“Oh, you mean like the one with Rudolph where the nose lights up?”
I let out a laugh. “Nothing would be better.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
No lie, this will be the first holiday I’ve ever spent with a woman.
Another first.
I used to enjoy being alone until Skylar came along. Now every minute that’s spent without her feels lonely, like something is missing. But, my old friend distrust still comes to visit once in a while.
I was eighteen once. And when I was, I dated eighteen-year-old girls. They want to have fun. They want to date around. They change their minds every other day. And when they hit twenty-one, they want to party, go to bars and clubs, flirt with men. And hell yeah, I’m worried about giving my heart to someone who hasn’t had a chance to really figure out who or what she wants yet. What am I supposed to do if Skylar wakes up one day and decides she doesn’t want to be with an older, average-looking construction worker who doesn’t want kids?
Life just had to fuck with me by throwing the perfect girl in my life and then twisting the knife by making her only eighteen years old.
Thanks for the ass fucking, karma.
“I better get back to work,” I say. “I’ll see ya at home.”
“Thanks for the soup. I’m glad you surprised me.”
Checking around the store to make sure no one’s lingering nearby, I lean closer to her and brush my lips across hers. When I pull back, she grabs the collar of my shirt and tugs me back for another one. Groaning, I cup the back of her head and kiss her deeper.
“Skylar, I—” Rebecca stops short at the doorway at the other end of the room and eyes us suspiciously.
Skylar quickly pulls away from me and coughs. “Thanks for bringing me lunch,” she says loudly.
“See ya later.” I nod a bye at Rebecca, pick up a bag of cookies, and make a quick exit.
“Jude! Wait!”
I turn to face Rebecca, who’s followed me out to the sidewalk.
“What’s up?” I ask, biting into a cookie.
“Don’t what’s up me. What did I just see in there?”
I shrug. “I dunno, Rebecca. Your eyes aren’t in my head.”
Her lips press together into a thin line. “Don’t be a dick. What the hell are you doing?”
“Going back to work. Maybe you should do the same.”
She crosses her arms. “I warned her not to get too close to you. I don’t trust you, Jude.”
“You don’t even know me, Rebecca. We’re not in high school anymore.”
“But she is. She’s eighteen.”
“I’m aware.” Way too aware.
“And you think that’s okay? It’s ludicrous enough for a man your age to conjure up this ridiculous marriage idea with a teenager, but now you’re getting physical with her? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. What’s wrong with you? Mind your own business.”
“No, I won’t. I care about her. She’s way too young to be involved with you. She’s very vulnerable.”
“I care about her, too. We’re friends. I just brought her soup because she needs to eat something besides bread.”
I fucking hate lying to people. All it does is create a trail of messes that eventually, I’ll have to clean up.
“I saw you kiss her. That’s not something you do with friends. You need to take a big step back, Jude. She’s just a kid. She’s had a crappy life. Ever since she met you, it’s been one crisis after the next. Your sister attacked her with a hammer for God’s sake! She could’ve died! She’s being bullied constantly at school. She got suspended—and she’s a straight A student! You even took her car.”
My gut is twisting into a knot with all the truths she’s throwing at me. All these things have been gnawing at me, and I’ve been trying to shove them out of my mind, because the temptation to quiet all the demons with drugs and alcohol is always just one bad decision away.
I don’t want to go there.
And I don’t want to face the fact that I might be bad for Skylar.
I grind my jaw. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do the right thing.” She jabs her finger into my chest. “If you’re better than you were when we were kids, you wouldn’t be crossing these lines. She’s going to get hurt, and we both know it. She’s a sweet girl with a hell of a lot of talent. Keep your distance, let this ‘deal’ run its course, but get back in the lane you belong in.”
“Then do the fucking same. You’re not her mother. She’s an adult, and she’s not stupid. She’s capable of making decisions.”
“Someone has to look out for her. She has no one to give her sound advice. No one.”
I can feel Skylar’s eyes on us as we argue on the sidewalk.