The Truth About Jack (Entangled Crush) (18 page)

“Oh.” Even I can hear how dejected I sound.

She hesitates, then adds, “I don’t know if I should mention this, but I did see her go into Café Vida about half an hour ago.”

“Great! Maybe she’s still there.” I lunge for the door.

“With Cody.”

I jerk back around, taken aback. “Cody?
The
Cody?”

She nods, her eyes full of pity. “Yeah.”

I run a hand through my hair. What’s this mean? Breakfast with Cody? I thought he was in Rhode Island. Did he come back last night, just in time for her to run into his arms? After she tore away from Pinot Noir in such a black mood, did she find him on her doorstep full of apologies and smooth moves? Is this their morning-after breakfast, time to cuddle over tea and scones, their night of passion in her little yurt still fresh and vivid in their memories?

“Jack?” Anya’s voice tugs me back from that dizzying precipice.

“Yeah?”

“She really likes you. I know that much.” She nods at the box. “And any girl would definitely want to know what’s in there.”

I hold it up, hope springing free from where it’s coiled tightly inside my chest. “You don’t think it’s too…over the top?”

“Not at all.” She smiles. “Now go!”

…

Dakota

I pick at my scone listlessly. Cody, who never could handle his coffee, has been talking nonstop for like twenty minutes about RISD—professors he loved, professors he hated, parties he went to, projects he worked on. In spite of the chai working electric tendrils of energy into my veins, I can feel my lack of sleep. It’s like a layer of grime coating the inside of my mouth. Cody looks like a stranger to me right now, like someone I might have known once but can’t quite place.

“I’m moving out of the dorms and into a house when I go back,” he says, his voice brimming with excitement. “It’s an old Victorian.”

“Cool,” I say without enthusiasm.

“Yeah, it’s amazing—turrets and porches, the whole nine.” He gives me a pointed look. “There’s a room they haven’t rented yet.”

I just stare at him, unsure of where he’s going with this. Surely he’s not suggesting…?

“You could move in next month. We could fly back together. That way you’d have some time to explore before we start school in the fall.”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

He laughs. “Don’t look so surprised!”

“Wait, you want me to
live
with you?” I ask, incredulous.

“Why not?” When my expression remains the same, he backpedals a little. “I mean we’d have our own rooms and everything; it’s a house with five other people. So it’s not like we’d be in each other’s space all the time.”

“Right,” I answer faintly.

He seems encouraged by this. “We’d be roommates, you know? But hopefully more, too, if that’s what you want.”

“Where did all this come from?” I look away, not wanting him to see the anger in my face, though I can’t keep the indignation from my voice. “You make out with my best friend and don’t even bother to contact me for months. Then you show up out of the blue and want me to
move in
with you?”

He leans across the table toward me, his face full of eager sincerity. “I’m trying to do the right thing, D. I know I screwed up. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I really think I can make it up to you.”

“Make it up to me?” I repeat, stunned.

“You have no idea how lonely it can be, starting college in a new place all alone.”

“You weren’t all alone.” My tone is bitter. “You had River.”

He looks pained but presses on. “I can help you get settled and meet people. We don’t have to be anything but friends. I hate that you’re considering not even going to RISD. I feel terrible about that. It’s an amazing place. You’re going to love it there.”

“Sounds to me like you’re trying to make yourself feel better.”

“Don’t be like that.” He sounds wounded. “I just want to be with you.”

Miles comes over to our table then, bringing me a fresh chai. “Thought you might want another.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Cody eyes him suspiciously, but Miles doesn’t even spare him a sideways glance. He runs a hand over his pompadour and locks eyes with me, pointedly ignoring Cody. “Do you want to go to a party tonight? My friend John’s throwing a kegger out at the beach.”

Wow, he’s got some nerve. Cody looks a little shell-shocked. I haven’t seen Miles since that day when Jack laid into him and he told me all those lies about Jack being a tweaker. That’s all I need—another guy feeding me lies.

“No, thanks,” I say to Miles, my tone cool and distant. “I’m done with guys who lie.”

