his hands. He’s changed clothes and looks like he also took a shower.
“Hey you.”
I close the bedroom door behind me. He smiles when he sees me, or at least he tries to. His cheek has swollen to the size of an orange, and he has a black eye.
“Oh, Jayson.” I rush over to his bedside, but he pats the bed for me to sit beside him. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Liz, what are you talking about? Nothing is your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”
Tears fall unbidden and soak into the comforter on his bed. “But what happened with Ryder—I have never seen him that angry before. It scared the crap out of me. You wouldn’t be fighting if it weren’t for me.”
I suddenly find myself on my back with Jayson on top of me. The shock of us in this position abruptly dries my tears. He puts his weight on his forearms, clasping his hands around the nape of my neck.
“Ry is my best friend. I will do whatever it takes to make things right…well, anything but give you up.”
“Jayson—”
“Please trust me.”
My heart wars with itself.
“I do trust you.”
Gazing up at him, my heart swells with empathy as I press gentle fingers to his battered face. Wanting to offer him whatever comfort I can, I raise up and brush my lips over his, careful of the cut on the corner of his mouth. His scent fills my senses, a blend of woody cedar and spicy notes that intoxicate me. My hands tremble with the overwhelming desire to touch him, to feel the warmth of his fragrant skin against mine. It becomes an irresistible urge.
I explore the rough texture of his stubbled cheek as I trace the contours of his jawline with trembling fingertips.
“I like how this feels,” I tell him, giving myself permission to continue.
Intimacy is new to me, but I feel safe with him. Not many girls get to experience first love with one of their best friends.
Jayson’s hand moves down my torso. The slow glide of his knuckles down the curvature of my rib cage is exhilarating. Once he gets to the hem of my tank top, he slips underneath. His calloused palm glides up my chest to the under swell of my breast before skimming lower to rest flat against my stomach.
His touch makes me tremble, and I’m battered with new sensations I’ve never felt before. I shift underneath him, and that’s when I feel a hardness dig into my pelvis. Without my permission, my legs fall open and wrap around his waist.I clutch the front of his shirt, gripping the cotton fabric in a fist.
He grinds his erection into my core, and I moan at how good it feels. Eyes wide, we look at each other, afraid to take it further but also not able to stop.
He does it again, closely watching my reaction.
“Does that feel good?”
“God, yes,” I whimper when he rocks into me, wanting it more than anything even though I have no idea what it is.
Freda taps on the bedroom door. “Lunchtime.”
Jayson and I fly apart at lightning speed. By the time she pushes it open, we’re sitting on opposite ends of his bed.
He adjusts the pillow over his lap, and I duck my head to hide my red face.
Thankfully clueless to what we were doing, she hands him two pills. “Take these and eat your soup. Lizzie, I know you said you weren’t hungry, but I brought extra just in case.” She places the tray down on the bed between us. “Your dad wants to talk to you after you finish eating.”
Jayson’s face blanches. “How mad is he?”
She kisses the top of his head. “Pretty mad.”
Brushing my hair off a shoulder, she says, “You can come back tomorrow to visit, but he’s grounded for the next six days.” She pauses at the door. “Oh, and an open-door policy is in effect from now on when Lizzie is in your room.”
“Mom! Oh my god.”
We hear Freda chuckling all the way down the hall.