Chapter 188: Chapter Twenty-Six

Priscilla

I made it as far as the bedroom door before I fell onto the bed and burst into tears. What was wrong with me?

Again.

A girl can only take so much rejection before her heart starts to wilt. Mine was dead. It felt dead. I hated that he did the right thing.

Jamie Jaymeson, whore of the year, was trying to protect my virtue. Imagine that.

He had no idea how my body responded to him. With Smith it was like getting a nice hug from a family member. Ugh. I hated that I felt that way.

With Jaymeson? It was like touching a hot stove — and liking it.

My body burned everywhere he touched. I didn't even understand the feelings that were racing around my head, around my heart, just everywhere.

I sniffled as a few escaped tears hit the pillow, and pretended to sleep when I heard the door crack open.

Light filtered into the room.

I froze.

And then muscular arms wrapped around my body, and Jaymeson whispered in my ear, “I'm sorry, love.”

I hated that having him near calmed me immediately, almost as much as I hated how clueless he must be about how I felt.

****

“Are you sure you're okay taking over the last few boxes?” Stella asked, filing her polished pointer finger. Today the color was red; tomorrow it would probably be orange.

“Yeah.” I wiped the sweat from my forehead. “I've only got four more boxes and then I'll go grab us some lunch. How does that sound?”

“Great.” She beamed, setting down her nail file and opening her desk, “Here's a twenty.”

“Stella—”

“Take it or I won't eat.” She dangled the money in front of my face.

I snatched it and rolled my eyes.

“And don't roll your eyes at the elderly.”

“You're seventy-two, that's hardly elderly.”

It was Stella's turn to roll her eyes. “Hurry back, sweetie.”

“Will do!” I waved goodbye and walked outside to my car. It was my first day working without Jaymeson.

This morning he'd acted like nothing happened, while I had stared at the countertop and almost erupted into flames.

His hands had been all over me.

His mouth too.

In that same kitchen.

How could he eat? I'd barely choked down the eggs he cooked before making up some lame excuse about showering and drying my hair.

And he'd let me leave. No hug, no nothing. The only highlight of my day had been that Jamie Hudson had been constantly messaging me. He'd even told me some funny stories about on-set catastrophes.

I liked him. He made me laugh. He reminded me a lot of Jaymeson, and it wasn't just the same first name. They both called me love.

When I asked him about it, he said that's what his grandma used to call him, so it just stuck.

Made sense.

The drive to The Goodwill took three minutes. I got out of the car and rang the bell on the back door.

No one came. Grinding my teeth, I marched over to the front doors and walked in. The bell chimed but I still didn't see anyone.

“Hello?”

I walked around to the front counter, just as a figure with a pirate patch popped up and held out a sword.

“Holy crap!” I shouted.

“Ahoy matey, where be yur bootey?”

“Jaymeson?” I croaked.

“It's Captain Jack Sparrow, and I be wanti’n me treasure!”

Leave it to Jaymeson to make a Goodwill costume look so hot I wanted to launch myself over the counter and attack him.

“You're sure working hard.” I pushed his sword away and leaned on the counter. “Playing pretend, are we?”

“Pirates don't play. We plunder,” he said in his normally accented voice, his eyes darkened a bit before he cleared his throat and looked away. “So how's your day been?”

“Awesome. I won the lottery.”

“You should buy an island.”

“So you can bury your treasure?” I asked.

He laughed. “Aye.”

“I'll get you, Captain!” another male voice shouted across the store. “I'm going to cook your parrot and eat it!”

I burst out laughing as Evan appeared in his own pirate garb. He didn't pull it off as well. His patch kept falling off his face, and his sword was plastic instead of wood like Jaymeson's.

“Evan…” I sighed. “Always good to see you making the world a better place, one sword fight at a time.”

He immediately pulled off his patch and threw his sword behind one of the rows. “We were bored.”

“Right.” I nodded. “I do that too. Resort to swordplay when I'm bored. I have at least ten costumes at home ranging from cop to Batgirl.”

