Chapter 8
Eight
JASON
Jason sighed for the millionth time that evening, the grin on his face so wide it practically hurt. He could hardly believe it—he had Caitlin’s number. And not just that—he’d kissed her. It was as if the universe had shifted and aligned perfectly in that one moment: no interruptions, no second-guessing, just her, him, and that kiss.
The kiss.
It was like fireworks exploding in his chest, making him feel something deep, something powerful. He could’ve sworn he heard angels singing as their lips met, her hands clutching the front of his shirt, pulling him in with such urgency it almost took his breath away. It was as if the world outside of them had ceased to exist. She kissed him like she was hanging onto a rollercoaster, clinging for dear life as they plummeted together, soul and body entwined.
That feeling was everything.
Jason couldn’t wipe the cocky smile off his face. He felt like strutting, like puffing out his chest and crowing to the heavens. He understood now why a rooster strutted around like he owned the world—he was the one. The only one. And Caitlin had kissed him back.
He’d kissed Caitlin.
And no one had stopped him.
He had her attention, and she had his.
Heck, she'd kissed the life out of him, and it was everything he wanted. One amazing woman.
"Oh my gosh, just look at that sappy smile," Matthew teased, his voice dripping with mockery. He grabbed the nearest bucket for feed and held it up like he was about to puke into it. "Nauseating."
Jason turned, a smug laugh escaping his lips. "Shut up. You do it all the time."
"What?" Matthew's voice hitched with exaggerated shock. "Oh my gosh, no you didn’t. You actually manned up and kissed my best friend? You know what kind of boundaries this crosses? So many, bro! So many!"
Jason shook his head, grinning wider. "Yeah, I kissed her. Big deal."
"Wow." Luke gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up, looking like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Good job – unless she slapped you? Did she slap you?"
Jason scoffed, eyes narrowing in disbelief. "No. Why would she slap me? I’m not Matthew, and I wouldn’t kiss someone if they weren’t interested."
Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "So you knew she was interested in you?"
Jason blinked, taken aback. "Wait— you knew?"
“Half the town knows Caitlin’s into you for some reason,” Luke said, glancing between Jason and Matthew, his grin spreading.
Jason’s jaw dropped.
"Really?"
"Are you telling me you didn’t know?" Luke asked, incredulous. He looked to Matthew for confirmation, who was trying hard not to burst into laughter.
“No.” Jason shook his head. “I didn’t know. Not until Toni and Derek’s wedding. How long has she been interested in me?”
“Nope.” Luke’s tone was a playful refusal. He mimed zipping his lips before turning on his heel and walking away with a laugh.
Jason’s gaze flicked to Matthew, who was standing there, holding the feed bucket like a trophy. He gave Jason a slight bow. "Well, I’m stepping out. You’ve kissed her. So welcome to the deep end, my friend. You swim alone now."
Jason raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"Since when? We’re family."
"Since kissing my best friend leads to other things, and I have to have some sort of divide for my own sanity." Matthew was serious now, his expression shifting into something uncomfortably sober as he looked away.
"What do you mean?" Jason asked, his brow furrowing.
Matthew paused and glanced at him with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Well, let’s say that things go swimmingly." He pointed at Jason, a little more pointed than usual. "Lucky you, by the way."
Jason raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or not. "Thanks," he muttered, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling creeping into his chest.
Matthew’s face turned a little grim as he continued. "Then kisses turn into something more . And if you so much as put something more anywhere close to my best friend, and you tell me about it ..." He paused, his voice thick with warning. "Things get ugly, really fast. And I cry when I puke."
Jason chuckled despite himself, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Why would you ever think I’d kiss and tell you…?"
Matthew shook his head, cutting him off with a sharp look. "I’m talking about stuff other than kissing, man."
Jason let out a breath. "Still wouldn’t tell you."
“And I’m utterly grateful for that,” Matthew added with a smirk, looking almost relieved. “But this is the happy version of life we’re talking about.”
"Okaaaay," Jason drew the word out, frowning as the gravity of Matthew’s warning began to settle on him.
"The bad version," Matthew continued, his tone hardening, "is that you end up dumping my best friend. You crush her soul, and somehow, I end up blamed for it. I get the full brunt of it, and then everything that was ever good, sweet, and nice about life gets destroyed. People will talk, lips will flap, hearts will break, reputations will be shredded, and everything will go to hell. And I won’t be able to fix it."
Jason’s chest tightened, the weight of Matthew’s words sinking in. "I get it," he said, holding up a hand as if to stop the flood of warnings before they could drown him.
"Be nice," Matthew’s voice softened, but there was still that hard edge. “And be sure of what you want."
Jason leaned back, crossing his arms, the weight of Matthew’s caution hanging heavy between them. "And this is coming from you? The man who sleeps with anything remotely female?" He teased, trying to lighten the mood but seeing the flicker of something darker in Matthew's eyes.
Matthew’s face hardened, his gaze suddenly distant. "Yes," he said, his voice much quieter now, almost too quiet. He turned away, hesitating before speaking again, his words low but cutting. "When you can’t have the one you want, you find comfort somewhere else. Okay?"
Jason’s world shifted under his feet. He uncrossed his arms, stepping forward, his chest tight with disbelief. "What did you just say?"
Matthew didn’t answer. He snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Don’t screw this up!" he shouted, his voice full of unspoken pain, and without another word, he stormed off into the evening, leaving Jason standing there, stunned and completely rattled.
Jason was left alone, the tension hanging in the air, his heart thudding in his chest as the weight of Matthew’s words sank in.
He hadn’t expected that.
Nor did he expect his phone to go off a moment later when Caitlin texted.
Very funny.
Jason grinned staring at his phone. He’d programmed her phone with an affectionate name for him, wondering what she’d say and wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.
Hot Cross Buns – really? You put yourself in my phone as Hot Cross Buns?
Is it wrong that I can’t stop laughing?
Jason’s smile faded.
It’s not that funny.
It’s hysterical.
You are cross – a lot. Sing the song in your head. It explains you so well.
No it doesn’t.
See how they run?
I’m not running – and that is not how the nursery rhyme goes. You’re mixing them up.
Hmm. I guess we’ll see.
Are you texting about Friday?
I work Friday at Pizza Palace.
Coffee on Saturday, then?
Maybe.
I’ll take that maybe – and feel free to text when it’s a YES.
Will do.
Oh, and Caitlin?
Yes?
That was hands-down the best kiss in the universe.
Jason waited, hoping that she would text him or say something else but she was playing her cards close to her chest and he understood why.
What are your plans this week?
Me?
Yes, you.
Oh, wow. Okay – we’re going there.
Yup.
Like talking talking?
More like texting talking currently…
Work, going by the garden center to get some plants for my garden, and then baking a few things for the week. You?
Work, working on the house, I love baked goods, and hoping to see you later in the week.
I see – veiled hint much?
So you picked up on that, huh?
Very.
Nicely done.
I guess we’ll see what happens this week.
I guess so.
??
Then he did the unthinkable – and winced.