Loving You (The Jade Series #3) (13 page)

“I know, but I don’t like them saying that stuff about you.”

“Then stop reading it.”
 

“Did you know they were doing this reunion show?”

 
I’d heard rumors about it, but I didn’t think they’d involve me again. I thought Ava would find a new guy. But if she’s already making up stories about her and me, then this is just the beginning. She’ll do whatever she has to do to make sure people watch the show. If that means making up more shit up about me, she’ll do it.”

“Then do something. Call her and tell her to find some other fake boyfriend.”

“That would only make it worse. You know that. She loves pissing me off. It’s better to just ignore whatever she’s doing.”

“It’s not just Ava. You have all these people talking about you on the Internet. Teen girls downloading photos of you.”

“Nobody’s doing that, Jade.”

“They are, too. Girls are talking about you online. Saying how hot you are.”

“Whatever. Just stop reading that stuff, okay?” He gets up, dragging me off the bed. “Let’s go back to the house. We don’t want Frank and Ryan to think we’re doing anything here at the hotel.”

“Did you see their faces when we left?” I pick up my clothes and start dressing. “They totally knew what we were doing. I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know if I can go back there.”

“If you act normal, they won’t even think about it.”
 

“Hey, Ryan has to work tonight, but I was going to make dinner for the three of us. Can we stop at the grocery store on the way over there?”
 

“Sure. What are you making?” Garret is shirtless and just now putting his jeans on. I’m already fully dressed. I don’t know what takes him so long.

“I was thinking of making chili and cornbread. It’s one of Frank’s favorite meals.”
 

Garret finally puts his shirt on and I go over and button it up to speed things along.

He leans down and kisses me. “Can I help?”
 

“Of course you can help.” I grab his coat from the chair as he puts his shoes on. “You forgot to get your suitcase from the car. You want to go get it before we leave?”

“I didn’t forget it.” He takes his coat from me and kisses my cheek. “You just distracted me. I’ll get it later.”

When we get back to Frank’s house, Ryan’s already gone and Frank is sleeping. Garret and I start on dinner. He insists on making the chili, so I work on the cornbread.
 

“Is this some secret recipe?” I ask as I watch him add spices to the pot.
 

“Yeah, and I’m not telling you what’s in it, so stop looking over my shoulder.”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

He sets the spices down and turns to me. “Because once you taste this chili you’ll want it again and again. And the only way you’ll have it again is if I make it. It’s another way for me to make sure you keep me around.”

I loop my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. “You don’t need chili for that. What you did before we got here makes me want to keep you around.”

“So you’re just using me for sex?”
 

“Pretty much.” I let go of him and turn toward the fridge.
 

He grabs me around the waist, hauling my backside against him and talking softly by my ear. “How is it possible that just being in here cooking with you is totally turning me on?”

“You, too? I thought it was just me.”
 

His hands move where they shouldn’t, making my legs so weak that I practically melt into him as he holds me.
 

“We’re not doing it in this house, Garret,” I say, breathless.

“I know. So stay with me tonight.” He moves my hair aside and kisses the side of my neck.

I force my legs to work again and turn to face him. “I want to, but I really need to be here with Frank.”

“It’s just overnight. Frank will be asleep. He won’t care if you’re gone while he’s asleep. I’ll make sure you’re back here first thing in the morning.”

“It’s tempting, but I still think I should stay here.”
 

He sighs and returns to the stove. “Okay. But you need to keep away from me because you’re driving me crazy. And stop rubbing up against me every time you walk by.”

“It’s a small kitchen. I can’t help it.” I go over to the stove and reach in front of him for the salt shaker, causing my butt to brush against his jeans.

He backs away. “Jade?”

“What? I need the salt.”
 

“You’re evil.” He watches me as I go to the fridge and grab a couple eggs and the carton of milk and bring them to the kitchen table where I’m making the cornbread.

Garret turns away from the stove and leans back against the counter across from me. “We should do this more often.”
 

“Do what more often?” I pull on each side of the plastic bag that contains the cornbread mix but it refuses to open. I tighten my grip on it and pull even harder.

“Cook together.” Garret comes over and takes the bag from me, opening it without any effort at all.

I look at the bag, annoyed. “We don’t have a kitchen.”
 

“So let’s get one.”

“I don’t know what that means.” I dump the mix in a bowl and add the milk and eggs.

“Let’s get an apartment.”

“So we can cook together?” I stir the cornbread, not really paying attention to what he’s saying.
 

“No. Let’s get an apartment so we can live together.”
 

“But we’re in college. We live in the dorms.”
 

“We don’t have to live in the dorms. We can live off campus. There are plenty of apartments close to campus.” He waits for me to pour the batter in the pan. “So what do you think?”

I set the bowl down, finally getting the fact that he just asked me to move in with him. “Are you serious?”

“I’m totally serious. Living in the dorms sucks. And you always say that you hate sharing a bathroom with 20 girls. This way you’d only have to share with me.”

I was not at all expecting this and now I’m not sure how to react. Move in together? At 19?
 

“Garret, my room and board is paid for. I don’t have money for rent. You know that.”

“I’ll have my dad put your room and board money into a rental fund.”

“I don’t have a car. How am I supposed to get to class?”

“Hmm. That’s a problem. What if I bought you a car?” he asks cautiously.

“No. Absolutely not. You are not buying me a car.”

