24. Jake
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
jake
T he distinct sound of wood being clawed pulls me from sleep.
Sitting up, I look around the dark room, then heavy thumps come bounding up the stairs to my room.
Shadow jumps onto my bed, all but tackling me before I can even think to move.
Her tail is wagging a mile a minute as she presses her cold nose to my bare chest.
It takes a moment to right my mind and realize she shouldn’t be here.
My heart pounds hard in my chest at the thought of her coming to get me because something’s wrong with Thoren and Lily.
I jump up from bed and race down the stairs on a mission to rush to their house but am stopped short in the kitchen.
Lily is in her pajamas and a robe, digging in my freezer. I wipe my bleary eyes and blink a few times to make sure I’m not dreaming, but sure enough, she’s still there. A quick glance at the clock shows it’s just after one in the morning.
“Where’s your ice cream? I know you have some,” Lily asks, not bothering to turn around.
“Under the frozen broccoli. What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me. Are you okay?”
“Found it!” she hollers, holding it above her head. When she finally turns, her nose scrunches and she puts her back to me again. “Can you put clothes on? I don’t need to see all that.” Her hand waves haphazardly over her head at me.
Bemused, I scratch the back of my neck and look between Shadow making herself at home on my couch and Lily again. Okay, then. I trudge back up the stairs and throw on some shorts and a shirt. She’s lucky I at least had boxers on, but I’m not telling her that. Pregnant women scare me.
When I make my way back downstairs, Lily is sitting on my couch next to Shadow, eating my ice cream straight from the tub. I take a tentative seat across from her, and she picks up a spoon from her lap, handing it to me. “Want some?” she asks, holding the tub out to me.
Shaking my head, exasperated, I take a scoop, then she pulls it back to eat more. “Want to tell me what you’re doing here?”
“The baby wanted ice cream, and we were out. Thor’s been so tired, so I figured instead of making him run to town, I would just raid your stash. And before you yell at me, I used a flashlight and brought Shadow for safety.”
Jesus, this woman is something else. While she’s not the woman I wish was here with me tonight, she’s definitely a close second. Lily has this sweet nature about her that you can’t help but love and admire. I give Shadow a belly rub, then sit back and kick my feet up onto the coffee table.
“I was going to talk about boundaries, but I appreciate your safety measures, and so will your overprotective husband. You know he’s going to flip when he finds out about this.
” She shrugs and takes another bite. Yeah, I’ve heard them together once and once only, but it was enough to know maybe Lily doesn’t mind getting in trouble.
It makes me think of the punishments I like to dole out to Amber.
Fuck, focus . “We agreed when you moved in with Thoren I wasn’t allowed to just walk into your house anymore, so you can’t walk into mine either. What if I had a woman over?”
“Oh, please, you don’t bring girls here.” I hold my tongue about the fact I indeed had a woman here last weekend and she would have been scarred for life seeing her other bestie tied to my bed.
We sit in silence, passing the quickly emptying tub back and forth and taking spoonfuls. Eventually, Lily turns to me with a serious face, and I feel like I’m about to be scolded. “Can I ask you something?” I nod apprehensively. “What did you tell Tyler? The day he showed up here.”
She’s asked me this question before, but I wasn’t ready to share that with her because we were still waiting to find out his fate.
Tyler’s her ex who lied about being married and used her, then got her fired from their company.
Despite a restraining order, he showed up here and tried to attack Lily.
Thankfully, Thoren and I were on our way, and Thoren beat him to a pulp.
I would have preferred it to be me, but I was a few minutes behind.
I did get the last word in with him though.
I smile, recalling all the shit I told him.
It may have been a year ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
“I told him that despite his best efforts, he didn’t break you.
That his pathetic life would never mean anything, and once the trial was done, you would never think of him again.
That he’s lucky Thoren barely broke him, but me?
” I chuckle, but it’s dark, and Lily shudders.
“I would break him. Every prickle of awareness he feels will be me watching him, every freak coincidence, lost job, and case of bad luck; I’ll be behind it.
And one day when I get tired of the cat-and-mouse game, I’ll finally strike.
I’ll relish in the snap of every bone and his pleas for help. ”
Lily surprises me by not balking or staring at me like I’m crazy. Instead, she takes me in with a thoughtful look on her face. “Did you mean it? ”
“That’s not the point. The point is that for the rest of his meaningless life after prison, he will be looking over his shoulder, wondering if this is the day karma comes for him.”
I did mean it. Lily’s lawyer has my contact information and promised to keep me updated on when his release will be.
A quick beating and some prison time isn’t enough for someone who fucks with my family.
I will stop at nothing to keep those I love protected.
So yeah, when the time comes, he’ll find himself at my mercy, and I will make no apologies about it.
“That’s good enough for me. Thanks, Jake. Don’t tell the girls, but I love you as much as them.” She pats my hand, then takes my spoon and the now empty ice cream tub to the kitchen. I get up and follow her over, slipping my feet into my boots. “You don’t have to come with me. I have Shadow.”
