Read Online The Love Square by Jessica Calla - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Calla
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it. You know I can be a dick sometimes and not even realize it.”
“No, no. Really, you didn’t do anything. I mean…I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been thinking about us…differently, you know?” Jenna paused to read his face, but it only registered confusion. “You always say I can tell you anything, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. So I’ve been thinking about us and Scott suggested I talk to you, so I have to ask you something.” She twisted her hands in her lap and then started peeling the label off the empty bottle in front of her.
“You can ask me anything, Jenna. You know that.” Alex’s look of confusion turned to concern.
This is going nowhere fast. She’d have to find her courage. She couldn’t back out now. “I guess the simplest way to say it is, would you, I don’t know…” Keep going, keep going , “…want to, like, go out with me like on a real date? I know it sounds dumb since we see each other all the time for the most part, but you know what I mean, right?”
He tilted his chin and squinted. “You’re asking me out?”
Jenna looked from Alex to the bartender, to the televisions over the bar, back to Alex. “Um. Yeah. That’s the basic idea.”
Alex stared wide-eyed, processing her words. Either that, or he was in shock.
She rambled and fidgeted. “I guess it’s that I know we are in that friend zone, and I love how we are—”
“I love how we are too.”
“—and really, I’ve thought about it. About you. Since we met, and how we are so great together, and here I am thinking about making time for a boyfriend and I have you right here, with me, all the time. You know me and you love me, and I trust you, and I think it would be great, you know, awesome to…to be with you, with you. We are practically like a married couple anyway, minus, well, you know.” Jenna’s cheeks warmed.
“Jen, I—”
But Jenna had come too far to let him interrupt. If he wanted to reject her, he would have to wait until she was finished. She cringed as though she was confessing her sins to a priest. “I know it’s ridiculous. You’re completely annoying and you tease me all the time, and I tried not to feel this way, but when I see you, I feel you in my heart. Like, you are in there with me. I can’t imagine anyone else getting in there the way you are.”
“Shit, Jenna,” Alex said.
She knew his answer before he said it.
“I can’t.”
Jenna wasn’t upset with his two words. She knew chances were slim that he’d jump into her arms and carry her off into the sunset. Not only because of the rain, but because he wasn’t a prince. Still, it would have been nice if he’d at least considered her words for half a second.
Numbness overtook her nervousness, and she backtracked. “Okay, then. I mean, I’m sorry I put it out there and kind of sprung that on you. It’s fine. I knew you would say no—”
Alex touched her arm, and she stopped talking. “Don’t you think I’ve thought about that?” he asked. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I love you way too much to date you, Jenna. We do that, and I will destroy us.” Alex touched her cheek and rubbed it with his thumb. “I can’t risk losing you. Every time I try a relationship, it doesn’t work out. You know how many of my exes I still talk to?”
Jenna didn’t answer.
“None,” he said. “I love you. I love us. And as tempting as you are, I can’t.”
“It’s funny,” Jenna said, grabbing his hand.
He looked down at their intertwined fingers. “What is?”
“I think us being together is the one thing that could make our relationship even stronger, but you think it’s the one thing that can destroy us.”
Jenna peeked up at Alex and then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. She used every bit of willpower to resist moving her lips a little to the right to meet his to convince him, in a more physical manner, to give them a try. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a
“No, no. Really, you didn’t do anything. I mean…I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been thinking about us…differently, you know?” Jenna paused to read his face, but it only registered confusion. “You always say I can tell you anything, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. So I’ve been thinking about us and Scott suggested I talk to you, so I have to ask you something.” She twisted her hands in her lap and then started peeling the label off the empty bottle in front of her.
“You can ask me anything, Jenna. You know that.” Alex’s look of confusion turned to concern.
This is going nowhere fast. She’d have to find her courage. She couldn’t back out now. “I guess the simplest way to say it is, would you, I don’t know…” Keep going, keep going , “…want to, like, go out with me like on a real date? I know it sounds dumb since we see each other all the time for the most part, but you know what I mean, right?”
He tilted his chin and squinted. “You’re asking me out?”
Jenna looked from Alex to the bartender, to the televisions over the bar, back to Alex. “Um. Yeah. That’s the basic idea.”
Alex stared wide-eyed, processing her words. Either that, or he was in shock.
She rambled and fidgeted. “I guess it’s that I know we are in that friend zone, and I love how we are—”
“I love how we are too.”
“—and really, I’ve thought about it. About you. Since we met, and how we are so great together, and here I am thinking about making time for a boyfriend and I have you right here, with me, all the time. You know me and you love me, and I trust you, and I think it would be great, you know, awesome to…to be with you, with you. We are practically like a married couple anyway, minus, well, you know.” Jenna’s cheeks warmed.
“Jen, I—”
But Jenna had come too far to let him interrupt. If he wanted to reject her, he would have to wait until she was finished. She cringed as though she was confessing her sins to a priest. “I know it’s ridiculous. You’re completely annoying and you tease me all the time, and I tried not to feel this way, but when I see you, I feel you in my heart. Like, you are in there with me. I can’t imagine anyone else getting in there the way you are.”
“Shit, Jenna,” Alex said.
She knew his answer before he said it.
“I can’t.”
Jenna wasn’t upset with his two words. She knew chances were slim that he’d jump into her arms and carry her off into the sunset. Not only because of the rain, but because he wasn’t a prince. Still, it would have been nice if he’d at least considered her words for half a second.
Numbness overtook her nervousness, and she backtracked. “Okay, then. I mean, I’m sorry I put it out there and kind of sprung that on you. It’s fine. I knew you would say no—”
Alex touched her arm, and she stopped talking. “Don’t you think I’ve thought about that?” he asked. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I love you way too much to date you, Jenna. We do that, and I will destroy us.” Alex touched her cheek and rubbed it with his thumb. “I can’t risk losing you. Every time I try a relationship, it doesn’t work out. You know how many of my exes I still talk to?”
Jenna didn’t answer.
“None,” he said. “I love you. I love us. And as tempting as you are, I can’t.”
“It’s funny,” Jenna said, grabbing his hand.
He looked down at their intertwined fingers. “What is?”
“I think us being together is the one thing that could make our relationship even stronger, but you think it’s the one thing that can destroy us.”
Jenna peeked up at Alex and then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. She used every bit of willpower to resist moving her lips a little to the right to meet his to convince him, in a more physical manner, to give them a try. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a
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