Young Love Dies Hard: The Young Brothers, Book 1 Nikki Lane (books for students to read .TXT) 📖

We lay there quiet, his arm grazing up and down my arm. After a few quiet minutes passed, I noticed Jacob’s rhythmic breathing. I lifted my head to make sure he was fast asleep. I gently peeled myself away from his embrace, slipped on a t-shirt and shorts, and headed to the couch to sleep.

The clock read 12:01.

Chapter Thirteen

My eyes flickered open to the sound of rustling in the kitchen. The refrigerator door opened, and I sat up on the couch, trying to focus my groggy eyes. I had slept like shit.

Jacob closed the fridge door, the container of orange juice at his lips, wearing nothing but his boxers.

“Morning,” he said, putting the juice back in the fridge.

“Morning.” I spotted a hair tie on the side table and used it to put up my bedhead.

Jacob leaned his weight on the kitchen counter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to put you out of your bed.”

I stood up, feeling the ache in my lower back. How did Jacob spend every night sleeping on this couch?

“It’s fine. I just couldn’t sleep. And you seemed so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you.”

The truth was I hadn’t slept in a bed with anyone else…well ever. Not unless you counted that time Jacob and I camped out in the backyard.

Jacob drummed his fingers along the counter. Clearly, neither one of us was quite sure how this was supposed to go.

“What time should we leave for dinner?” I asked.

We couldn’t just stand there forever, looking at each other.

“Whenever you’re ready. Meg said dinner is at two.”

I nodded. “Well, I’ll…uh…I’ll just get ready.”

“Okay,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I hesitated a moment before making my way to the bathroom for a shower.

I tried not to replay last night’s events in my head. Tried to remind myself midnight had struck. The moment was over.

Jacob and I barely spoke to one another as we tiptoed around the apartment, getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. I threw a smile his way every once in a while just to ease the tension. I wasn’t sure going to Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim’s would make this day go any easier.

And I wasn’t counting on it.

Jacob was waiting for me on the couch, dressed up and ready to go. He stood up when I entered the room, carrying my shoes.

“You look beautiful,” he said with a small smile.

“Thank you.” I slipped on each shoe. “You look very handsome.” His beard was trimmed and his hair was neatly combed back, revealing more of his face.

“Thanks.” He readjusted his glasses. “Ready to go?”

I nodded and followed him out the door.

The ride to the farm was filled with the sound of my incessant chewing. I tapped my foot the entire ride, plucking a new piece of Nicorette every five minutes.

Jacob kept sneaking looks at me from the corner of his eye as he drove. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Sure.” I focused my gaze out of the window.

“I don’t believe you. That’s, like, your fifth piece of gum in forty-five minutes.”

“I haven’t had a cigarette in forever.”

“Well, that’s good.”

I turned to look at him. “I really want a cigarette.”

He reached his hand out to hold mine. His skin felt rough as our fingers entwined. “I’m proud of you. I know it’s not an easy habit to break.”

Holding hands felt like such an intimate gesture. This was the part I didn’t know how to navigate. What were Jacob’s expectations after what happened last night? I doubted they were the same as mine. Was he holding my hand as a gesture for support? Or did he think that our relationship was more than it really was? I took a deep steadying breath. At some point during the day, I would need to figure all of this out. I knew tearing my fingers away would upset him, so I held his hand for the rest of the trip.

When we pulled into the driveway of the farm, I felt a small wave of relief when I needed my hand to unclick my seatbelt. But as soon as we were out of the car, he reached out for my hand again. He gave me an affectionate look, one end of his lips curled into a small smile.

I latched on to his hand, wondering what Aunt Meg was going to think when she saw us. Probably fall over from sheer happiness.

I stood shoulder to shoulder with Jacob, fidgeting with my dress. Aunt Meg opened the door with a smile. A smile that got even wider when she saw that Jacob and I were holding hands.

“You’re just in time.” She opened the door wider.

Jacob gestured for me to go in first, and I was met with a hug from Aunt Meg.

Uncle Jim was in the kitchen, spooning mashed potatoes out of the bowl.

“Slipping food, are we?” I said, sneaking up behind him.

He jolted around to give me a hug. “Shh,” he said. “Don’t tell your aunt.”

“I see you Jim,” Aunt Meg said. “Eat another spoonful of mashed potato, and you’ll be sleeping with the cows tonight.”

Uncle Jim froze with the spoon lingering on his lips.

“You look good, Uncle Jim,” I said as he reluctantly dropped the spoon.

“Feeling good,” he said. “Doctor says I’m fully recovered.”

“That’s great,” I said with a smile. I playfully poked his stomach. “I think that baked potato over there has your name all over it.”

Uncle Jim scowled as Aunt Meg shooed him away from the food.

“Where’s Kasey?” I asked.

“In her room,” Aunt Meg said. “She hasn’t come out all day.”

“Is she okay?”

The creases deepened around Aunt Meg’s mouth.

“I’ll go and talk to her,” I said.

Kasey gave me the okay to come into her room after a few light knocks on her door. She was sprawled out on the bed with her head hanging off the side. I lay down next to her and matched her position. All the blood rushed to my skull.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.” Her hair fanned out on the comforter; it almost touched the floor.

“Are you planning