Chapter 26
BAILEY
I’m snuggled up with Jase. Gosh, he’s warm. And he smells so...yum.
I rub my face across his chest like a kitty cat.
Wait. No. Not dreaming!
I’m snuggled up to a sleeping Jase, and I’m a little dizzy; I might be still a little drunk.
My arm is draped over his washboard abs, my leg cocked over his thick, muscled thigh, and immediately my heart is doing a backwards somersault as I roll away. Unfortunately, I accidentally roll too far and land on the hardwood floor.
Ow!
I manage to suffer in silence, not wanting to wake the sleeping alpha.
On the table beside the bed, I see a glass of water and two green gelcaps.
Parched, I shakily reach for them. Not cold but not quite tepid, and actually…
just perfect. I’m surprised he even has pills here.
Not like typical shifters get hangovers.
Or if they do, they just shift a couple times and they’re right as rain.
I’m a little breathless by the time the glass is empty. I slip out of the bedroom, rubbing my sore rump with one hand while feeling my way to the bathroom with the other, leaving the light out because with the way my head feels, I do not need light shining in my eyes.
After using the facilities, I creep along the wall until I’m looking at him again.
Ready to crawl back in, I find he’s moved over some, leaving me even less room, so I opt for the other side of the big bed and sink into an incredible cinnamon-ish scent I refuse to think about, immediately passing back out.
***
I wake up alone and miraculously, feel normal. Well, as normal as I can feel waking up in Jase’s bed while wearing one of his shirts, which has happened at least four million times in my fantasies.
Those pre-dawn ibuprofen gelcaps sure understood their assignment. Under different circumstances, I might appreciate Jase’s thoughtfulness of leaving those pills and that water for me.
My stomach rumbles as food scents drift into the room.
Bacon. Pancakes.
I rush to the bathroom and close the door, use the facilities, and then open the medicine cabinet, finding typical guy medicine cabinet stuff. And… yes! A brand-new purple toothbrush as well as a fresh bottle of unscented ladies’ facewash. I inwardly sing Valerie and/or Taylor’s praises.
Memories of last night wash over me as I lather up my face.
Gwendolyn Creed wrapped her arms around me with a big congratulations and watched my face drop before she waved dismissively, saying, “I know how it is. Everyone knows. But you’ll work it out and I’m stoked that you’re part of my family.”
I didn’t respond to that but soon forgot the awkwardness when she just joined in and partied with us, not bringing Jase’s name up again.
Jase’s youngest sister is three or four years younger than I am and never ganged up with Sherry on me. We didn’t really hang in the same circles as she was outdoorsy and I’m bookish, but she’s never been anything but pleasant.
Gwen and Sherry never seemed to get along.
I probably haven’t even had a conversation with Gwen in a couple years, particularly since she went away for four years for school.
Jase’s older sister Taylor, a few years older than him, has always been kind to me.
She has five feral free-range kids ranging from Evander at nineteen to Lottie at just four and is crazy-busy with them but still manages to help with pack events for children as well as many library events.
Of the Creed family, it’s just Sherry who went out of her way to tease and belittle me, especially about Jase.
But like Stacy suggested, I should talk to Sherry about my petition. Her victim impact statement could help the cause, and it could help her emotionally, too.
Speaking of which, I need to get on all that stuff. Tick tock. I avoid the natural inclination to panic at the fact that tomorrow at five-thirty I’ll either get a longer reprieve, or it’ll be open season with a target on my back (and other parts of me that Jase is currently interested in).
I find last night’s clothes on the back of the bathroom door and quickly dress, hanging Jase’s shirt on the hook, not letting myself think about how it felt to put it on.
He gave it to me with the scent of dryer sheets, but I could smell him just as strong as that outdoor fresh scent.
He’s had this shirt quite a while, so I’ve got memories of him while he wore it, memories of before and after he started being so dismissive of me.
I push the thoughts away and descend the staircase, finding my purse on the little table inside the door where Jase and the other guys have all dropped their keys in the past. Only Jase’s keys sit there now beside my bag.
My shoes are on the floor beside Jase’s, which gives me pause that I refuse to let seep in.
Because they look so strange lined up beside his.
Despite the fact that I know he’s in the kitchen cooking bacon and pancakes, I slip my shoes on, put on my bag, and slip out.
