The Keys to Jericho (61 page)

“I think Pete burnt down Mom’s house.” I can’t do it. Not here. I can’t ruin how perfect this was with him.

I watch as his jaw drops. “What the hell?”

“It was an accident. She was at my aunt’s and he was having poker parties at her house without asking. I caught him and kicked him out, but the fire had already started. The fire investigation concluded that it started in the breaker box, but nothing out of the ordinary was plugged in at the time of the fire. I had noticed before Pete left that he was using fans because he allowed his buddies to smoke cigars.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You were in that house when it was on fire?” Shit. He’s mad about this? Maybe I
should’ve
said I’m in love with him instead.

“Yes, but I didn’t smell anything and I wasn’t there long.”

“Jesus Christ! You could’ve been killed!”

“I was closer to death after my accident.” Jared rubs a hand over his face and sighs. I say, “I want to tell my mom, but I feel Pete should. I’ve already caused her enough grief by killing her mother.”

“That was
not
your fault!”

I glower at the passenger seat. “Still. I can’t give her more horrible news like that. Maybe it
is
my fault since I didn’t call her about Pete.”

“No, Kat. Don’t do that. He’s responsible. He was there, doing shit when he shouldn’t have been.”

“I’ve been pushing Pete to tell her, but he said she’s had enough shit to deal with in her life, and he doesn’t want to cause her more. So, I’m torn.”

“Jesus.”

I look over at him, seeing the anxiety building on his face. “I’m telling you this because it’s only fair, since you just spilled your guts. I want you to trust me. I won’t say a word. It’s up to you if
you
ever do.” Jared sorrowfully smiles and I say, “Just know that I… don’t think less of you. In fact, I feel closer to you.”

“Me, too, Kit Kat.”

Before returning to the front seat, I lean over, putting my arms around Jared, hugging him, and I feel his sigh blowing into my hair. He says, “We’ll leave for Philly Saturday morning. Sound good to you?”

I nod, wondering how I’m going to feel being in Jared’s apartment for the first and last time.

As I take the kitchen tiles out of the box to inspect them for broken pieces, Dash stops at the table. “Hey, Merrick. Have you seen Jericho?”

Looking up from the glossy, white tile, I say, “No. Why?”

“I haven’t seen him and he hasn’t texted. I thought you would know where he is.”

Setting down the tile, I pull out my phone to check the screen, but no missed calls or texts. “He didn’t say anything last night about not being here.”

He laughs as I return my phone to my pocket. “Last night? Whoa. What did I miss?” Shit.

I shake my head and move to the next piece. “We ate dinner and went over driving test questions.” These lies are making my head hurt, but it’s not something I’d share with Dash anyway.

Dash frowns when I glance at him. “Are you for real? That’s pretty lame.”

“It was informative.” Very.

“You didn’t discuss…you know…with him?”

I sigh. “No…”

“Kat, come on!”

“It wasn’t the right time or place.”

Dash looks around us before asking, “Are you going to Philadelphia with…us?”

I smile. “Yes.”

“Perfect time.”

“No, because if he doesn’t like it, then I’m stuck there. I can’t escape.”

“True, but that won’t happen. You should do it soon. He’ll be leaving Annapolis in a few weeks. You’re just going to keep putting it off.”

“So? He’ll leave, but he’ll also keep coming back. Torturing me.”

“No. I think it’ll change things for him.”

“Like what? I wouldn’t want him to quit his job to stay here. So, don’t you see? No good can come out of this.”

He huffs a heavy sigh as he crosses his arms, watching me inspect a tile. “Jesus, Kat.”

“Enough.” I take my turn to heavily sigh. “After this, Tony actually wants me to oil door hinges. How insulting.”

“Tell him you want another job.”

“Grout and tile work. Get real.”

“Okay... Go oil those hinges with pride then.”

I roll my eyes and finish looking over the last tile, before heading upstairs with a can of WD-40 and some paper towels. Starting in the bathroom that Jared and I nearly christened, I pull open the closet door, and take the cap off the can, but the closet door suddenly slams shut. Peering up, Jared grins at me.

Putting my hand over my chest, I laugh. “Hey. Dash was looking for you.”

“Yeah. I know. He found me.”

“Where’ve you been? Everything okay?”

Jared’s greenish eyes shine. “Forgot to set my alarm. I was worn out for some reason.” His smile is still sleepy, and so sexy.

Looking past him for witnesses, but seeing none, I set down the can and move closer to him, smiling. “Really? You’ve been rather busy lately.”

We don’t touch, but his eyes fall to my lips. “No complaints here. In fact, I’d like even more work to do.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“I hope so. It’s a rewarding job.”

“Is it? I heard it’s complicated.”

“No. You just have to know how to push the right buttons.”

“Oh. So anyone can do your job?”

“Nobody does my job.
Only
me.”

