Yet, despite the sexually-charged energy in the air, there was also a sense of comfort. We already knew each other intimately from the many conversations we’d had. (Well, as intimately as you could know someone from Messenger.) But the physical awareness of actually being next to him was something I was certainly not used to.
I finally spoke, breaking the tension in the air. “How did you know I was missing my Snuggie? I left it behind in New York.”
“I know you pretty well, Jade.”
“Is that so?”
“Only because you let me in for a while.”
I know.
That was dangerous.
He blinked, seeming to break his stare. “Anyway, make yourself at home. I’m gonna get you set up with a drink and then I’ll get out of your hair if you want some privacy. There is no more peaceful place than up here, listening to the rustling of the leaves.”
“What are you gonna do tonight?”
“Hang out with my mother, sleep in my old room. I’ll take you back to Sausalito in the morning.”
I asked the question that was the elephant in the room. “Does Nicole know where you are?”
He swallowed. “I texted her from the liquor store, told her I was spending the night in San Jose at Mom’s.”
“I see,” I simply said.
Tyler took the alcohol he’d bought out of the crinkled paper bag.
“What are you serving tonight?”
“Whiskey sours. I bought the best whiskey, too.” He winked.
“Hennessy. Very funny.”
His mouth curved into a smile. “Actually, I prefer the taste of Jameson.”TYLERJade’s face turned red after I’d said that. I hadn’t meant for my comment to sound so suggestive. But God, the thoughts that my words triggered.
I’m sure the taste of Jade Jameson is far better than any whiskey.
She cleared her throat. “Really…you prefer Jameson to Hennessy?”
“Yup. Hennessy is technically Cognac. I like whiskey better.”
She smiled. “I remember thinking it was so funny when Chelsea first told me Damien’s last name. She didn’t know that Hennessy and Jameson were brands of alcohol.”
“I could see that totally going over her head. It was the first thing I thought of.”
“Me, too.” She smiled and seemed to blush.
She looked uncharacteristically shy in that moment. Wrapped in the zebra blanket, her mascara was still smudged, and her lipstick was a little smeared. I imagined what it would have been like to kiss the rest of it off. My dick twitched at the thought.
She was so naturally beautiful that she didn’t need any makeup. Her tiny nose was perfectly pointed. She had the biggest eyes, and in this moment the light that had been missing from them earlier had seemed to return. It pleased me to know that I was responsible for that.
“I’ll be right back, Jade Jameson. I have to get you a glass from downstairs.”
“Okay.” She made herself comfortable on the bed and asked, “Are you gonna have some with me?”
“Maybe just one.”
Just when I was about to make my way down, her voice stopped me. “Tyler?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank for you this…for tonight.”
“My pleasure.”
Once inside Mom’s, I tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping she wouldn’t notice me in the house. My mother was usually in her bedroom this time of night meditating or reading. No such luck tonight, though.
Her voice snuck up on me. “Tyler…I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
“Mom…”
“Why do you seem startled, son?”
“I just thought you’d be in your room.”
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing.”
Knowing I was lying, she tilted her head. “Tyler…”
A guilty laugh escaped me. “I was just grabbing a couple of glasses to take up to the treehouse.”
“Is Nicole there with you?”
I paused. “No.”
“Who’s the second glass for?”
I hesitated then answered, “Jade.”
She raised her forehead. “Jade…Chelsea’s sister?”
“Yes.”
A knowing look flashed across her face. “Oh.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds until I said, “Nothing’s going on. She was at her parents’ house. With their mom doing worse, Jade had like a little breakdown. I happened to be at Damien’s when she called Chelsea for a ride. I offered to pick her up since Little D was sleeping. Jade didn’t want to go back to their house, so I brought her here instead. She’s under a lot of stress, and I thought the treehouse would be a nice sanctuary.”
“You don’t need to explain.”
“Why are you looking at me like that, then?”
She laughed a little. “Tyler, with all due respect, your reaction to that woman last Christmas has become legend. If you expect me to believe that there’s absolutely nothing salacious about you hiding her in the treehouse right now, you’re crazy.”
“How did you know about what happened last Christmas? You weren’t in the room when it went down.”
“Your brother told me.”
“Great.”
My mother grabbed her tea kettle and started to fill it before she said, “There’s nothing wrong with being smitten. We can’t choose whom we’re attracted to. But is there something more going on?”