Jake and I drove around in silence for about an hour until my body gave in to the gentle rocking of the car causing my eyelids to droop heavily. Pulling into his parent's drive, he helped me out of the car and pulled me toward the front door of his house.
After washing all the stickiness and make-up off my face using something Jake stole from his mother's room, we slowly headed toward my house.
Stopping near the door, I shook my head not wanting to go in. I didn't want to face my mother. She would be excited to hear how wonderful it was for me and how she was right about me finding prince charming. However the truth would only be a huge disappointment.
Jake tugged at my hand pulling me to the side of the house toward my bedroom window. Like a pro, he lifted himself over the ledge before helping me over. Walking over to my bedroom door, he dipped his head into the hall before stepping back in, slowly closing the door until it sealed within the frame.
"Lock it," I requested under my breath.
A small click sounded like a cannon going off causing us both to freeze. When no movement came from the hall, Jake tiptoed over to me smiling, his teeth shining in the small spilt moonlight coming in through the window.
Suddenly, I felt a pain in my chest. Just a week ago, I would have been falling over backwards doing summersaults to have him in my room looking down at me like that. But now, it truly felt like he was merely a friend. My best friend and we were just hanging out.
"You need to change," he whispered in the dark. "Here, turn around." His hands moved to my shoulders as he turned me around. Pulling his jacket off my shoulders, it suddenly felt cold in the room causing a chill to race through me.
Tossing the jacket to the bed, his fingers came up to tuck under the clasp holding my dress together causing me to suck in my breath. Feeling the fabric give way, I pressed my elbows tight against my sides as his hands moved toward the zipper. Only, he didn't move to unzip it.
"Maybe you should do that," he said, his voice taking on a huskiness that had me scooting quickly toward my closet.
Closing the door, I finally let out the breath I was holding. Placing my back against the shelves, I let my breathing get under control before lifting my elbows, unzipping the skirt and allowing the chiffon fabric to fall to the floor into a billowy pool at my feet while kicking it to the side. My hands moved around in the dark. At this point, I was cursing myself for not changing the light bulb during the thousand chances I had before. Finally finding a bra, I punched my arms through the looped straps and had one heck of a time trying to get the clasps hooked with my shaking hands.
Just as I got the little hooks into the eyelets, I heard muffled sounds and scuffling coming from my room. Placing my ear to the door, it sounded like Jake was talking to someone in a heated discussion. Was he on the phone with Chasity? Or worse, did my mother walk in on him?
Cracking the door, I whispered, "Jake?"
"What?" he said with a curt tone throwing me off a little.
"I... I thought I heard you talking to someone. Is everything alright? Did you and Chasity get into a fight?"
He didn't answer at first. "Are you almost done?"
"Wha... oh, yeah." I shrunk back into the closet a little forgetting I was only in my skivvies. "Just gotta remove all the metal from my head and I will be out. You staying tonight?"
I heard his sharp intake of breath. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for him to stay. "You can have the bed. I'll take the floor," I promised but knew he would refuse.
"Mel?" Jake's voice took on a sad tone in the dark.
"Yeah?" I hung on for his question with bated breath.
"Why did you kiss Kyle?"
Something sharp pierced my lungs making it difficult to breathe. The door handle started rattling as my hand started to shake. Would Jake leave me again if I told him the truth?
"It's okay, Mel. You don't have to answer." His voice was almost inaudible.
"No. No. I... I want to tell you. Just give me about five more minutes to get these things out of my hair and throw on my pj's. Okay?"
He didn't answer.
"Okay, Jake?" My voice was a little louder but I was desperate for him not to leave just yet.
"Yeah," came his weak reply which had me believing he wouldn't stay. The possibly that this was all too much for him dawned on me and I figured he would scooch back out the window before I could get dressed.
Stepping back into the closet, I closed the door and quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt hoping I had the tags right side in.
Reaching my hands up to my hair, I felt around pulling out bobby pin after bobby pin until my arms were shaking from keeping my arms up so long.
Thirty-eight pins and five minutes later, I was able to get my fingers through all my curls and rubbed my fingertips across my scalp massaging until I no longer had the desire to wince in pain.
