Page 28 of The Sacrifice
He smiles, making those dimples pop. “Sit down and stop lording over me like you always do. That would be a good place to start. You’re still making me feel inferior.”
I swipe my hands on my pants. “I make you feel inferior?”
“See.” He waves his hand in my direction. “You’re still doing it.”
“What?” I blink.Oh.“Right.” I drop to the floor and sit across from him, mimicking his position. “I made you feel inferior?”
“Of course.” He shrugs and hands me the instructions. “We’re on step three. You were older, great in school, smart, beautiful, and popular. And I was the quirky kid with braces and no game. Except on the field.”
“I wasn’t popular.”Beautiful? He thought I was beautiful.The instructions swim in front of me. He had to have been delusional. I had frizzy hair and pimples.
“You had good friends. Your parents thought you were perfect, and you were in all kinds of clubs.”
“Academic clubs. Like that’s a sign of popularity.” I roll my eyes and read the instructions to him. “And you were Mr. Football. The entire town was obsessed with you.”
After he grabs the correct parts, I hold them, and he fastens the pieces together. “Fine.” His dimples pop. “I was kind of a big deal.”
“Whatever? You’re so full of yourself.”
After I read the next step, we manipulate the spindle into the correct position, and he fastens the screws into the wooden pieces. “I’m sorry Tate showed up unannounced. I feel horrible that you were put in an awkward situation. I should have thought of that scenario and discussed it with you.”
“It’s fine. He surprised me, and I didn’t know what you wanted him to know. Not to mention, it wasn’t my place to tell him anyway.”
His fingers brush against mine as he twists the screwdriver, and the walls of my sex clench as if they’re begging for those digits to dive deep inside of me. Yeah, they aren’t the only ones wanting that to happen. My brain is racing to catch up. And that’s a slippery slope to traverse.
“I should have already told him, but I wasn’t in the mood to hear his lecture or for my parents to rush in telling me what to do.” His shoulders are tight as he drops the section onto the white carpet. “They aren’t going to be excited by the events of the last few days.” He rolls his neck and rotates his shoulders as if the weight of the world is pressed down on him.
“Jackson.” I lay my hand on his forearm. “You’re doing a great job of taking care of Hadley. If your family can’t see that, they’re crazy.”
Touching him was a bad idea. I inhale and rock back on my butt as his scent surrounds me. He smells so good. And his eyes. His eyes are brown pools of melted chocolate. I want to drown in them while swaying in a hammock.
And his jaw. Swoon. It looks freaking adorable, covered in a 5 o’clock shadow. Did I just think the word adorable? That’s stupid. There’s nothing adorable about him. Hadley is adorable. He’s fucking sin on a stick, and I’ve never wanted to shove a stick in my mouth so badly.
I pull my hand back and drop it onto my lap. If I keep touching him, I’m going to do something irresponsible. And he’s already dealing with enough. He doesn’t need to add his best friend’s neurotic older sister onto his checklist of things to handle this week. He’s got a baby to bond with.
“Thank you for your support. It means a lot.” His eyes bore into mine, and the size of the room seems to shrink from the oversized bedroom it is to the dimensions of a playhouse. It only feels big enough to hold the two of us if we’re naked and rolling around on the carpet.
“You’re welcome.” I square my shoulders. He doesn’t need a complication of me throwing myself at him and him having to gently turn me down. “Let’s get this done.”
“Yeah.” He nods and grabs another piece. “I’ll be relieved to have a proper bed for Hadley.” He glances around the room. “Despite what you said. If my parents saw this mess, they’d take her from me.”
“No. They wouldn’t. You wouldn’t let them take her, and you haven’t done anything wrong. You bought her new furniture, and you’re putting it together. Anyone who says differently would have to go through me.” Sweat drenches my armpits. Why did I say that? I’m practically gushing over him. I don’t gush. I’m not a freshman cheerleader lusting after the star football player.
He grasps my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Thank you. And thank you for taking care of Hadley. Watching the two of you together is amazing. You’re a natural with kids.” He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand, and I stifle a moan. Warren was never a hand holder. Or a cuddler. Or well…. Anything.
“Thank you.” Tears swim in my eyes, and I blink them back. Being good at something and getting to do something are two different things.
“What happened between you and Warren? I figured you’d be married and have a couple of kids by now.”
“It was nothing. Sometimes things don’t work out.” I withdraw my hand from his and make a production over picking up the instructional manual and shaking them, raising the page in front of my face until he’s obstructed from view. I’m not getting swoony over him. I’m too old for him. He’s my brother’s best friend. He’s not looking to settle down.
And what if he wants more kids? He didn’t even try to knock up the first one. He would expect the next time around to be as easy. And that’s not going to happen with me.
“We grew apart and split up. It was no big deal. It happens to nearly everyone at some point.” I’m not about to broach the topic of a baby. The only person who knows I can’t have children is Jade and my mom. I don’t need anyone’s pity. I’ve got enough of my own to go around.
Chapter Seventeen
Four Hours Later