Jase’s scent is all over me. It’s almost like I’m walking in a Jason-scented cloud. His usual scent has a slightly new sort of spicy kick to it. I can’t place it…
I stumble a little but catch myself before I completely roll my ankle. What was I thinking wearing these shoes last night? There are blisters on my feet from the walk to Roxy’s and they’re a little muddy from the few minutes I had them on in the rain last night before Jase gave me that piggyback.
I shove memories of the piggyback away, too. Because not long ago I played the first piggyback he ever gave me on a reel in my brain and sulked at the idea I’d never have another one. And I don’t need to be going there in my mind right now.
Time to get home, shower and change, call Stacy, and pick her up so we can go see Sherry. Then, I’ll get to the library and see what my gal pals have to say in the group chat. Knowing them, I’ll have a whack of ammunition. They’re awesome friends.
The walk from Jase’s house to mine is just a couple blocks, but the entire walk, I’m overly aware of his scent.
I’m more aware than I should be. I chalk it up to sleeping in his shirt and in his bed, but my face is hot for the entire walk home and beyond that, every step I take seems to have an effect inside my underpants.
I know when I get home and out of these clothes I’ll find them to be damp even though I’m working hard to keep my mind from wandering to anything sexual.
By the time I get to my house, I’m walking barefoot up the driveway, carrying the shoes while eyeing my brother’s car, which is parked out front. He lives just around the corner, so he rarely drives over.
When I step in, I hear Stacy laughing. They’re in the dining room, having breakfast with Mom and Dad.
I hear Grey say, “Jase and Bailey.”
“Hey,” I greet, stepping into the room.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” my brother quips and gives me a grin. “Surprised to see you here.”
I roll my eyes.
My brother’s expression changes, but before I can query it, Mom laughs and says, “Mornin’ sweetheart, you two want some food? There’s lots.”
“It’s just me and yes, please,” I say. “I’ll grab a plate and join you. Don’t get up, Mom. Hiya girlie,” I greet Stacy on my way past, “Your hair looks gorgeous today. Like every other day.”
She’s got a glorious head of dark waves. She’s glowing with happiness, with her pregnancy probably. Though it’s still early on for her, she’s radiant.
“Hiya. You have a good night last night?” Her mouth is twitching. She’s looking at my neck.
“Is Jase not here?” Mom asks, stretching her neck to look at the entryway.
“He’s not,” Grey says and he’s looking at me strangely.
Stacy’s expression has changed and she now looks perplexed.
“What?” I ask, eyes ping-ponging between Grey and Stacy.
My dad has put his fork down but is staring at his plate with a sour expression on his face. He looks like someone has lit a bag of dog poop on fire and put it under his nose.
Now my eyes bounce from Mom to Dad. Dad looks at me and looks down again, flexing his jaw muscles.
“What’s wrong with everyone?”
“Jase isn’t with you?” Stacy checks.
“No. I stayed at his house last night because it was raining and I had the wrong shoes for a walk in the rain, but nothing’s changed. You still planning to see Sherry?”
“I am,” she confirms.
“Wanna go after breakfast?”
“That was my plan. Grey has stuff to do for one of the properties in town so, if you were game–”
Dad and Mom both ask, “Sherry?”
“Stacy wants to stop by and check on her,” Grey tells them, “But surprised you’re going along, Bailey. You and Sherry aren’t exactly pals.”
“It didn’t rain last night,” Mom says.
“Huh?” I ask.
“You said you wore the wrong shoes for a walk in the rain.”
“Yeah, it poured when we walked from Roxy’s. Otherwise, I would’ve come back here.”
“It couldn’t have rained much,” Mom repeats. “We slept with the windows open. I had to water the plants this morning. Everything was dry.”
“No, it poured, Mom,” I say.
“What’re you two arguing for?” Dad mutters.
“And why are you goin’ to Sherry’s?” Grey asks. “Math ain’t mathin’. Stace wants to cheer her up so you wanting to go along makes zero sense.”
“I have something I want to talk to her about,” I reply.
And suddenly, the already present potent scent of Jase is even stronger just as there’s a knock on the front door.
“Come in!” Mom calls in a singsong voice.
Jase comes in and stops behind me. Directly behind me. So close I feel his body heat.
Though his presence feels extreme, I don’t turn around and do my best to not let on I feel anything but indifference.
But I’m feeling many more things besides indifference right now, and I refuse to let any of them penetrate.
“Since when do you knock, Jase? And especially now that you’re family almost officially, you certainly don’t have to knock when you can smell that the rest of us are here having food. You’re in time for breakfast.”