The Beach House • JB

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Jade sighed softly and let her right hand gently touch Peter's cheek. "You're too sweet, Peter."

"So I've been told."

"What do you mean by holding off on anything we do?"

"Well. . .," Peter murmured softly as he rose up from the ground and cleared his throat and sat down next to Jade and still held her hand. "I wanna take you on a date."

"A date?"

"Yeah, you know where two people—"

"Don't. . .okay, I'm going to give Winnie a call."

Jade gave a closed mouth smile to Peter and got up from her spot and walked out of his bedroom and stood out in the hallway and took her phone out of her hoodie pocket and unlocked it to go to her call log.

Seeing Winnie's name, she paused as she stared down at the contact name and let her thumb hover over the screen, but she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest.

Was she betraying Winnie? Would she forgive her? Did she really have feelings for Peter?

Jade shook her head and let out a shaky breath as she pressed her contact name and pressed the phone to her ear and waited for her to speak and after a few rings, Winnie finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Winnie? Hey. . .you doing okay?"

"Not really. . .something came up with Justin, family stuff."

Jade sighed. "Yeah. . .I get it, when do you think we could hang out and talk?"

"Well. . .maybe tomorrow afternoon? I'm not sure. . .listen, can I call you back? Justin and I are about to leave."

"S-Sure. . .bye."

"Jade?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Jade paused momentarily and sharply inhaled a breath. "Yeah, I'm okay, bye."

With that, Jade ended the call and puffed out a breath as she leaned against Peter's door for a few seconds as she briefly shut her eyes, she then leaned off the door and opened it to step back into Peter's bedroom.

"So?"

"She couldn't talk. . .listen, Peter, maybe this is a sign."

Peter laughed softly. "Either you're being paranoid or you're just trying to push me away."

"I. . .I am not!"

"Really?"

Jade crossed her arms over her chest and watched Peter get up from hi spot and slowly walk over to Jade and tower over her making her clear her throat.

"Really."

Peter grinned softly and looked down at Jade's lips and dipped his head down to let his lips brush across Jade's making her body shudder and her breathing get shaky.

Peter then swiftly moved his lips to her cheek and gave her cheek a peck and then whispering in his ear. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Jade let out a small gasp as Peter stepped back and kept the same grin on his lips as he sat the edge of the bed and took the plate of tacos and started to eat one.

Jade watched him start eating making her scoff and shake her head as she sat down next to him and ate one of the tacos on the plate with Peter in silence.