Splintered Oak (Winsor Series Book 3) (21 page)

24. the DATE

NAOMI

Instinct
told me this was a bad idea, but Jonathan insisted on picking me up at the condo. I wanted to believe it was him being a gentleman, but deep down I knew he wanted to check out the place and Jake.

I, on the other hand, had
been doing everything I could to avoid conversation with Jake. Thursday night still weighed heavily in my head. The intense moments, the light touches that made my body scream, and his words that had haunted me ever since.

Pressing my fingers against my temples to stop the coursing pain, I reminded myself
again of all the reasons Jake was off limits. I had a well-constructed plan of where I was going and what I wanted, and Jake didn’t fit into any of it.

Okay, so he was easy on the eyes and had
a way of looking right through me, but he was emotionally damaged, a hot head, and borderline manic-depressive. The emotional rollercoaster he had already taken me on in just a few weeks was proof enough.

The ding from my phone pulled me from my thoughts as Jonathan’s text lit up the screen letting me know he was on his way.

“What is wrong with you?” I muttered to myself.

I was twenty minutes from my first date with Jonathan and instead of enjoying the anticipation of our evening out, I was once again obsessing over Jake. Enough!

Taking one last glance into my mirror, I determined my outfit was as good as it was going to get. Jonathan had said “dressy casual,” whatever that meant.

I had chosen a salmon colored blouse and a nice pair
of jeans, adding several pieces of jewelry and high heels. It was conservative and slightly dressy, but shouldn’t stand out too much in the crowd. A huge event like this is new for me, and while I told myself it embraced my “no hiding” mojo, I couldn’t help but feel very nervous.

Grabbing my small purse, I headed to the living room to wait, praying that Jake would make himself scarce. Of course, he didn’t. Instead he was seated comfortably on the couch in workout shorts and a tight, dryfit t-shirt. His hair was hidden under a baseball cap. More and more, the stiff work clothes were disappearing and replaced by casual attire. It made him look more normal, less threatening, and admittedly even more handsome and masculine than before.

He seemed focused on his laptop, so I quietly went to the kitchen for some water. The aspirin I took earlier did nothing for the dull ache that continued in my temples, and the tension I was feeling only seemed to elevate the pain.

“All ready to go?” Jake asked casually as he shut his laptop.

“Um, yeah, I guess.”

“Well, you look beautiful. Where is he taking you again?” Jake’s calm demeanor only succeeded in unnerving me. He was trying, for my sake
, and while I appreciated it, his mannerisms only confused me more.

“Thanks,” I replied, keeping my eyes focused on the contents in the fridge. The water was right in front, but I needed the distraction.

Jake moved slowly off the couch and leaned his elbows on the bar. “Did I do something to upset you, Naomi? I thought we had a great time last night and yet you’ve been avoiding me all day.”

Calm and practical. It was too much. I pulled the water out of the fridge and held it uncomfortably in my hand. Taking a calming breath, I smiled at him. “No, of course not. I’m a little nervous about tonight is all. Big parties are a new thing for me.”

Jake’s eyes rolled over my outfit and then quickly went back to my face. “I’m sure you’ll do great. You’re like a beacon. People can’t help but want to be around you. Jonathan will have to beat them off of you.”

I let out a laugh, quick and uncomfortable. “Now you’re just lying to make me feel better.”

“Is it working?”

I smiled up at him again. “Yeah, it is. Thanks. So, what are you doing tonight?”

Jake fell into the bar stool and let out a resigned sigh. “Homework.”

“What? Since when did you start school again?”

The sound he made—a kind of half sigh, half groan, matched his irritated face. “Not school homework. Homework for Bruce.”

“You sound thrilled about it.”

“He wants me to write a letter to my father and to my mother. The one to my father was pretty easy. Two pages of hate, basically, but it was surprisingly refreshing to get it all out of me. The one to my mom is much harder.”

I nodded, not bothering to hide how proud of him I
was for attempting to heal. Without thinking, I let my hand rest on his forearm. “You’re facing your feelings, Jake. That is a huge step. Please don’t take this as condescending, because it’s not. I’m really proud of you.”

His other hand covered mine, sending up familiar tingles. “Thanks.”

The knock on the door forced us to move as I jumped back in response. Jake’s jaw set in a hard line, but he still forced a smile. “Looks like your date’s here.”

Feeling a jolt of unfounded guilt, I rushed around the bar to get the door. Jonathan looked every bit as handsome as I expected. His outfit was expensive, but intended to look casual. The blue in his shirt set off his light eyes which lit up when I opened the door. Then almost immediately his face fell.

“You’re not ready yet?” he asked in surprise as he took in my outfit. Looking at his watch, he stepped inside the condo. “It’s fine, we have a few minutes. I’ll just wait.”

I knew his tone and the look on his face. Without thinking, I just choked out an “okay,” and rushed back to my room, praying the whole time that he and Jake could make nice for a few minutes.

“Hey, what about that green dress you had on at your parents’ house? That one’s perfect,” he called out before I shut the door.

Shock, irritation, anger, embarrassment. They all surged through me as I tore off my outfit and found the green sundress he
wanted. It was the most revealing outfit I had and was never intended to be worn outside of a safe circle.

The dress was diagonally cut so one shoulder stayed
completely exposed, and while the silk material wasn’t tight, the draping fell in just a way that all my curves were accentuated. Surely Jonathan knew I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing it.

Rubbing my hand over my exposed legs to make sure they were acceptable and not in need of a quick shave, I peeked one last time in the mirror. Oh yeah, there
would be no hiding in this thing.

