Status: hiatus until co-author returns(or gives me the go ahead to finish alone.)
Paradise Lost
Fifteen
I clutched at my arms, wishing I had brought some sort of sweater with me but sweater wasn’t really a part of Summer Gemma’s wardrobe. Even so, the wind seemed to be enhanced and freezing the moment I entered the wooded area behind the party house and I instantly regretted my decision.
It was just as I was thinking this however that Jake was wrapping his flannel around my shoulders. I looked up at him in surprise and watched as he shrugged and continued on as if nothing had happened. A weird warmth spread through my chest—never had any guy done anything somewhat gentlemanly for me before and I wanted to punch him in the arm for it.
“Are you going to try to kiss me again?” I blurted suddenly, instantly hating myself for it. Jake looked taken aback and chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets and looking over at me with a quirked eyebrow.
“Would you like me to?” There was that weird nervous clogging in my throat. The one where words wouldn’t come easily to me but I simply just smiled and attempted to do some sort of flirty saunter away. But my cheeks were burning and the answer was yes, yes very much so but I luckily was able to keep that to myself.
“I know that this is all an act,” he said and when I turned I found that he hadn’t been following me. He stood a few paces back, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders up high. He looked up at me while his chin remained pointed down and I was reminded of a little boy or something very innocent.
“What’s an act?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as light as possible.
“This façade you have of the girl who parties and sleeps with any guy who asks. I’ve seen you here every year Gemma pretending to put some Jack with your pepsi and walking home alone every night. You haven’t so much as let any of the guys here kiss you and yet when they go around telling their stories of how they got with you, you never seem to correct them. Why is that?” As he spoke Jake had gotten closer and closer to me until he was close enough that I could touch him.
My heart pounded in my throat as I tried to be aloof as Summer Gemma should be. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had backed myself into a tree so that I was able to get some type of grip on reality. It proved to be a horrible idea though because Jake placed his hands on either side of my head so that his face was only inches from mine. This did nothing for my concentration.
“You can pretend all you want,” he murmured and then leaned close, his lips close to my ear. “But I know your secret.” Then he pushed away from the tree and continued along as though nothing had ever happened. I was left with no choice but to follow him.
It was just as I was thinking this however that Jake was wrapping his flannel around my shoulders. I looked up at him in surprise and watched as he shrugged and continued on as if nothing had happened. A weird warmth spread through my chest—never had any guy done anything somewhat gentlemanly for me before and I wanted to punch him in the arm for it.
“Are you going to try to kiss me again?” I blurted suddenly, instantly hating myself for it. Jake looked taken aback and chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets and looking over at me with a quirked eyebrow.
“Would you like me to?” There was that weird nervous clogging in my throat. The one where words wouldn’t come easily to me but I simply just smiled and attempted to do some sort of flirty saunter away. But my cheeks were burning and the answer was yes, yes very much so but I luckily was able to keep that to myself.
“I know that this is all an act,” he said and when I turned I found that he hadn’t been following me. He stood a few paces back, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders up high. He looked up at me while his chin remained pointed down and I was reminded of a little boy or something very innocent.
“What’s an act?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as light as possible.
“This façade you have of the girl who parties and sleeps with any guy who asks. I’ve seen you here every year Gemma pretending to put some Jack with your pepsi and walking home alone every night. You haven’t so much as let any of the guys here kiss you and yet when they go around telling their stories of how they got with you, you never seem to correct them. Why is that?” As he spoke Jake had gotten closer and closer to me until he was close enough that I could touch him.
My heart pounded in my throat as I tried to be aloof as Summer Gemma should be. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I had backed myself into a tree so that I was able to get some type of grip on reality. It proved to be a horrible idea though because Jake placed his hands on either side of my head so that his face was only inches from mine. This did nothing for my concentration.
“You can pretend all you want,” he murmured and then leaned close, his lips close to my ear. “But I know your secret.” Then he pushed away from the tree and continued along as though nothing had ever happened. I was left with no choice but to follow him.