that people passed through the kitchen or came in to refill their drinks, Jack touched my hand, leaned closer to me or draped one arm behind my chair.
Ava appeared in the doorway just as Jack and I were laughing at a football story he was telling me. She caught my eye and tapped her wrist.
“I think that’s our cue.” I stood, pushing the chair back. I wasn’t sure if the dizziness I felt was the rum or the idea that if all went as planned, Liam would see me in a few moments.
I followed Jack into the living room and dug through a pile of coats until I found mine. He pulled on a worn letterman’s jacket. Wrapping one arm around my waist, he moved toward the door.
Jack’s eyes scanned the yard as we stepped outside into the still and frigid air. I saw him focus on two figures moving across the grass. He grasped my upper arms and backed me against the wall of the porch.
“This is improv,” he whispered into my ear. “Just go with it. Be a vixen.”
“A vixen? What is--”
Before I could say any more, Jack was kissing my neck, and his hands were under my coat, on my ribs. I heard footfalls on the porch just as Jack spoke again, this time loud enough to be heard.
“Julia, c’mon. Let’s go back to my room.” He trailed his fingers down my arm and tugged on my hand. I had no choice but to stumble forward into him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Giff’s blond head. I knew Liam was standing next to him, but I didn’t let myself look. My heart was pounding, and meeting those familiar eyes just might break me.
Jack had his arm twined around me as we moved to the steps. He raised one hand in Giff’s direction.
“Hey, dude. Where you been? Missing an awesome party.” There was a slur in his voice that I was pretty sure was more acting, since I’d only seen him nurse one beer over the last hour.
“Yeah, looks like it.” Giff’s voice was arch with meaning. If I hadn’t known he was in on this plan, his tone would have hurt.
“You okay to drive, Jack?” My breath caught. That was Liam speaking, the first time I’d heard his voice in nearly two months. He didn’t sound jealous or angry, but possibly just a tad...concerned. About me? Maybe.
“Not driving, we’ll walk.” Jack pulled me down another step. “Later, man.”
I didn’t want to leave. Liam was on that porch, and even though I knew I didn’t love him, even though he’d humiliated me, bruised my heart, I still wanted to be near him. I wanted to slap him, but at the same time, I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist and feel him lay his cheek on the top of my head, as he always did. I craved that feeling of security like a drug, even if the security Liam had offered me had been a total illusion.
But I couldn’t go back. Jack was much stronger than me, and he was dragging me along. He didn’t stop until we hit the sidewalk.
“You okay?” His voice was gruff, and I sensed I was making him very uncomfortable. I didn’t know why. And then I felt the trickle of tears down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry.” I tried to say it, but instead, I was sobbing. Jack pulled me to him, and I wept against his solid chest.
“Hey, c’mon. Don’t do that. Crying freaks guys out.”
I half-laughed through my tears. “I know. I didn’t mean to, I’m really sorry. It just—I hadn’t seen him since—and I guess it was harder than I thought.”
“Yeah, guys are assholes.” Jack said it with such cheery assurance that I laughed again, wiping at my face as I pulled away from him.
“Jules, what’s wrong?” Ava was at my side.
“Where’d you come from?” I glanced around, but no one else stood near us.
“I went out the back and circled around after I saw Giff and Liam come in. Did he say something to you?” I heard the anger in her usually calm voice.
“No. No, he didn’t say anything.” I took a deep breath to stave off another round of tears. “And Jack was freaking amazing.”
In the dim light coming from a
Ava appeared in the doorway just as Jack and I were laughing at a football story he was telling me. She caught my eye and tapped her wrist.
“I think that’s our cue.” I stood, pushing the chair back. I wasn’t sure if the dizziness I felt was the rum or the idea that if all went as planned, Liam would see me in a few moments.
I followed Jack into the living room and dug through a pile of coats until I found mine. He pulled on a worn letterman’s jacket. Wrapping one arm around my waist, he moved toward the door.
Jack’s eyes scanned the yard as we stepped outside into the still and frigid air. I saw him focus on two figures moving across the grass. He grasped my upper arms and backed me against the wall of the porch.
“This is improv,” he whispered into my ear. “Just go with it. Be a vixen.”
“A vixen? What is--”
Before I could say any more, Jack was kissing my neck, and his hands were under my coat, on my ribs. I heard footfalls on the porch just as Jack spoke again, this time loud enough to be heard.
“Julia, c’mon. Let’s go back to my room.” He trailed his fingers down my arm and tugged on my hand. I had no choice but to stumble forward into him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Giff’s blond head. I knew Liam was standing next to him, but I didn’t let myself look. My heart was pounding, and meeting those familiar eyes just might break me.
Jack had his arm twined around me as we moved to the steps. He raised one hand in Giff’s direction.
“Hey, dude. Where you been? Missing an awesome party.” There was a slur in his voice that I was pretty sure was more acting, since I’d only seen him nurse one beer over the last hour.
“Yeah, looks like it.” Giff’s voice was arch with meaning. If I hadn’t known he was in on this plan, his tone would have hurt.
“You okay to drive, Jack?” My breath caught. That was Liam speaking, the first time I’d heard his voice in nearly two months. He didn’t sound jealous or angry, but possibly just a tad...concerned. About me? Maybe.
“Not driving, we’ll walk.” Jack pulled me down another step. “Later, man.”
I didn’t want to leave. Liam was on that porch, and even though I knew I didn’t love him, even though he’d humiliated me, bruised my heart, I still wanted to be near him. I wanted to slap him, but at the same time, I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist and feel him lay his cheek on the top of my head, as he always did. I craved that feeling of security like a drug, even if the security Liam had offered me had been a total illusion.
But I couldn’t go back. Jack was much stronger than me, and he was dragging me along. He didn’t stop until we hit the sidewalk.
“You okay?” His voice was gruff, and I sensed I was making him very uncomfortable. I didn’t know why. And then I felt the trickle of tears down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry.” I tried to say it, but instead, I was sobbing. Jack pulled me to him, and I wept against his solid chest.
“Hey, c’mon. Don’t do that. Crying freaks guys out.”
I half-laughed through my tears. “I know. I didn’t mean to, I’m really sorry. It just—I hadn’t seen him since—and I guess it was harder than I thought.”
“Yeah, guys are assholes.” Jack said it with such cheery assurance that I laughed again, wiping at my face as I pulled away from him.
“Jules, what’s wrong?” Ava was at my side.
“Where’d you come from?” I glanced around, but no one else stood near us.
“I went out the back and circled around after I saw Giff and Liam come in. Did he say something to you?” I heard the anger in her usually calm voice.
“No. No, he didn’t say anything.” I took a deep breath to stave off another round of tears. “And Jack was freaking amazing.”
In the dim light coming from a
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