I made the great exchange in less than five minutes and was grateful the minute I stepped out. Tension was heavy in the air as Jake and Jonathan stood stiffly. Jake was thankfully still in the kitchen and Jonathan by the door, but I could tell by the looks on their faces that words had been exchanged. Unpleasant ones.

Upon seeing me, Jonathan’s face immediately beamed as he strolled over to pull me in for a tight hug. “That’s my girl,” he said loudly enough for Jake to hear.

Moving out of his grip all while keeping my eyes away from Jake, I stepped quickly toward the door. “Ready to go?” I pressed, turning the handle.

“Allow me,” Jonathan purred as he stepped in front of me to get the door.

Because I must love torture, I let my eyes wander to the kitchen until they made contact with Jake’s. The calm was gone, but the fury I expected wasn’t there either. Instead, disappointment and hurt radiated through his eyes. My stomach turned, forcing me to look away before I got sick. I stepped out the door, grateful for the rush of air that filled my lungs, taking away the sting of his look.

Jonathan moved around to open the passenger door of his car and I slid in, careful to make sure my knee length dress didn’t ride up. Expecting him to shut the door, I was taken aback when his hand found my neck and pulled me in for a long, demanding kiss.

“I’ve missed seeing you. I know this is a new thing for you, but most girls call their boyfriends back now and then.” His voice was stern, with an undercurrent of resentment.

“It’s only been a couple of days,” I said dismissively, not appreciating the terminology or the tone he used.

“All the same.” He shut the door and walked around to get into his side. I had a b
ad feeling this was going to be a very long night.

I was grateful the venue for the party was downtown, so
the drive was short. Strangled conversation floated in and out, but I mostly looked out the window and tried to wrap my head around all the emotions I was feeling. Or lack of emotions, I should say, for Jonathan. There was no longer electricity when he touched me. No flutters when he turned his blue eyes over to smile at me. I didn’t long for his presence and actually found most of what he talked about boring. When had it all changed? Maybe in Portugal; it just took me this long to realize it.

Jonathan parked the car, but laid his hand on me, stopping my exit. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention your current living arrangements or the fact that you and Issy used to
be roommates.”

I raised my eyebrows and he shook his head, continuing.

“I know you don’t care, but I do. There have been some rumors going around about Issy that I don’t want you associated with.”

Now my interest was piqued, as was my annoyance. “What type of rumors?”

“Just your typical Issy drama. Drugs, sex, sex for drugs. I guess someone knew someone who works at the hospital and they said she had overdosed in a drug deal gone bad. It’s just chatter, but it can still damage your reputation by association. In a school this size, networking is everything.”

I tried not to roll my eyes, but agreed to his ridiculous request. Telling him the truth would only lead to more questions, which would undoubtedly lead to a phone call to my brother.  Then my conscious gnawed at me. Is that why I was here? Was I doing all of this just to keep Jonathan from ratting me out? Surely not. But deep down, my heart constricted a little with guilt. Even while in Portugal, I hadn’t felt this kind of distance from my family. It will only be a little longer, I assured myself as I let Jonathan lead me by the hand.  

The banquet room was perfectly decorated with maroon, black, and white lined tables and serving areas. Each table hosted a large centerpiece with a lion intricately surrounded by footballs and various ribbons. The light hors d’oeurves decorated the long banquet tables, facilitating an environment of mingling.

Jonathan proudly showed me around, introducing me to
a myriad of people ranging from coaches to football players. I noticed his personality changed with each person we met. Fun and playful with the players, serious and focused with the coaches, and respectful with the parents. His ability to work the room was fascinating to watch, and I just followed along with a smile plastered on my face, trying not to scream when the men overtly violated me with their eyes. It was a motion that not only didn’t bother Jonathan, but seemed to make him proud.

My nerves were completely fried by the end of the night. I said maybe ten words besides “nice to meet you” all evening and that seemed to suit Jonathan just fine. I soon realized that I wasn’t there for conversation, but for eye candy. No wonder the old Naomi was unacceptable.

In the interest of our history and family connections, I would hold off on telling Jonathan that we are less than a suitable match until tomorrow. I was already tired, my head was banging with a ferocity that would challenge a construction site, and I was in no mood for a confrontation tonight.

“You were amazing tonight,” Jonathan complimented as he pulled in front of the condo. I could sense him moving towards me so I pushed open my door instead.

“I’ll see you later,” I muttered before closing the door, pushing against my temples one more time in an attempt to ease the pain.

He caught me just as I reached the door. “Hey, wait.”

I turned to face him, accepting the fact that I may have to let him down tonight. Before I could speak, his embrace swallowed me as he greedily moved his lips over mine. I searched my heart for something, even the smallest zing, but there was nothing. I pushed him away slowly, unable to find the courage to say what I needed to. “Goodnight, Jonathan.”

He came in for one more light peck and then stepped back. “Night beautiful. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Not even bothering to watch him walk away, I stepped into the condo and almost ran smack into Jake who must have been standing just inside the door.

Surprise flooded my face, especially when I saw his outrage.

“He gets to kiss you? That guy?” Jake yelled, fury all but visible as his accusation hung in the air.

“Jake, I’m tired,” I replied weakly, attempting to move past him. The pain was drumming at both sides of my head now in a consistent, piercing rhythm.

Gripping my arm to stop my movement, Jake’s demanding voice continued. “No. You have to explain this to me, Naomi, because I can’t for the life of me figure it out. You said you want a man who will court you, who loves your mind and energy more than your physical beauty. You spouted all this romantic stuff to me and I bought it! Believed you would never settle for anything less. Then you go off with that, that idiot, whose first words out of his mouth were to criticize what you were wearing. And you let him! That’s what’s got me totally floored.”