“Really?” His interest seemed piqued.

“I think she's joking.” Jaymeson rolled his eyes and then said under his breath, “You are joking, right? Because a Batgirl costume would be badass. Don't tease if you can't follow through.”

Wow. They really belonged together. It was almost as bad as watching Demetri and Jaymeson interact. I swear when men bonded it was like taking ten years off their age.

“Sorry to disappoint.” I tapped the countertop with my hand. “No costumes. No masks.”

“Pity.” Jaymeson sighed.

“You have the rest of the boxes?” Evan asked.

“Yup, in my car.”

“Jaymeson, go get the boxes,” he ordered.

“Why me?”

“Because you're donating your time to The Goodwill and lovely city of Seaside, and because I'm your boss.”

Jaymeson made a big show of taking off his pirate patch and setting his sword down, then with a sweeping motion bowed in front of me. “My lady awaits.”

“You guys been drinking?” I asked curiously.

Evan snorted. “No.”

Jaymeson patted him on the back, then walked around the counter, and offered me his arm. I didn't want to take it because that meant touching him again.

Maybe I should just accept the fact that he'd never be mine.

Wow. Depressing.

We walked arm in arm to my car. I unlocked the doors as Jaymeson walked around and grabbed two of the boxes.

“Am I too late to help?” Smith's voice broke my concentration and I pulled my eyes away from studying Jaymeson's biceps.

I pivoted on my heel. “Not at all! We have two more boxes.”

“Perfect!” Smith leaned in and kissed my mouth before I could stop him, then went over and grabbed the other two boxes.

Movie stars didn't get jealous of mortals.

I closed the doors and locked the car, following them both into the store as they deposited the boxes near the counter.

“So…” Smith wiped his hands on his ripped jeans. “I've been thinking.”

“Doubtful,” Evan muttered under his breath. Jaymeson hit him across the chest while Smith glared.

“We should go out tonight.”

“Again?” Jaymeson and I said in unison.

I laughed it off and sent a seething glare toward Jaymeson.

“What did you have in mind?”

Smith wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. It felt wrong. Physical contact with him felt… cold.

He cupped my face. “Bonfire.”

“I like fires.”

“Good.” He smiled that beautiful blinding smile. “How about I pick you up around seven? We can toast marshmallows and tell ghost stories.”

“She's scared of ghosts,” Jaymeson piped up.

“I'll be fine.” I gave Smith my best smile as he bent down and brushed a kiss across my lips.

“Great. See you in a bit.”

“‘Kay.”

He waved goodbye and sauntered out.

I watched him the entire way — only because I couldn't face Jaymeson. I felt embarrassed, like I somehow betrayed him even though I was doing exactly what he'd asked me to do.

When I finally looked back at him and Evan, they were both wearing the same worried expression.

“What?” I stuffed my hands in my back pocket.

“He's too old for you,” Evan blurted.

At the same time, Jaymeson said, “It's going to freeze tonight.”

“Thanks, Dads.” I saluted. “But I think I'll be okay.”

Evan nodded. “Just… promise me you'll be careful, okay, Pris?”

“Evan, he's your brother.”

“My point exactly.” He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them with his hand. “Just promise you'll be careful. Like I said, he's older.”

“And that's code word for what? He has wrinkles?”

Jaymeson swore. “It's code word for he's probably a lot more experienced, Pris. Don't let him take advantage of you.”

My heart sunk. So that was it. I was still a hormonal teenager in Jaymeson's eyes, a plaything. A friend, but not his equal, never his equal.

“What if I want him to?” I shrugged innocently. “I'm eighteen. I'm not a child, and you guys can't stop me. Thanks for the warning, though.

They winced.

“After all, I'm so innocent to the ways of the world. We don't want the nice pastor's daughter getting taken advantage of on the beach.”

I shook my head and walked toward the door. “Have a nice night, boys. I know I will.”