9. JACOB
Chapter nine
JACOB
“ I want to move in with you.”
My first reaction to Allison’s words had been shock. Having her come up with the suggestion was surprising, and despite my initial resistance to it, I had somehow found myself eager for the moment it became a reality.
It is barely dawn but I’m already up, waiting to hear her voice. I go back to bed but it's impossible to fall asleep. Knowing all that waits for me are the nightmares of my past—more horrible than ever before, because instead of just the fellow SEALs I’ve failed, I see war zones with my baby sister in them…
I drink strong coffee, avoiding sleep for as long as I can.
Once Maddie is up you can call Allison. I tell myself, reluctant to let my enthusiasm show.
Maddie chooses today of all days to sleep in. When she still isn’t awake by eight, my impatience gets the better of me and I dial Allison’s number.
“Hello Jacob.” She picks up on the first ring, but her voice is hoarse from sleep. “Is anything wrong?”
“No…not at all. I called you to confirm our arrangements for today. When do you think you’ll need me to come over with my truck?”
“You can start coming over now. I have most of what I need packed away.”
Yes! I resist the urge to pump my fist in the air. “Okay, I’ll be on my way soon.” I promise.
* * *
Bringing in everything Allie needs—not all of her things by any stretch —requires multiple trips with my truck; her car not quite measuring up to the task.
Before she can start unpacking, we first have to clear all of the stuff in the room that will be for Allison—a task which takes far more time than I had anticipated. Allison had started the task by herself, but she accepts my help the moment I offer it.
“This is the last load. Trust me,” she promises for the fifth time. “Just a little bit to the left, yeah, perfect.”
“Are you sure this is everything this time?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure. Thank you, Jacob.” I am attempting to shift one of the last boxes out of the way when she turns around to face me. We all but crash into each other, her tiny frame putting her at shoulder level to me, which results in her head bouncing off my collar bone; an occurrence that is equally painful for the both of us.
“I’m sorry, Allie…” I start to apologize but she cuts me off.
“Nope. I ran into you just as much as you ran into me. So let’s shake on it and call it quits. Okay?”
She extends her hand my way with a playful smile, and I take it, grinning just as widely as she is. A warm look is followed by a indecipherable glance directed at me. She looks nothing like the cold and unapproachable person I remember, and before I think it over, my mouth is moving and I'm commenting on it.
“You are different now. More playful, and I don’t know, just carefree, I guess.”
Her jaw drops at my words.
Surprised?
“This is you literally rewriting history. I have always been funny and carefree. You were the one who couldn’t take a joke to save your life.” She refutes vehemently.
Allison, being sarcastic is not being funny. It’s grating.
“You can’t accuse me of being the one who was a stick-in-the-mud. If I don’t say anything, this is the history Maddie will hear.” She groans.
I don’t have any response but laughter. My actions must infuriate her even more because she flips me off. Her action is so unexpected that it pulls even more laughter out of me, which in turn makes her start laughing. Before I know it, we are both laughing uproariously.
“Leave!” She orders, pointing at the door with a tiny but perfectly manicured finger. “You don’t get to laugh at me in my own room.”
I raise my hands, as though to say I mean no harm, a goofy smile plastered on my face. She is smiling just as widely, and when I focus on her face, I notice a red spot on her forehead.
“Hold on, I think you might be a little bit hurt.” I step closer to take a look at her forehead, and even though I say nothing, I can feel the sparks between us.
“Is it okay?” she asks, her voice soft but concerned.
I press my fingers to her forehead. She lifts her hand and presses her fingers to my wrist.
“Yes, all good. It’s just a little bit red, but we can use a bit of ice for that. And you’ll be right as rain. Okay?”
I don’t even realize I’m staring at her until she lifts up her head and my eyes meet her emerald gaze. It takes a good while before I can finally break free of them.
Her eyes could tempt a monk to sin, so I do the wise thing and break contact with them.
“Thanks. I’ll get some ice on it,” she says, flustered as she whirls back around to continue unpacking, and I walk away.
I make it to the kitchen, where Maddie is sleeping peacefully in her car seat, the kind I can easily move around. I lean against the wall, the interaction with Allison replaying in my head again and again.
The way her lips had parted, just a little, when her eyes widened—the way her neck looked, her hair piled on top of her head—the way her skin had felt against mine.
I blink, shaking my head.
What. The. Hell. Was. That?