Page 50 of Double Trouble
But all we did was sit there, until finally Jake asked, “We going?”
I drove the car all the way back to our place in silence. Clearly Jake wasn’t in a talking mood right now either, and I could hardly blame him. What was there really to say? “Shitty that our Dad’s a total asshole and might’ve ruined things with the first girl either of us have cared for in a long-ass time?” No. That wasn’t the case, anyway. I wouldn’t let it be.
That night, I retreated to my room with a bag of Reese’s Pieces and my camera. Stuffing my face made me feel a bit better, although taking pictures didn’t do much, other than reveal how badly I needed to clean up my room. Instead, I collapsed into bed and fell into an unsatisfying sleep.
After at least four hours of annoying tossing and turning, I decided more food was in order. Inside the kitchen, I laughed. In the dark, standing in front of the fridge, staring into its lighted contents like the cure for cancer might be the food there, was Jake.
“You too?” I asked him.
He grabbed a block of cheese and nodded, letting the fridge door fall shut. “Already tried calling her a couple times.” He undid the cheese wrapper and ripped off a bite with his teeth. “I’m freaking out.”
“Me too,” I paused, not sure whether to reveal my confession, whether Jake would just laugh at me. “Right now, I just want her here. Just to hold her. Be around her.”
“Yeah,” Jake said, and right when I thought he was going to make a quip, he said, “Me too.”
We went over to the couch, Jake eating his block of cheese, passing it for me to take a bite too every so often.
“Part of me wants to go there right now,” Jake admitted. “Middle of the night be damned.”
I shook my head. “After the dinner she had with Dad, Cin definitely needs her space. What would we say when we went there anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said. “We like you a lot and want to be with you no matter what anyone says?”
“Maybe,” I said. I leaned back into the couch, wracking my brain. Just telling her how we felt wouldn’t be enough, I sensed. We needed to convince her, convince her that this was going to work.
Not to mention that I wanted to make it up to her too, provide her with the nice dinner she should’ve had. I stayed leaned back like that for a few minutes before I sat back up again.
“I know what we have to do,” I told Jake.
37
Cin
I paused the movie. Seeing the jubilant faces of the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was something like being stabbed in the gut.
“I’ll never have that,” I whispered under my breath.
And it was true. The Jake and Owen’s dad’s reaction hadn’t been shocking at all. In fact, it was exactly what I’d been secretly fearing from the start. People weren’t going to accept our unconventional pairing. We’d always be outsiders; always have to deal with other people’s judgement. Just how far was I willing to go with this?
All the way, I realized with a shaky swallow. Although that didn’t mean it was the right choice. I had to think bout the twins too – did I want them to have to suffer a life of being judged and ridiculed just because they like me?
A knock at my door roused me. I crept over there, unwilling to just open the door wide when I was in my penguin PJs and unwashed hair. But it was Penelope, thank God.
“Hey,” she said once I’d opened the door. “Just wanted to check up on you after you missed work.”
Work, I’d almost forgot. After the crazy kidnapping and now this latest screw-up with the twins’ dad, work had been the last thing on my mind.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” I said in a strained voice. “Just haven’t been feeling the greatest.”
Which wasn’t actually a lie, although Penelope’s Bambi eyes remained as concerned as ever.
“Is it the guys?”
I sighed. What was I supposed to say to that? Of course it was. The kidnapping, the failed dad dinner, it was all about the guys.
We went over to the couches and sat down, although I bobbed up soon after to make us some tea. “How’s work?” I asked, to change the subject.
When Penelope paused, I knew I’d asked the wrong question.
“It’s fine,” she finally said.
“Is Viola pissed that I missed a day?” I asked.
“Not pissed, exactly, just…”
I turned around to find Penelope’s face guilty.
“What is it?” I asked her.
“Just that people have been talking,” she said reluctantly.
“Saying what?”
My gaze lifted to meet mine. “It was Viola. She told everyone about your ‘two boyfriends’ and now the gossip’s all around. I even heard that front desk girl – Patricia – talking about it. I tried defending you, but you know how seriously people take what I say.”