“Then I’ll drive you to campus. Or we’ll get a place on the bus line.”

I watch him as he continues to think, trying to find a way to make this work. It’s so sweet. He really wants this, and I think I do, too, but it seems too soon.

“Let’s just put a hold on the moving-in-together idea, okay?”
 

He goes back to the stove and stirs his chili. I can tell he’s disappointed and I hate disappointing him.
 

I put the cornbread in the oven and go stand beside him. “It’s not that I don’t want us to live together. I just think we should wait. At least one more semester. And besides, I practically live with you already. I’m always in your dorm room.”

“That’s not the same as having our own place. We need an apartment, not a dorm room.” He adds another secret spice to the pot. “Once you taste this chili, you’re going to want a kitchen so I can make this, and all my other secret recipes, all the time.”

I take a whiff of the chili. “You have other secret recipes?”

“Tons. This is just one of many. And you could have them every night if we lived together.”
 

I turn him away from the stove and give him a hug. “Garret, I love you and I really do want to move in with you. Just not this semester, okay?”

“You haven’t even tried the chili yet.” He pulls away and takes a spoon from the drawer, then dips it in the chili, holding it out for me to taste. I take a bite.

“It’s good. Really good. Way better than the chili I normally make.”

“Yeah, so?”

“I still can’t move in with you. Not yet.”

“All right.” He kisses my forehead. “At least you like the chili.”

“What smells so good in here?” Frank appears, rolling his wheelchair into the kitchen.
 

“Garret made chili,” I answer. “And I’m making cornbread.”

“One of my favorite meals,” Frank says. “Thanks for making dinner. I thought you two would go out for dinner tonight.”

I take a seat at the table next to Frank. “We wouldn’t leave you all alone. I’m here to spend time with you.”

Garret sits next to me. “Is there anything you want to do tonight?” he asks Frank. “I could go get some movies.”

“Thank you for offering, but Jade and I have already watched plenty of movies this week. Maybe we could play some cards.”

“Sounds good to me,” Garret says. “The chili’s ready, so whenever Jade’s cornbread is done we can eat.”

I get up from the table. “It just needs a few more minutes in the oven. I’ll get the drinks ready.”

Frank starts wheeling himself back down the hall. “When you’re done, Jade, could you help me get a sweater from the closet?”

Garret jumps up. “I can help you. Just tell me what you need.”

I watch him follow Frank to his room. He’s so eager to help. How did I end up with this guy? He’s too good to be true. Seeing him act all nice like that to Frank makes me want to take him up on his offer to get an apartment. I should just do it. I love Garret more than anything. I want to be with him all the time. So I don’t know what’s stopping me.

The week goes by quickly and in that short time Garret manages to totally win over Frank and Ryan. He’d already won over Frank the last time he was here, but I never thought Ryan would come around. He’s way too protective of his little sister. But after watching Garret help take care of Frank, Ryan got to see the kind, generous, selfless side of Garret that I love so much. And that was all that was needed for Ryan to finally accept that Garret was worthy of dating me.

On Saturday morning, Garret checks out of his hotel and comes to the house. We still have a few hours before the flight leaves, so Ryan makes everyone breakfast.
 

“Are you two ready to go back to class?” Frank asks.

Before either of us can answer, the doorbell rings. Ryan gets up to answer it.
 

“Dad, Dr. Cunningham is here with your new medication,” Ryan says as he walks to the table with the doctor.

“Garret, what a surprise.” Dr. Cunningham doesn’t act at all surprised to see Garret, despite what he said. “What are you doing all the way out here in Iowa?”

“I’m here to see Jade, my girlfriend,” he says, playing along. “She goes to Moorhurst with me.” Even though I told Garret about the doctor, he seems a little shocked actually seeing him here.
 

Frank looks at Garret, then back at the doctor. “You two know each other?”

“Yes, I know Garret’s father.” Cunningham turns to Garret. “I heard you suffered an injury recently. Would you like me to take a look at it?”
 

“No, that’s okay,” he says. “It’s fine.”

“Well, be sure to tell your father hello for me. Frank, let’s go to the other room and I’ll tell you about this new medication. I have to catch a flight back to New York in a couple hours.”

Cunningham leaves about ten minutes later. It’s time for Garret and me to leave, too.

I give Frank and Ryan each a long hug. Since Garret entered my life, I’ve become a real pro at this hugging thing. A year ago I never would’ve given them a hug. I couldn’t stand to be that close to someone.
 

“We’ll see you in May, honey,” Frank says.

Garret looks at me. “Maybe she can make it back for spring break.”

Frank shakes his head. “Jade, don’t feel like you have to. You should do something with Garret or some of your other friends. May will come soon enough and then we’ll have you for the whole summer.”

I don’t say anything, but I’m kind of thinking of not coming back here for the summer. I’d rather get a job in Connecticut and spend the summer with Garret. Then again, I don’t even know what Garret’s doing this summer. Maybe he won’t even be in Connecticut.

We say a final goodbye before heading out.
 

“I told you it was the same doctor,” I say to Garret on the ride to the airport.

“Yeah. My dad must’ve paid him to come out here. But I’m not going to ask him about it. And don’t you ask him either. He has his reasons for not telling us.”

Never ask questions. I understand why that rule applies to me, but why Garret? Why does his dad need to keep secrets from his own son? And why does Garret just accept it instead of demanding answers? It’s strange, but I guess it’s just how their family works.