Peering over his shoulder, I push up the bill of his hat, and then put my hands on his chest, whispering, “Kiss me, damn it.”

Jared obligingly angles his head, meeting me for a quick kiss. Or so I thought.

He disapprovingly whispers, “You call
that
a kiss?”

I give him another kiss, but this one, I don’t want to end, and apparently, neither does he. When I grip his T-shirt, he pulls me closer, and we stupidly lose ourselves on a whim.

“The vent fan in this bathroom isn’t—”

“Holy shit.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Jared and I jump away from each other, but it’s too late. We stare at Dash, Tony, and…Adam.

Adam’s face is a combination of confusion and…glee? “What’s going on?”

Folding in my guilty lips, I point to the side and reply, “I was oiling a door.”

Dash laughs, and Tony actually joins him. Jerks.

Jared tugs down his hat and clears his throat. He asks his dad, “Why aren’t
you
at work?”

Adam answers with, “Since when are
you
and Kat dating?”

Jared crosses his arms and looks toward the ceiling above their heads. “We’re not.” Still hurts.

Dash says, “Yeah. That looked like
not
dating.” I narrow my eyes at Dash, and Jared steals the words out of my mouth.

“Shut up, Calder.”

Dash counters, “Stop hiding it already then.”

Adam looks from Jared, to Dash, and then back to both of us, appearing more confused. “What? You’ve been hiding that you’re a couple?”

Putting his hands on his hips, Jared says, “Don’t worry about what we are. Now if you could let us out of here, I need to take Kat driving.”

Dash laughs, but the glare Jared gives him, shuts him down immediately. My brother just watches, thoroughly entertained.

Adam doesn’t move out of the way. “Jared, what’s really going on?”

“If I wanted to tell you more, I would.”

Dash melodramatically sighs, shaking his head. “
This
will make Philadelphia awkward.”

Jared chooses not to answer him, instead, grabbing my wrist and plowing us through the small ambush.

We don’t talk until we’re in the Nissan. When I shut my door, he says, “Goddamn it. I’m sorry about that.”

I remorsefully shake my head. “It was my fault.”

“No. It was my fault. I should’ve stopped, but…” He sighs and looks out the window to the house, shaking his head.

“When the word spreads, everyone is going to assume that we’re dating, so I suppose we don’t have to pretend Dash is going with us now.”

“Fuck it. We’re adults. Jesus Christ. Again, we shouldn’t care what everyone thinks. Even our parents.”

I smile. “Really?”

“Really, Kat. It’s too much shit to deal with.”

“Oh. So, you want us to stop?”

“Fuck, no. I told you. I’m obsessed.”

My smile is instant. “I am, too.”

Jared licks his bottom lip and tilts his head. “So, you still want to go to Philly with me then?”

I nod, even though it’s going to be hard to be there. “Your apartment probably needs a woman’s touch.”

Jared smiles and says, “Not just any.” His eyes light up and he whispers, “Fuck. I can’t wait to have you all to myself this weekend.” He leans over and kisses me in the open, not that we just didn’t, but it’s still shocking.

I keep the kiss short this time. “We have work to do, though.”

His gaze drops to my chest, rebounds to my lips, and then to my eyes. “Only in my bed, the shower, the couch, the balcony... Wherever else we fucking feel like it.”

“We don’t have
that
much time. Balcony? Holy hell.”

“Yep. We’ll find the time, Kit Kat.” I giggle and start the car. Leaning away, Jared says, “After your driving, we’ll come back here and I’ll head to my dad’s so I can pack.”

“I need to pack, too, so I’ll just drive to my apartment first.”

His smile fades and he says, “Okay. Both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

Ugh. Playtime is over.

Since traffic is somewhat light, and because Jared brought the Nissan to torment me, he has me drive on the interstate for most of the two-hour drive; however, when we get close to the city, we switch places, which is a good thing because light traffic doesn’t exist in Philadelphia.

The city is so much
everything
, just as I had feared, but Jared seems to take it in stride, even occasionally kissing my hand that he holds during his turn at the wheel. His driving the Nissan definitely has its perks.

Walking through the lobby, we pass the common area that boasts a huge TV hanging on the far-end wall, many comfortable-looking couches, tables and chairs, and a kitchenette. We also see the gym on our way to the concierge desk.

While Jared registers the Nissan with his building for parking, one of the women behind the desk compliments the purple in my hair.

I smile. “Thank you.”

She says, “I wish I were brave enough to do that.”

Jared looks up from his paperwork, and kisses the side of my head, saying, “She
is
brave. Gorgeous, too.” He thinks I’m
gorgeous
?

“So, sweet!” the woman coos.

I beam at Jared, but since he’s looking down as he writes, he doesn’t see my reaction. God. I want to hurry this along so we can go up to his apartment already.