“I just know. It’s never felt like this before.”
“And now he’s breaking your heart because he doesn’t return the favor.” Morgan’s lips twisted bitterly.
“I—I don’t know how he feels. I’m being stupid, trust me, completely overreacting. I think I’m hormonal or something. I can’t stop thinking about him, and I haven’t really talked to him in two days. He’s busy you know? Firefighting is a major job, and I know he’s got a lot on his plate, a lot to do but I wish he could call me. Just once, just so I could hear his voice…”
She began to cry all over again. Maybe she’d been right. He’d just been using her. He thought she was a complete slut for falling into bed with him so easily. As if she did that sort of thing all the time.
She so didn’t do that sort of thing all the time.
Morgan grabbed more toilet paper and stuffed it in Jenna’s hand. “Why does he have to call you? Why don’t you call him? You’re always the bold one, why are you shying out on yourself now?”
Jenna shrugged and blew her nose loudly into the wad of toilet paper. “That night I stopped by the station, I think I pissed him off. I know I pissed him off.” She tossed the wad into the trash. “Now I’m afraid to make the first move. It’s his turn.”
“What did you do to make him mad?” Morgan’s brows furrowed in curiosity.
Jenna shook her head slowly. “No way am I going to admit that to you.”
Morgan sighed. “But what if he never takes his turn? What if you never hear from him again?”
The thought of that sent a cold spear of sharp metal piercing through her heart, neatly cutting it in half. “Then I know it was never meant to be.”
“Oh come on.” Morgan snorted and shook her head.
“What?” Jenna threw her hands up in the air. “You want me to go chasing after him and tell him how I really feel?”
“Yes! Better than sitting in the lunchroom bursting into tears. Trust me. You need to take a chance.”
“What do you know about taking chances?” Jenna immediately regretted the words as soon as she said them. “I’m sorry, Morgan, I had no right to say that.”
“No, you’re right. I know nothing about taking a chance on a guy, on anything.” Morgan grabbed her by the shoulder and gave her a little shake. “But I want to see you do it. You’re strong, Jenna. Stronger than I think you know, and you can’t just sit by and let this guy slip through your fingers. He sounds pretty fabulous.”
“Just a minute ago you wanted to sick your non-existent brother on him and kick his ass.”
“Yeah well that was before I knew my best friend was really in love with him and that he could make you feel this way.” Morgan smiled and gave her another little shake. “You’ve got to take a chance or else you’ll regret it forever. Don’t let him get away. Go tell him how you feel.”
“But what if he doesn’t feel the same way?”
“Then you knew it was never meant to be.”
God damn, he was tired. Three days on and what a shift it was. Constantly busy, if he wasn’t out on a call he was dead asleep in his bunk, getting in what z’s he could before the next call came rolling in.
Brett hadn’t been this ready for his days off in a long time. Especially since this week, he had four days and nights to spend with Jenna when normally he had three.
He couldn’t wait to see her, had put off calling her until he got home, took a shower and caught up on a few more hours of sleep. She was at work so it was no big deal. He’d call her right before she got off.
Then he’d tell her to get her pretty ass over here so he could get her off.
Smiling at the thought, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off, then pulled on an old pair of sweats and nothing else. He planned on crashing for a couple of hours gearing up for what he hoped was a long night in bed with Jenna.
His body practically vibrated in anticipation.
A rapid string of knocking sounded on his front door. He hung up his towel and wondered who the hell it could be. Padding toward the door in his bare feet, he stopped midway and shook his head. Probably someone wanted to sell him a newspaper subscription or whatever. If anyone he knew wanted to come over, they called first. He rarely had surprise visitors.
Heading back to his bedroom, he stopped in his tracks when he heard Jenna yell from the other side of the door.
“I know you’re in there. I saw your truck in the parking lot.”
Brett rushed toward the door and flipped the lock, throwing it open. She stood on the doorstep, relief flooding her expression when she saw him. Relief and something else as her gaze dragged over his body.