I massage my throbbing temples. My head has been pounding since I blacked out the night before, the pain refusing to fade. Even after downing six Advil pills throughout the day in an attempt to ease the tension, my headache has yet to cease.
"Where is he?" Ben questions. I glance up from the tabletop I'd been mindlessly staring at, just the sound of Ben's voice worsening the hammering in my mind. "I thought you said he was going to meet us here?"
Feeling irritable, I want to snap at my friends. I feel as if they have been interrogating me for the last five minutes, nonstop asking why Jacob has yet to meet us. Ivy shoots me a pointed stare, which I aptly ignore. I don't know why my friends are so quick to judge Jacob; I don't know why they are both so eager to prove he is no good for me.
"He's coming," I assure them, avoiding their gazes by checking the time on my phone. "He's running late because of practice. He'll be here."
"Practice?" Ivy snorts. The look on her face suggests that she finds this excuse to be ridiculous. "It's Saturday. I didn't know Redwood took football so seriously."
"Football is important to Jacob," I am quick to defend my boyfriend, growing more irate by the minute. "Just the same as the paper is important to you. Nobody here judges you for constantly being glued to your laptop."
Ivy's expression slackens at my dig, eyes flaming with unspoken anger. Ben reacts to my rudeness as well, raising his eyebrows as he peers at me through the lenses of his thick glasses in shock. I can tell my friends are surprised by my brash behavior. Though I regret being bitter, I don't apologize for snapping. Maybe my mood would be a little less sour if this damn headache would go away.
"At least I had the decency to show up on time," Ivy mumbles to herself. I disregard her jab, refusing to give into her attempt at picking a fight. Ivy isn't one to take shit from others. I'm not one to start an argument.
"Pretty cool the coffee was half off today," Ben says, trying his best to ease the rising tension between the three of us and divert the conversation from an oncoming quarrel. "I mean, I would—"
"Sorry I'm late." Ben is cut short by the sound of a breathless voice. I perk up at the sight of Jacob as he approaches our table, jogging to quicken his pace. His cheeks are flushed, physical proof of a grueling and long practice on the field. "I tried to get here on time. Coach kept us a little longer than expected."
"You're here now," I say, offering Jacob a hint of a smile to reassure him that his tardiness is okay so he knows not to be too troubled. "That's all that matters."
I can tell by Ivy's pinched expression that she is desperately holding her tongue so as not to say something she may regret. I wish she wasn't so quick to judge, though I am grateful she doesn't nag my boyfriend over his lack of punctuality. I'm hoping he'll be able to make a decent impression on my friends; at least enough so as to get them off of my back for a while. Hopefully, my friends will learn that they can trust Jacob and find that he has no ill intentions; maybe they will be able to see how genuinely happy he has made me once this brief gathering is over.
"It's cool, man," Ben remarks with a knowing smile. Relief fills my chest as Ben extends his hand out to Jacob for a shake of greeting. "We all get a little busy at times."
Jacob chuckles as the two shake hands, my boyfriend soon falling into the open seat next to me at the table. He turns his attention to my direction promptly, no doubt waiting for me to start the introductions.
"Jacob," I say, "these are my friends. This is Ben, and that's Ivy." I gesture to the two seated at the table across from my boyfriend and I as I name them, watching as Jacob offers a shy smile and slight wave to my friends in return. "Ben, Ivy; this is my boyfriend, Jacob."
"It's nice to finally meet you guys," Jacob murmurs. I can tell by the pink tint to his cheeks that he is somewhat nervous. "Blythe talks about you both all the time. I sort of feel like I already know you."
"Funny," Ivy retorts snippily, "Blythe rarely talks about you." She tries to play the statement off as a joke, though her tone has an underlying bitterness that rubs me the wrong way.
Jacob raises his eyebrows, seemingly caught off guard by Ivy's comment. I catch him glancing at me out of the corner of my eye, which flusters me. I bite down on my lip as I avoid his stare, embarrassed that this meeting has only been in motion for about a minute before heading south.
"Don't mind her," Ben attempts to make up for Ivy's cold attitude. "She's just messing around. Blythe never shuts up about you."
"All good things, I hope," Jacob jokes. He cuts his stare toward my direction once more. I raise my coffee to my lips and bite down on the straw, trying to seem preoccupied in an attempt to have a reason so as not to meet his gaze. I don't want Jacob to sense my rising panic.
"Are you implying that there are bad things to be said about you?" Ivy questions. I shoot her a glare. She's too busy staring down Jacob to notice.
Jacob laughs awkwardly. His expression is sheepish. "Well . . . I really hope not."
"Tell us about yourself, Jacob," Ivy mumbles, studying my boyfriend through narrowed eyes, as if she is trying to glance into Jacob's soul. I bite down on my lip once more. I hate that my friend is making my boyfriend feel as if he's in the middle of an interrogation. "What should we know about you?"
Jacob leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as he tries to make himself comfortable. "Well, I'm a junior. My position on the football team is quarterback for the second year in a row. I got a scholarship to attend Redwood as long as I played on the team. I'm majoring in business. My credit score is also pretty good. Anything else you want to know?"
I bite back a smile. It takes all the strength I can muster so as not to laugh aloud at Jacob's mocking demeanor in response to Ivy's serious questioning.
"There is, actually," Ivy bites back, expression stone-like. I can tell she doesn't appreciate Jacob's teasing. "What is it that you like about Blythe, exactly?"
"Ouch," I speak without realizing I have. "I'm right here, you know."
"What?" Ivy asks innocently. "Sue me for wanting to make sure you're with a man who will treat you right."
Jacob chuckles. "I met Blythe at a party," he admits. "She just . . . wowed me. I don't know how, but it's like she could read me like a book. I accidentally ran into her like a douche, and we started talking after I apologized. She pulled this move where she guessed what my drink was after offering to get me one. I don't know . . . I've never met a girl so bold. Not to mention beautiful. I couldn't stop thinking about her after that night. I ended up running into her again on campus a few days later. She let me walk her back to her dorm and gave me her number. We've been talking ever since."
"Do you see a future with her?" Ivy blurts. She narrows her dark eyes at Jacob once more, eyebrows furrowed as she shoots him her most serious expression. My best friend's protective nature reminds me of my mother and her overbearing tendencies. This comparison has me struggling to bite back laughter.
"Jeez, Ivy," Ben mumbles. He offers me a sheepish glance, as if trying to apologize for Ivy's over-the-top behavior.
"You don't have to answer that question," I assure Jacob, noticing the way his brown eyes have widened as he seemingly struggles to find words.
He shakes his head dumbfoundedly, features breaking out into a humorous grin. "I'd say it's a little soon to plan our futures together, and I'd never want to put Blythe under any pressure . . . but honestly? Yeah. I do. I'd like to, at least."
Ivy and Ben share a look. He raises his eyebrows at her, and she returns his glance by narrowing her dark eyes. I cross my arms over my chest out of frustration, not enjoying the feeling of being left out of the unspoken conversation going on between the two of my best friends.
"You passed," Ivy says blunty with a cold sniff. Ben rolls his eyes, though doesn't comment. "But just know I'm keeping an eye on you, Beckham. If you hurt Blythe, I will break your face."
"Good to know," Jacob murmurs nervously, sinking down lower in his seat.
Ivy meets my gaze from across the table, offering the faintest of smiles. I return the gesture with a grin, practically beaming. It's nice to know Jacob finally has the stamp of approval from my friends, especially Ivy—even if he had to be brutally cross-examined to earn it.
I sit back in my seat as Ben and Jacob strike up an easygoing conversation, sipping from my coffee, perfectly content.