“What happened? Did he do this to you?”
“Not here.” Jake takes me by the arm and steers me to a quieter part of the corridor before saying, “I have the afternoon off. We’ll talk after school.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” he says in a low voice while his gaze darts around the crowded hall. His eyes narrow when they land on Shane Cooper, who’s coming toward us with a smug smile.
“What happened to you, Nelson? Did Teresa finally come to her senses?” He’s obviously decided the time to treat Jake with kid gloves is over and has reverted back to his irritating self. He also seems to be the only one who finds his inappropriate joke amusing.
“Oh, that?” Jake asks, pointing to his injury. “That was a parting gift from your daddy. He wasn’t too happy when he saw me sneaking out of his bedroom this morning. Don’t worry on my behalf, though. Your mom was well worth the shiner.” Someone gives a loud gasp, and I realize that someone is me when more than a few people glance our way.
Some chuckle at Jake’s cutthroat remark, but it all stops when Shane mumbles, “At least I still have a mom to joke about.” It sucks what little air remains out of the room.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Shane tries to push past us, but Jake stops him with a hard hand to the chest. Shane freezes and slowly lifts his eyes to meet my boyfriend’s furious glower. That’s when he realizes he’s made a huge mistake.
“Nothing. It was a stupid comment.”
Jake’s nose is so close to Shane’s they almost touch, and he’s never looked more intimidating.
“You listen to me and listen good because I will only say this once. I’m done putting up with your shit, Cooper. I took it for a while because I felt sorry for you. You needed someone to blame, so you didn’t have to admit that your girlfriend broke up with you because you couldn’t satisfy her, but I’m over it now. I never once encouraged your girl or laid a hand on her, so it’s time to let it go. If you so much as look at me sideways from here on out,” he continues in a voice that has Shane shifting from foot to foot. “I swear to God, it won’t end well for you. I keep a lot of aggression bottled up these days, and I’d just love to release it and take it out on your face. You just say the word.”
Shane swallows hard while everyone around us watches the interaction with bated breath. Finally, Shane nods and raises his hands.
“Alright. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” he says with a nervous chuckle. “I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on.”
Jake doesn’t take his eyes off him but backs off far enough to give him room to leave.
“Glad we got that sorted. You have yourself a pleasant day now.”
“A little harsh, don’t you think?” I whisper once Shane is out of earshot, and everyone goes back to their own conversations. Jake shrugs, seeming utterly unfazed by the hostile interaction. “He’s been pissing me off for months, and I’m done being his scapegoat. I don’t need him adding to the long list of assholes I’m already dealing with on the daily.”
“Like who?”
“My dad, for one. Greg, the lead hand I have to answer to, even though he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. Our tool of a neighbor who lets his dog shit all over our front lawn and doesn’t pick up after him. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve stepped into a steaming pile this week alone. I’m thinking of collecting it all so I can stuff it behind his radiators the next time he travels for work. He always leaves the back door unlocked, and the smell should be quite interesting by the time he gets back.”
I giggle as I picture Mr. Crosby standing in the middle of his living room while he sniffs the air with a wrinkled nose.
Jake can be outrageous at times, but I have to hand it to him. He always has unique ideas. When Carter approaches, his gaze immediately darts to the colorful shiner. He lifts a questioning brow but doesn’t comment further when Jake gives his head a subtle shake. When our math teacher, Mrs. Wood, inquires about the bruising around his eye, Jake tells her he took a spill riding his mountain bike and hit his face on the handlebars.
The rest of the day drags on painfully as I not so patiently wait to hear the real story behind my boyfriend’s injury. I’m close to busting when Jake asks me to go for a walk after the last class finally ends. I manage to keep myself in check until we arrive at the top of Crescent Hill on the north end of town, where his favorite tree is located. Taking a seat on the rounded bench that wraps around its massive trunk, I give Jake a moment to collect his thoughts while I take in the view. From our high vantage point, we can overlook the whole town to the south and the valley to the north while the Medina River winds through Jenkins Creek and the county beyond.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve seen it a thousand times, but it never gets old.”
“Sure is. It’s so peaceful. Not many people come up here, so it’s a great spot if you just need to get away from everyone.”
“So, I’m intruding on your solitude. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” I flash him a mischievous grin in a feeble attempt to cut through the thick tension crackling in the air. Jake meets my eye and gives me a tentative smile in return.
“Well, you’re only adding to the incredible view, so I’m not complaining.”
Feeling my cheeks heat, I dig my teeth into my lower lip and stare at his perfect profile. My feelings for Jake are so overwhelming at times that it genuinely scares me. I can’t imagine a world where this amazing boy doesn’t exist, and now that he belongs to me, I’m all the more terrified of losing him. Part of me just wants to snuggle into his side and simply enjoy the moment. Pretend we didn’t come up here to talk about something sinister and shut out the rest of the world for a little while. But we both know it’s time, so I take a deep inhale before I reach out to cup the side of his face.
“I love you, Jake,” I say, gazing into his eyes and needing him to understand just how much he means to me.
“I love you too, Tessa. I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I don’t want you to think I’m having second thoughts about us because it couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just that I’ve been juggling a lot with school, work, and the kids. God, you must think I sound like a broken record.” Blowing out a sigh, he lifts his face to the cloudy sky and takes a moment, running a hand through his windblown hair. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry for being the world’s shittiest boyfriend. You probably think I only come around when I want to get laid, but I promise that’s not the case. When I pictured our summer together, I had a different image in mind, but instead of lazing around on the riverbank with you, I’m spending most of it covered in sawdust.”
I take his hand and give him a reassuring squeeze, letting him know I’m not upset.
“It’s alright. I know how crazy things have been for you. Losing such a vital part of your family takes adjusting. I’d be a shitty girlfriend if I weren’t understanding about your situation, and I don’t want our relationship to be just another thing for you to have to worry about. You do what you have to do, and I’m right here if you need me. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
