“I don't want to have to testify against him," I say, "I mean, I know that he needs to be off the streets, but I never want to look at that man again."
"I'm so sorry," Jake says softly, leaning in close. "Can I tell you a secret?" he asks, changing the subject.
"Sure," I say.
"I wanted to hug you so badly in the hall earlier after my mom left." He looks me in the eyes, making my belly flip-flop.
"Why didn't you?" I ask.
"Well, I was trying to get up the guts, but I didn't want to come off as a creep. And then you stepped forward and you asked for a hug, and I realized I was off the hook. I didn't have to figure out how to get some game because, well, you helped a man out."
I laugh. "Well, you are good at giving hugs, and God, I needed one. I don't think I've been hugged since Grandma died."
"Fuck," Jake says under his breath. "Truth be told, I hadn't had a hug in a long time either, till I came home a few days ago and saw my mom. It's been a long few years."
I nod. "So, you'll leave again in a month? Do you know where you're going?"
"I haven't gotten my orders yet, but I'm hoping it's somewhere new, a fresh start."
"Overseas, though?" I ask.
He nods. "Yeah, but not in active duty. I like to see new places. My mom's right. I don't like being tied down to one place for long. I have this itch to see the world. What about you, Faith? What do you hope for yourself?"
I sigh. "I've been surviving for so long. I haven't really stopped to think about it."
"Fuck, those words break my heart."
"Don't let them," I say. "I think I might be free now."
Jake smiles at me. "You ever think about traveling?"
"No," I say, laughing. "A bit out of my price range. I was working at a gas station for a while there, but it's not exactly funding international travel. It was more like paying my phone bill and making sure there's gas in the car.”
Jake grins. "I feel you. That's one of the reasons I wanted to enlist. I wasn't going to get the chance to see much, unless I did. The fact I got to serve my country while doing it, well, hell, I felt like I got the best of both worlds."
"Well," I say, stifling a yawn, "I appreciate everything you did for me today. Letting me come here to your mom's place, it means so much to me."
We stand, clearing up the plates and carrying them into the kitchen. We wash them, loading up the dishwasher silently. My thoughts swirling around, thinking about the fact that Jake is going to leave soon. And honestly, I might be leaving sooner.
This isn't my home, even if I'd like it to be. And he's not my family, even though a woman would be lucky to call him theirs.
I'm lost in thought, soapsuds to my wrists, as Jake wraps his arms around me from behind. I lean back, resting my head on his chest.
"I'm so thankful I got to spend the night with you," he says. His words in my ear, turning my heart to jelly, my stomach in knots.
I turn to him, wanting to wrap my arms around him and kiss him, kiss him until I get swept away. I spin, looking up at him, my soapy hands pressed to his chest. He leans down and I think – I know – it's going to happen.
But then the front door opens. "Kids, I'm back," his mom says.
Jake steps back, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Damn it," he whispers under his breath.
I hide my smile as I turn back to the dishes. My whole body on fire, alive.
9
JAKE
You know how hard it is to fall asleep on the couch of your mother's house with your cock hard as hell, the girl you want down the hall and your mom snoring a few feet away?
Fuck, I hardly get any sleep. I toss and turn that girl in my mind. Faith.
Damn, she is incredible. She makes me feel alive and seen and wanted and known all wrapped up into one. Maybe I never thought about it before, that you could fall hard and fast for one person forever, but I have.
When my phone finally tells me it's a decent hour to get up, I take a hot shower, washing away the agony of the night before. Then I head downtown to the bakery, grabbing three lattes and a bag of treats before walking back to my mom's place.
When I step inside, I find Faith in the kitchen with my mom. Mom's just about to start making a pot of coffee and I tell her, "Hold on," handing her a latte.