Taking a reassuring breath, it was time to let Jake know how I really felt about Kyle. One sided crushes were agonizing. Waiting for the other person to come around is not something I wished on Jake. Especially when the one he was waiting on would never see him as anything more than a best friend and brother.
After tonight, he would either accept how I felt about Kyle or let me go completely.
And I was ready for it.
Opening the door a crack, I stepped into the room expecting to see the window open. But instead, it was closed and the curtains had been pulled together allowing only a small sliver of light to spill over the foot of the bed.
Looking around the room, I didn't see Jake's frame anywhere.
My lips did a little downward tug as I moved over to the side of my bed. I reached for the lamp but thought it better to keep it off. If my mother walked down the hall and saw light spilling from under the crack, she would definitely start banging on the door.
Right now, she thought I was still dancing. With my car still parked at school, she would no doubt believe I found prince charming and would be staying past midnight.
"Pha... right," I said to myself as I dropped onto the bed.
"Jeez, Jake! You scared the crap out of me." I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt Jake's body lying in the bed. "I thought you left already," I said bringing my voice down along with my heart rate.
He didn't respond.
Letting out a breath, I lifted my hands to clasp over my chest as I settled in next to him, my eyes staring up at the dark ceiling.
Jake didn't move.
Was he sleeping?
Placing a hand on his shoulder, I shook him. "Jake," I whispered.
Nothing.
I shook again with a little more force. "Jake! I need to talk to you," I said in a rush.
But he still refused to speak.
Instead, he shifted in the bed as I felt his body weight turn, a heavy arm draped over my abdomen causing air to penetrate my lungs.
"Jake," I said while tapping his bare forearm. But the action caused him to pull and the whole back of my body was now cradled against his chest and abdomen as his chin snuggled into the base of my neck.
My throat tightened. Surly Jake wasn't this heavy a sleeper. He had to be faking it.
Just talk to him as if he were awake, Melody!If he is faking, he will at least know how you feel.
I let my body relax and accepted the support of his body.
"Jake," I whispered feeling a little silly talking to someone who was possibly asleep. "You wanted to know why I kissed Kyle."
Immediately, I felt the tension in his body as his muscles began to tighten. He was definitely faking sleep.
Swallowing a lump in my throat, I pushed through the tightness and continued. "I can't explain it, really, as I've never... felt... like this before." I let out a breath as I tried to calm my nerves. I was confessing to Jake how I felt about Kyle.
I could feel my body start to warm up just thinking about Kyle and the kiss he gave me tonight.
"Ah, jeez," I said blowing at my palms trying to cool them down so they wouldn't sweat. "Just thinking of Kyle makes me get all hot and both..." I shut my mouth with a click. That was just a little too much information and it was evident Jake didn't like hearing it as his arms tightened around my waist pulling my frame harder against his chest.
"Sorry. I know you don't like him. I can understand why half the time, trust me. He's arrogant, moody, has a split personality from hell and a royal pain in my ass. Oh, and let's not forget about his psycho family." I paused and let out a breath when the grip of his arm loosened.
Swallowing, I braced myself to continue. "Jake. Did you know that there's a side to Kyle that I believe only he allows me to see? That when I'm with him... I don't know. It just seems he lets himself be himself. I mean... be the real Kyle. And it's that guy... that Kyle I'm falling in..." I swallowed hard expecting Jake to roll away. Or to at least argue stating that I had made a huge mistake falling for a guy like Kyle and not a guy like him. And he would be right.
"Pha... it's not like Kyle would ever feel the same toward me, so." I let my fingertip draw a heart over the soft skin near his thumb and wrist. "So... there you have it. Why I kissed Kyle. Because I'm falling for him, but... he'll never know about it."
Jake's body shifted. Half expecting him to roll over and leave, I rolled my head back toward him only my nose and lips pressed against his neck causing me to inhale sharply.
The muskiness of his skin had me paralyzed. Jake didn't smell like this. This scent belonged to only one guy which instantly had my heart rate kicking up to a dangerous speed.
"Kyle," I whispered more out of shock than anything.
The heaviness of his muscled frame moved to cover mine as the back of my body was pushed down to imprint into the mattress and pillow.
