touch me, Jake. I can’t take that right now.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to keep my distance.” But even if I meant every word, I felt deep down the futility of that promise. I would try to stay away from Joss, which is not to say I would succeed.
“What about you, Jake? Are you happy?”
“What do you think?”
We stared at each other, the longing and the regret passing between us like currents. More than anything I wanted to hold her, but more than everything she was forbidden. “How the hell am I going to do this with you around?”
I didn’t realize I’d said the words aloud until Joss said, “I’m moving out soon, so you won’t have to deal with me for very long.”
“Then tell me,” I began in a broken voice, “how the hell am I going to do this without you?”
----
T he next few days were not easy. Joss and I lived in each other’s periphery, maintaining a cautious distance at all times.
But each time we found ourselves in the same room, Joss talked about apartment prospects. Turned out finding an apartment wasn’t as easy as she thought. Or rather, not as affordable, especially here in South Florida where everything had a higher price tag.
But that didn’t stop her from looking. One morning, I found her in the living room with her mom, discussing an apartment listing that she’d seen online.
“You’re not moving to Hialeah.” I took a sip of my coffee. “It’s not safe there.” Hialeah was one of Miami’s more notorious neighborhoods, infamous for its violent streets.
“Not really your say, Jake.” Joss looked up from the couch, throwing me a black look that took me aback. True the last few days had been uncomfortable but she had never shown me any hostility until today.
I planted myself in front of the couch, making myself as formidable as possible. “Oh, I get a say.”
Amanda’s eyes flicked between her daughter and me, no doubt noticing the palpable tension in the room. “I agree with Jake,” she told her daughter. “I really don’t feel comfortable with you living anywhere in South Florida on your own, to be honest.”
“Then I’ll get a roommate.” Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, sparking with challenge. “Maybe I’ll move in with Eli.”
“You think he’ll take you back after what happened?” I asked, unable to keep the smug smile off my face.
Amanda turned to Joss with a frown. “Yeah, what happened? You never told me why he just ditched you at your own birthday celebration.”
Joss’s nose flared as she narrowed her eyes at me. I almost laughed out loud. So sue me, but I was starting to enjoy her discomfort. “Actually, Jake scared him away.”
“I didn’t trust him,” I said simply. “And it seemed my suspicions were on the nose when I saw him trying to dry hump you out in the parking lot.”
Amanda’s jaw dropped. “Ja—” She stopped and turned to her daughter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Joss flipped the laptop shut and stood up, choosing to flee again instead of fight. “Because we were just kissing. Everyone does it.” She turned to me with fury and hurt in her eyes. “So thanks to you, I lost the most significant man in my life.”
“Maybe he wasn’t that significant if he’s so quick to walk away.”
“Most men are like that, Jake,” Joss said with more bitterness in her voice than I’d like. “You just give them one push and they’re gone.”
I held her gaze. “Not all men. Some men choose to stick around.”
Joss fought to keep her face from betraying her emotions, but the pain simmering right under the surface was clear as day. It wasn’t my usual M.O. to be so cruel but the petty part of me wanted her to share in my suffering. If nothing else, at least we could share that.
“What’s going on? Why are you antagonizing her?” Amanda asked after Joss stalked out of the room.
I shrugged. “Hialeah is not safe.” I stared into my coffee mug, my mood as dark as the liquid inside. “Maybe I should go,
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to keep my distance.” But even if I meant every word, I felt deep down the futility of that promise. I would try to stay away from Joss, which is not to say I would succeed.
“What about you, Jake? Are you happy?”
“What do you think?”
We stared at each other, the longing and the regret passing between us like currents. More than anything I wanted to hold her, but more than everything she was forbidden. “How the hell am I going to do this with you around?”
I didn’t realize I’d said the words aloud until Joss said, “I’m moving out soon, so you won’t have to deal with me for very long.”
“Then tell me,” I began in a broken voice, “how the hell am I going to do this without you?”
----
T he next few days were not easy. Joss and I lived in each other’s periphery, maintaining a cautious distance at all times.
But each time we found ourselves in the same room, Joss talked about apartment prospects. Turned out finding an apartment wasn’t as easy as she thought. Or rather, not as affordable, especially here in South Florida where everything had a higher price tag.
But that didn’t stop her from looking. One morning, I found her in the living room with her mom, discussing an apartment listing that she’d seen online.
“You’re not moving to Hialeah.” I took a sip of my coffee. “It’s not safe there.” Hialeah was one of Miami’s more notorious neighborhoods, infamous for its violent streets.
“Not really your say, Jake.” Joss looked up from the couch, throwing me a black look that took me aback. True the last few days had been uncomfortable but she had never shown me any hostility until today.
I planted myself in front of the couch, making myself as formidable as possible. “Oh, I get a say.”
Amanda’s eyes flicked between her daughter and me, no doubt noticing the palpable tension in the room. “I agree with Jake,” she told her daughter. “I really don’t feel comfortable with you living anywhere in South Florida on your own, to be honest.”
“Then I’ll get a roommate.” Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, sparking with challenge. “Maybe I’ll move in with Eli.”
“You think he’ll take you back after what happened?” I asked, unable to keep the smug smile off my face.
Amanda turned to Joss with a frown. “Yeah, what happened? You never told me why he just ditched you at your own birthday celebration.”
Joss’s nose flared as she narrowed her eyes at me. I almost laughed out loud. So sue me, but I was starting to enjoy her discomfort. “Actually, Jake scared him away.”
“I didn’t trust him,” I said simply. “And it seemed my suspicions were on the nose when I saw him trying to dry hump you out in the parking lot.”
Amanda’s jaw dropped. “Ja—” She stopped and turned to her daughter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Joss flipped the laptop shut and stood up, choosing to flee again instead of fight. “Because we were just kissing. Everyone does it.” She turned to me with fury and hurt in her eyes. “So thanks to you, I lost the most significant man in my life.”
“Maybe he wasn’t that significant if he’s so quick to walk away.”
“Most men are like that, Jake,” Joss said with more bitterness in her voice than I’d like. “You just give them one push and they’re gone.”
I held her gaze. “Not all men. Some men choose to stick around.”
Joss fought to keep her face from betraying her emotions, but the pain simmering right under the surface was clear as day. It wasn’t my usual M.O. to be so cruel but the petty part of me wanted her to share in my suffering. If nothing else, at least we could share that.
“What’s going on? Why are you antagonizing her?” Amanda asked after Joss stalked out of the room.
I shrugged. “Hialeah is not safe.” I stared into my coffee mug, my mood as dark as the liquid inside. “Maybe I should go,
Similar Books
