Chapter 14
Jensen
I’m not entirely sure what willed me out of my room. I slammed the door with such determination to not leave, but then with Dottie whining and scratching at the door—something deep in my gut told me I needed to swallow whatever of my pride was left and go check on Beck.
I could only hear his side and the end of the call, but the moment he went down to his knees my heart broke.
I know I shouldn’t take off today, but Beck was strong for me yesterday. Crush confession of this morning aside, I owe it to be here for him today.
Finally getting up from the floor, Beck snaps Dottie’s leash on. “I’ll take her out real quick.”
“I can do that,” I protest, but Beck holds a hand up.
“I think some fresh air will do me some good.” He raises an eyebrow. “Greet us when we get back?”
Well, at least his flirty side isn’t completely lost to me today. “Don’t push it.”
I stand rooted in my spot until the front door closes completely. Today has been an absolute ride. Frankly, I have zero clue what’s going to happen next.
A lazy day with Beck could be a step toward some very dangerous territory, but I can’t think of anything more I want to do today.
That is if I can get off work. Moving over to the couch, I pull out my phone and send a text to Mia.
I know this isn’t a good look considering I took off yesterday, but is there any way someone could cover for me today?
Mia
I can make it work. No worries, my girl.
Really? Are you sure?
Jensen, you’ve worked here the entire time I’ve been here and never called out once. I think you’re owed some vacation days.
Well, that was easier than expected. Not to mention, a good point made—I do deserve some time off. As tangled up as my stomach feels, I need this lazy day.
Shooting back up from the couch, I march right into Beck’s kitchen and start raiding the pantry and fridge. I pull out every possible snack and junk-ish food I can find.
For him being a pro athlete, I’m pleasantly surprised at the findings. An assortment of chips, cookies, a jumbo bag of Sour Patch Kids, Cheez-Its, some beef jerky sticks, Nutella, and the best find…
“No way,” I say, just as the front door opens.
“What the hell happened here?” Beck asks, looking at the stuff I’ve piled up on the island.
I shut the cabinet and hold the jar in my hand. “Beckham Daines has weed gummies in his kitchen cabinet. What would your coach say about this?” I fake judgment.
Beck laughs as he hangs Dottie’s leash on one of the hooks by the door. “He’d say it’s legal, and the offseason.”
“This is a lazy day essential, right?”
Beck nods with his eyes closed and the corners of his mouth tugging upward. “Oh yeah, it’s a necessity at this point. Did you get someone to cover your shift?”
“Yeah, Mia said she’s got it.”
“Sweet, so get two gummies out, Killer, we’re starting our lazy day.”
By the end of The Nightmare Before Christmas the gummies have officially kicked in.
I’ve completely taken over the majority of the couch.
Lying back, I’ve got my feet up with Dottie sleeping next to my legs.
Beck’s leaned back on the other side, his glasses are back on and his feet are propped on the coffee table.
“Smash or pass, Jack Skellington?” I say as the credits roll.
Beck doesn’t hesitate. “Smash. Sally?”
My eyes stay locked on the screen as I tilt my head side to side, weighing my options. “Yeah, yeah, smash. I’d be their third.”
“And who would judge you?” Beck starts to laugh, which in turn makes me laugh.
“I don’t know. Some people just don’t get it.”
A long, drawn-out sigh comes from Beck. “No, they really don’t.”
The question of why he stopped laughing is on the tip of my tongue, but then my phone rings on the table. “Ah, it’s my sister. She’s FaceTiming me.”
Beck pulls out his phone next. “You answer that, and I’m going to DoorDash us a ridiculous amount of food.”
“Oh god, please order chicken tenders.”
Beck looks at me like I’m dumb. “Of course I’m going to get chicken tenders and a shit ton of wings.”
“Ooo, hot ones, please.”
He waves me off. “I know what to do, answer the phone.”
Without hesitation, I lift my foot up pushing his bicep before sitting up and answering. “Helloooo, Stella.”
And from that alone, my sister is well aware of my predicament. “Jensen James, are you high right now?”
“I…” My mouth opens—and frankly doesn’t shut, not even to form a response.
Beck snorts. “Busted.”
I kick his side this time. “Shut up, you are too.”
My sister sighs. “Who’s that?”
Beck reaches over taking my phone. “Hey, I’m Beck, your sister’s new roommate,” he says, then hands it right back.
A small beat of silence sits, and suddenly I can’t remember if I told Stella about anything that’s happened over the last two days.
“Roommate? Beck, as in the baseball player is your roommate?”
