Chapter 50
Scarlett
“Good morning,” Jakes whispers in my ear.
After we got ourselves cleaned up and back in bed we talked for another hour or so before I fell asleep in his arms, making it the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years.
I roll over onto my other side, face to his chest and snuggle as close as I can.
“Good morning,” I whisper into his chest.
“Shit,” I say with realization. “It’s morning.
I didn’t mean to stay…again.” I back away, beginning to completely freak out.
Second time in a row that I’ve fallen asleep with this man and didn’t mean to.
Is there some sort of sleeping potion in whatever cologne he uses?
Because I have never had this happen before, let alone twice in a week.
“It’s alright,” Jake says. “I wanted you to stay.”
“But what about Cami?” I ask and I see the realization dawn on his face.
“Shit,” he finally echoes my earlier concern.
“Right? What time is it?”
“Holy shit, it’s almost 8:30.” Jake runs his fingers through his bed head and I bite my lip, keeping my desires to also run my fingers through his hair to myself. Don’t have time for that right now.
“What do I do?” I hop out of bed and begin looking for my clothes.
I’m cursing last night’s version of me that thought a slow little strip tease would be a fun idea.
On the flip side, I’m thankful I didn’t start it in the living room.
Realistically, it doesn’t take me too long to locate my shirt and pants but every second that it takes feels like an eternity.
The one piece of clothing that eludes me is my underwear.
Just as I’m about to ask Jake where they might be, there's a knock at the door.
“Uncle Jake? Are you in there?” Cami’s voice is soft and timid, perhaps even laced with a bit of fear?
“Yeah, yeah I’m in here Cami, I’ll be out in a bit.
” Jake and I look at the door knob, the lock is not locked and all it would take is one turn of the handle for Cami to find me in her uncle’s room half naked.
I fiddle with the t-shirt over my head, in a full blown panic that I’m about to make things very, very awkward between Cami and I.
Hell, between Cami and her uncle too. Of course, this is the time where I accidentally try to pull my head through the arm hole.
I sigh and take twice as long backing my head back out because my brain simply can not focus on this super simple task while a young, impressionable girl is outside the door.
“Are you okay?” Cami asks. She sounds younger than usual this morning.
“You’re usually out here by now…” her voice trails off and I imagine the terrible thoughts that could be running through her head.
She was a baby when her grandpa died but just the knowledge that he died in this house of cancer can be enough to put worries in a young girl’s mind.
“I’m fine sweetie, just couldn’t sleep last night so I took a sleeping pill really late and it made me sleep in. I’ll be out in a second.”
Finally, I’m dressed, sans the underwear and I give Jake a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you later,” I whisper. “I’m going out the window.” Jake looks at me like I’m crazy but then he looks at the door where Cami sits on the other side and nods his head in silent approval.
“I’ll call you later,” he whispers back, grabbing me by the throat and bringing me in for a quick chaste kiss.
It does things to my body that makes me want to say fuck it and straddle him right here in this bed and ignore the repercussion.
But then the doorknob on the door makes a little shimmy and I run to the window, open it up and hop outside.
A quick searing pain lances through my ankle when I hit the ground but I push through in a sort of crouching run in front of the house so that Cami can’t see me out here.
Only I’m so focused on whether or not I can be seen by the windows that I’m not looking in front of me.
I run head first into a body and land on my ass in the gravel walkway that leads to the porch steps.
“Scarlett?” comes from the body at the same time I say, “Ouch.”
I look up to see Amelia, hovering over me. Looking more like a mother than I noticed the other day. She has a slightly entertained look with one eyebrow raised that turns it into a I totally know what you’re doing right now look. And I am mortified.
“Did Cami see you?” she asks. I shake my head no, too embarrassed to make words.
She gives a nod of approval and says, “Good, let’s keep it that way until Jake’s had a chance to let her in on whatever this is.
” She gestures her hand between me and the cabin beside us.
“I think she really likes you. And I know Jake really likes you. So we’ll keep it between us until you two decide you want to tell her. ”
“Thanks Amelia,” I finally gather the courage to say.
“I think I like you too,” she says, surprising the hell out of me. “You’re good for him. He smiles more now.” She eyes me for another second and then turns to go inside the cabin. “Don’t hurt him.” She calls out over her shoulder.
I don’t respond before I scurry over to my house in the hopes that Cami never saw me.