The warmth of his hand trailed up my arm and I could feel his palm cup under my jaw, the pad of his thumb brushing across my lips pushing them apart.
A tiny gasp was all they offered before his lips came down over mine with a hunger that even startled me. The pressure of his lips crushed against mine pushing the back of my head against the pillow. Not being able to lean back, Kyle was easily able to penetrate his tongue through my lips as I felt myself lifting my neck trying to get closer to him. My arm came up to hook behind his neck as I moved my chin to the rhythm of his.
A shiver raked over me when his fingers curled at the fabric of my t-shirt behind my shoulder pushing his knuckles deep into my flesh. Kyle shifted and I could feel the full weight of his body pressed against mine as if he were trying to burn my image into his skin. I pulled from the air he offered from his lungs as if my life depended on it.
A growl rumbled from Kyle's throat as he pushed himself up on his palms like a pushup forcing me to fall back to the bed, eyes wide and every nerve left on fire.
"Melody," his voice barely resembled the baritone Kyle I was familiar with. Instead, it was deeper and huskier and held an edge of desperation. As if he needed to find control.
Both of our bodies were laboring to breathe and I could feel his breath pushing pass my lips as he tried to control himself. It was then I felt the bed shaking near my shoulders. At first, I thought my body was convulsing and I was somehow disconnected from the control of it. But then my fingers came up to cup Kyle's forearms causing his muscles to shake even more.
I lifted myself up on my elbows bringing my face close to his. "Kyle," I said in a worried tone. "What's wrong?" My back now against the headboard, my hands came up to cup his face as my thumbs stroked his cheeks in hopes to calm him down. But instead, he leaned in toward me, his lips gently claiming mine in a slow and torturous kiss.
The shaking of his arms got only more violent causing me to pull back to reach for the light.
We both winced from the luminous onslaught, but I didn't care. I needed to know what was going on.
My eyes darted back and forth with his. He looked scared to death causing my eyes to widen. That boa constrictor was back causing my expression to twist in pain.
"Kyle, I... I'm sorry," I pleaded, my palms moving over his facial features in hopes to calm him down.
"Melody." His lips moved with barely a sound but it had my eyes glued to them. My thumb traced over the swollen peaks before I dipped my head to place a gentle kiss on them.
His breath pulled in sucking the air from my lungs. The palms of his hands walked up the headboard on either side of me as his knees moved to where he was now straddling my hips.
He was wearing jeans and a faded football logoed t-shirt that fit his muscled frame like a glove and instantly I felt the itching in my palms. I gasped when his hands cradled my head pulling my chin upward so I had to look into his eyes.
"Are you really falling for that arrogant ass, Kyle Warner?" he asked almost in a plea as his forehead came to meet mine.
I couldn't help letting out a hysterical chuckle while smiling as I tried to nod my head. "Nuts, isn't it?" My throat echoed as I tried to swallow. "Shhh..." I placed a finger on his lips. "It's our secret," I said in a dare you to give me a way tone.
The corner of his lips turned upward as delight dove into those crystal pools causing my breath to hiccup. I remember seeing that look once before. It was captured in the pictures of his youth nestled on his wall. It was that little boy's expression of pure happiness when claiming his prize.
"I think he's on to you," he whispered causing my heart to skip a beat. "However, I know his secret."
My breath caught in my chest as my eyes refused to blink.
Can he be? Can he truly be...?
"He's falling for that beautiful nerdy girl, Melody Jenkins. But she doesn't know it yet."
My chest started moving up and down as I tried desperately to get my breathing under control.
A tear escaped the corner of my eye leaving a wet trail down my cheek.
"I think she's on to you," I whispered.
Kyle's lips tugged into a breathtaking smile. His thumb swiped across my cheek before shifting his head until his lips dipped down to claim mine sealing my heart into becoming forever his.
It was the worst yet the best night of my life.
I got slapped by a crazy chick, embarrassed in front of the whole school at homecoming no less, regained my best friend and had the most amazing arrogant ass in the school admit he was falling for me.
Most importantly... I learned one very valuable lesson.
Be careful what you wish for... it just may come true!