I give her a stern look, and she relents, looping her arm through mine. Our feet crunch over the gravel drive as Shadow bounds ahead of us. “What’s going on with you and Amber?”
Well, if that isn’t a loaded question. I would like to know the answer to that as well.
I’m not sure what she’s told her friends.
She didn’t tell Lily she was a virgin, so I doubt she told her about anything else that’s happened between us.
I’m already on thin ice, and I don’t want to divulge more than I should and make it worse.
“Nothing. We’re friends, and I’m looking out for her.”
The words taste like hot garbage coming out, but they aren’t wrong. I am looking out for her, even when she refuses to let me help.
“Be careful with her. She’s an awful lot like you.
Her hard exterior is a defense mechanism to keep her from getting hurt further.
Under all that, she has this bright and caring center despite the crap in her life.
I think she has spent so much of her life suffocating in the shadows that she’s scared to live in the sun.
Maybe you both can learn to stand in the sun together. ”
I mull over her words the rest of the walk to her house. She gives me a squeeze and tells me she’ll see me tomorrow, and I make sure she’s safely inside with the door locked before heading back home.
The defense mechanism was a given and one I pegged early on.
It’s the fact Lily thinks Amber doesn’t know how to live her life outside of loneliness, depression, and hardship, that’s sticking with me.
It makes sense. When you’re forced to swim against the current for so long, your body doesn’t know what to do when it has the opportunity to relax.
You’re always waiting for the current to come back, bracing for that first impact, unable to accept that things can be easier from now on.
I need to show her the current isn’t lying in wait to sweep her out to sea again. With time, I can make her see even though the tides may change, she has people around to pull her to shore. I’m hoping she will let one of those people be me.
After sleeping in, I wake to a warning message from Lily saying Thoren caught her sneaking back in the house and another from Thoren thanking me for taking care of Lily before telling me off for not immediately notifying him she needed something.
His poor kids; he’s going to be a total helicopter dad.
With the rest of the morning to kill, I stain all the back sides of the wood in my garage.
That only takes forty minutes, so I call my mom and ask her what’s needed for the barbeque.
She ensures me that her and Evelyn have all the sides covered and that David, Thoren’s dad, is grilling.
I ask if I can invite Michele, to which she insists I do, and then tell her I will bring dessert.
BBQ Gang Group Chat
Jake:
My mom said to bring desserts. I’ve got pie. Also, Michele, this is your invite. 3 PM at the OG James house. Be there.
Michele:
Wow, I feel so special …
Amber:
I’ll make cookies.
Lily:
That better be the berry pie, Jake.
Jake:
Yes mom.
Michele:
Can I bring liquor?
*Thoren has added River to the group chat
Thoren:
Big bro is surprising the parents by driving over for the night.
River:
What’s up party people?! Michele, I’ll double your liquor budget.
Lily:
It sucks not being able to drink with you guys.
Thoren:
Suck it up, princess, you’re growing our baby.
Michele:
I’ll make you a mocktail.
River:
Why does everyone always ignore my texts??
Lily:
You don’t live here, you can’t sit with us.
Michele:
*she doesn’t even go here GIF*
With that settled, I run into town and get the ingredients for Lily’s favorite mixed berry pie.
I cheat and buy the crust, but I’m hoping she won’t notice.
The simplicity of baking makes me happy.
If you follow the measurements, you are rewarded with a delicious dessert.
It’s so similar to woodworking in that way, and it calms my anxious mind.
While I’m a master of creativity with wood, it turns out I’m not with pie crusts.
I cut a smiley face onto the top that ends up looking like a terrifying demon that’s bleeding from all of its orifices when it comes out of the oven.
Shoving some tinfoil over top to hide the monstrosity, I leave it on the counter and take a shower.
My beard is perfectly trimmed into a light stubble, I’ve manscaped, and my nails are clipped in the odd chance I can convince Amber to let me in her bed tonight.
If not, at least my mom won’t complain about how scruffy I look.
I throw on black shorts and a navy-blue T-shirt, to be festive, and slip on my Chucks before grabbing my pie and keys and heading out the door.
It’s still early, but I’m picking up Amber.
She doesn’t know that, so we shall see how this goes.
I park my truck right outside her door in the alleyway before letting myself in.
Owning the building next door has come in handy for so many things, but having the keys up to her apartment is one of my favorites.
There’s a startled yelp when I knock and realize I probably should have given her a heads-up. Even though I’m the only other person who can get up here, it’s probably scary getting a random knock on the door. “It’s me, Whiskey.”
She unlocks the door and slowly pulls it open, but that doesn’t stop Socks from skittering out and meowing at my feet. “What are you doing here?” she asks, looking confused .
I pick up the fuzzbucket that’s looking more like a cat and less like a kitten every day and step into her place. “I’m driving you,” I state, taking a seat on her couch and snuggling with Socks. “Go finish what you need to do, I’ll be here hanging with my buddy.”