Once Upon A Bet

/34/ Fireworks

"But I told you so."

I rolled my eyes, sensing his smirk even if I wasn't seeing it. "You really are cocky you know that?"

"One of my best qualities, I've been told."

"Oh really?" I chuckled at the way his comment only proved my point further if possible. "Who told you that?"

"You."

My heart dropped a good few inches in my rib-cage and I met his gaze, startled as I too remembered it. I had indeed told him that. I couldn't recall the exact time not the actual conversation, but it was something on the line of him being this confident made things possible because I would never dare to take proper steps.

Him being 'cocky' and sure of what he wanted to make it possible for us to have a chance back then, because I was -and still am- too insecure to pursue someone properly. And even now, if it wasn't for him being this set on cleaning his karma, he wouldn't even be in my life; and at this point I wasn't as sure anymore it was a good thing.

Jake provided some comfort in an unconventional weird way. A couple months ago I wouldn't have dared to believe it, but now it was clear and undeniable, so why bother?

"I usually am right." I smirked back, pushing the weird unease in my chest at the bittersweet memory down and focused on the good instead.

That amused him. "Now, who's the cocky one, uh?"

"Well, and what would you say? Is it a good quality or a bad one?" I tilted my head, actually curious about his answer since -whether mine was pretend- his cockiness was most rather natural.

"As everything else, princess, at it's good measure it's completely fine and healthy. What's wrong with being confident?"

"Nothing..." not that I could fully think about.

What was wrong about knowing when you're right or good and explode it a little? The only problem, I summerized inwardly, was that I was far from feeling confident about anything, let alone about myself. But I shook the ghost of that bad thought off my head. Not tonight.

"So. About that trip you were talking of before." I leaned against the railing, angling my body to him and carefully picking a new topic before we stood on quicksand and let it drown us. Jake finished his hot dog, tilting his head for me to continue as he mimicked my body language. "Are the guys coming too?"

"PJ is," he nodded thoughtfully, his eyes unfocussing as his mind drifted there and the environment shifted immediately, addapting to the new conversation and I felt my chest easing with it. His brows furrowed "And Fawn's a possibility. It all depends on her actually getting in the school or not."

I nodded, "And Shawn's not coming? Aren't you, like, two peas in a pot?"

"Very funny." he rolled his eyes sarcastically and I smiled a little. "He'll be working, so no. Maybe some other time."

"And where will you be going? To Sweden?" I wondered remembering my recent discoveries about his origins and he hummed, shrugging one shoulder. "You still got family there?"

"Really distant relatives." he chuckled. "My mother's aunt if willing to host us there and then we'll backpack sour."

"Backpacking? How daring." I processed it. The idea of backpacking sounded nice in a way, but all the odds against it... the weather, the tiring, the not having a proper place for as long as it lasted... it wasn't something I saw myself doing, but at the same time it sounded thrilling enough to tempt me none the less. I tilted my head: "Any idea of a route?"

"Not that sure. PJ is more into that stuff. All I know is that we'll end in France."

"Across Europe then." I nodded, painting a map of all the possibilities in my mind. All the places they would be able to see, the monuments, the cities... "Sounds nice."