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.“I’m from Marshall, Missouri.Small town.I have a pretty cool family.Mom’s a little high-strung at times, but cool.Dad’s great.I’m really close to my sister, Cadence…and my two nieces.”“Plans after graduation?”“Um, I kind of already have a job lined up in Kansas City.I had a really sweet internship opportunity last semester and hit it off really well with the creative director for an ad agency.I’ve been doing some freelance work for her this summer—and she’s happy with it, I guess.She says I’m hired as soon as I graduate.”“Damn! Nailed it!” Brody says, with his eyebrows raised in admiration.“I don’t know…Val and I just seemed to click.She said she’s been hiring interns for years and never met one like me.I just networked, is all.”“That’s awesome.I have an internship lined up for next semester in KC too.I’m praying like crazy it turns into a job, because the timing would rock.”“Where are you from?” I ask, as we reach Chaz’s front door.Brody holds the door open for me, and says, “Topeka, actually.”I nod and smile, glancing inside.I’m suddenly frozen in place—stuck in a metaphorical mud, right in front of Alex at the counter.Jake is at the fountain pop machine.Crap, crap, crap! I do not need this! It’s way later than our usual time.What the hell is he doing here?Brody walks past me and looks back at my frozen state, his brow furrowed.“What’s up?” he asks, taking in my alarmed expression.“Nothing!” I reply, a bit too brightly.“Just trying to decide what I want to drink.”“I gotta grab milk,” Brody says.I try desperately to focus on his face, but I see Jake’s eyes land on me.A look of discomfort instantly shadows his face.“Milk’s a weird choice,” I reply, shoving Brody toward the aisle farthest away from Jake, which is conveniently where the milk is.“Yeah, Mark told me to grab some ‘cause we’re out.Dude has to have his milk,” he replies, glancing down at my hand still placed on his arm.I nod nervously, and release my grasp on his firmly-sculpted tricep.I look over my shoulder and about shit my pants when I see Jake standing right behind me.“Jake!” I screech.“Hey, Finley,” he says in his familiar southern drawl.His voice sounds all wrong.Pained…pinched…different.Brody turns around and they both exchange quick head nods.Jake is just a bit taller than Brody, but not by much.I’m certain Brody’s a good four inches taller than me.“Didn’t know if I’d see you today,” Jake says, looking into my eyes with an edge of uneasiness.“I’ve been where I always am,” I reply, coolly pursing my lips together and trying desperately to come off emotionless.I glance nervously at Brody and he seems intrigued by the current exchange.“I was wondering if things were…” he pauses briefly, squints his eyes at Brody, and then looks down at me broodingly.Confused at his expression, I reply, “Things are good.Thanks Jake.Anyways, I’m gonna grab a bottle of pop.” No more damn coffee! All it makes me think of is Jake now anyways.I shoulder through the two guys, feeling claustrophobic, and suddenly overwhelmed with anger.I reach the pop cooler and open the door allowing the cold air to blast my senses for a moment.Damn, I’m so pissed at Jake, but I know there’s nothing I can say.Jake never made me any promises.But he also didn’t have to just stop talking to me after the Olivia fiasco two nights ago.Now he’s here trying to say something.Frustrating.I grab a 20-ounce pop out of the cooler and hear the bell toll.I look up to see Jake’s backside as he exits Chaz’s.I sigh with relief, and jump when I glance to my right and see Brody standing next to me with a gallon of milk in hand.How do these hot men keep sneaking up on me?“You good?” he asks, his eyes trained seriously on me.I sigh again, “Yes, I’m good.I’m fine.Sorry.” I grip the lid on my pop bottle and smile.He doesn’t appear to believe it, but he lets it go for now.We pay for our beverages and exit Chaz’s.The walk back to our apartment is awkwardly quiet.Brody exhales a frustrated sigh, stops and turns to me, “Look, I don’t know what changed from now to the way here, but I don’t care.I’d like to take you on a date, Finley.Would you like that?” He looks up at me with a scowl.“Yes! I’d love that.Stop frowning!” I say without thinking.His face instantly relaxes and my stomach does a flip as he fights away a smile.“Bossy much?” he half-smiles cockily.“Not bossy, just don’t like you asking me out with a frown, I guess,” I reply, incredulously.“Fair enough.So, yes then? A date?” he asks again, a little softer this time.I nod and smile.“Yes.A date.”“Tomorrow night?” he reaches up and brushes a loose strand of my brown hair off my shoulder.His fingers barely graze my neck and I shiver in response, impressed with the reaction my body is having to his touch.“I can do that,” I rasp out, and clear my throat quickly.I conceal a smirk and he mirrors my expression.He walks me back to my apartment.The silence isn’t awkward this time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]