Okay, yep definitely haven’t told her. “So, funny story, well, it feels more funny now, but anyway—Charlie went major creep mode after I made the astronomical rent raise. He told me I had to get rid of Dottie and that sure as shit wasn’t happening.”
“No, obviously we’d get rid of Dottie over our dead bodies,” Stella agrees.
With her name being mentioned, Dottie’s head perks up in the middle of Beck and me. Beck leans down to plant a kiss on her head before adding some pets.
“Stella gets it, doesn’t she, Dot?”
Stella snorts through the phone. “So, you’ve moved in with Beck? I’m following this train, right?”
“You’re on the right track,” Beck says so casually, like this isn’t the first time he’s talked to my sister. I know we’re in a bit of a different state of mind right now, but I don’t think Beck would be talking any differently without the gummies.
“Sort of moved in. Temporarily,” I add. Shit, are my hands sweating?
I feel like I’m on the verge of getting a lecture.
Stella is well aware of my complicated feelings toward Beck.
She’s seen this play out before—well, not exactly, but the whole dangerous territory I should be walking away from…
yeah, Stella is always the one holding my hand when I’m doing the walk of shame back.
“Right, of course it’s temporary.” Yep, she doesn’t believe me.
“Who doesn’t want it to be temporary is Dottie.” Beck ruffles her back and she barks happily, hopping off the couch to play when Beck pulls out one of her rope toys.
“Jennie,” my sister interrupts, taking my attention away from watching them.
“Hmm, yeah?”
“You’re smiling,” she says with what I can only assume is a bigger smile than mine was.
“I’m impaired, Stel. Not all of us are chill and mellowed out like you.”
My sister chuckles. “Okay, sure blame it on the gummy, that’s fine.”
My eyes flash to Beck, but he’s still playing with Dottie. I’m not entirely sure how much of his attention is sneakily on our conversation, so a topic change needs to be made. “You called forrrr?”
Stella makes a tsk sounds, while shaming me with her fingers.
“I’ll hang up on you.”
“I was just calling to check up on you. Your silence in the family chat makes sense now, all things considered.”
I glance at Beck again, I swallow hard. “Yeah, it’s been something. Where are Mom and Dad now?”
Stella closes her eyes thinking. “I want to say one of the Dakotas, could be Wyoming…I haven’t looked at Mom’s location yet today.”
Our parents could not be more opposite people if they tried, but the love they have for each other is downright obnoxious.
So in love that even though Mom hates all things outdoorsy, she’s on a six-month-long road trip with our father because it was his dream to go camping in every state.
Granted, she had some stipulations of her own.
“Well, one of us ought to.” I swipe up on the screen pulling up our group chat then clicking on the maps. “Wyoming is the winner. I can’t believe she agreed to this.”
“I can’t believe it’s lasted a whole month. I was ready to put money down that Dad was pulling an elaborate joke on her.”
“Yeah, I think you and Mom both. Neither of you helped while he was planning it. He had maps and red strings connecting the stops. It looked like he was either planning or solving a murder.”
Stella snorts a laugh. “Him and maps. They’re using a GPS!”
“He’s a physical planner person!”
“Like father, like daughter. I guess that entire notebook full of budgeting and life planning you have will need some adjusting, or has it completely gone out the window? Can I do a tarot reading now?”
Beck sits straight up. “Can I see this life planning notebook?”
“No,” I say immediately, then send Stella the evil eye. “Thanks for calling, as you can see I’m fine. I’ll call you later.”
“Noooo,” Beck whines. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop eavesdropping.”
Of course he was listening, I should have known his nosy ass would.
“Bye, Stel.”
“Talk so soon, Jennie,” my sister says before her face disappears from the screen.
Dropping my phone on the couch, I huff. Yep, I’ll be hearing a lot about this, but she does have a good point about my planner. Maybe mapping out some moves for opening the tattoo shop would help make it easier for me to make decisions on my own.
Definitely don’t need to fall into Beck’s charms and talk to him about it more. Not that I’m any good at that anyway—clearly.
“I like that your sister calls you Jennie.” Beck leans back resting an elbow on the back of the couch. “But I have to say, y’all don’t look anything alike.”
Not the first time I’ve heard that, and it won’t be the last, I’m sure. Stella’s face is full of freckles and has bright blonde hair that she just added lavender highlights to. “Well, she is my adopted sister.”
“No shit, really?” Beck asks in an amazed tone that has me chuckling. He turns his head up to the ceiling. “You know, if I wanted kids, I’d adopt.”
My heart pounds in my chest because that is exactly what I want. I don’t want to be pregnant, my tokophobia has had me reeling on this since I can remember.
Beck laughs again. “I mean, really, that’s my only option since I’ve had a vasectomy.”