Cody flashes a triumphant smile. I want to tell him I’m not turning Miles down because of him, but I can’t bring myself to be that blatantly rude. Miles retreats behind the counter again, clearly miffed. I look out the window, wishing I could be anywhere but here.

Just when I think this morning can’t possibly get more confusing, I see Jack charging through the door clutching a shiny gold package.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jack

I can’t hesitate. I know if I let myself think for two seconds about what I’m doing, I’ll get all self-conscious. Instead, I plunge ahead, remembering Joaquin’s advice about faking confidence when you need it most.

As soon as I spot her with the skinny hipster, I’m filled with the possessive urge to shove him right out of his chair. I resist the impulse. Last time I was here I lost my shit with Miles, and Dakota ended up thinking I was a drug-addled freak. This time, I’m just going to tell her the truth and deal with the consequences.

Attila and Joaquin trail in behind me. They shut the door and stand there, blocking my exit like a couple of stone-faced bouncers. They don’t need to bother. I’m not going to try weaseling out of it this time.

I know what I want and I came here to get it.

I turn back to see Dakota staring at me, her expression unreadable.

Okay, Sauvage. It’s now or never.

I stride across the café right up to her table. This must be Cody. He’s all skinny and emo-cool, eyeing me with curious, bright eyes. Then he sees me looking at Dakota, and his face ices over. I wonder if she’s told him about me. Whatever. It’s not him I came here to see.

“Jack.” She gazes up at me with those vivid blue eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I know this is awkward,” I begin. My pulse races, but I force myself to speak in a clear, unwavering voice. “You’re here with him, and maybe you’ve decided he’s the one.”

Cody emits a sound of disbelief. “Who the hell is—?”

Dakota shushes him, though, which gives me the shot of courage I need to keep going.

“I won’t deny anything—I screwed up when I lied to you. I know that. But I really like you, Dakota. In fact, I’m in love with you.”

Cody tries to butt in again. “Whoa, man, this is—”

“Let me finish,” I say, a little too loudly. I can feel people turning toward us from all around the café—hippies and children and old people. The place is packed, and though I don’t mean to, I’m obviously providing them with a show. “The day I found your message in a bottle, I knew I had to meet you. You’re brilliant and funny and beautiful—you’re everything I ever wanted in a girl. And even if you hate me for the rest of your life, I still think you should have whatever you need. So here it is. I hope it’s the thing you crave most right now, the call to adventure you’ve been waiting for.”

I put the golden box down in front of her.

She eyes it suspiciously, like maybe there’s a bomb inside. “What is it?”

“Just open it!” I hear someone say over my shoulder. Turning around, I see Joaquin standing behind me, Attila at his side. Pretty much everyone in the whole place is watching us now.

Slowly, self-consciously, Dakota tugs at the bow, then tears into the golden paper. As she pulls the lid off the box, a riot of passionflowers spring out at her, a garland I gathered from a huge bush I found after searching the countryside at the crack of dawn. To my relief, the blossoms still look dewy fresh.

“They’re beautiful,” she says, tears shining in her eyes.

I hear a few sighs from here and there around the café.

“There’s something else,” I mumble.

“This is so messed up,” Cody tries to interject, but now several people from a nearby table shush him.

Dakota digs around amidst the flowers and pulls out a golden envelope.

“What is it?” A little old lady standing at the counter angles for a better view.

Dakota tears open the envelope and pulls out the paper. She chews on her lip, one tear brimming over and spilling down her cheek. “It’s a receipt…” she says in a tentative voice, as if she doesn’t quite believe what she’s seeing.

“A receipt?” Cody says in a derisive voice. “For what?”

“A ticket,” she says, her voice trembling. “First class round trip ticket to Barcelona.”

Gasps erupt from around the room. A smattering of applause. I keep my eyes locked on Dakota, trying to read her reaction.

“I don’t understand,” she says, meeting my gaze. “Why…?”

“Because I’ve been listening to you, and I know what you want more than anything right now is a chance to explore and discover. It would be my honor to make that possible for you.” I pull a piece of paper out of my back pocket that matches hers. “I’ve got a ticket, too. I’m going to put off Juilliard for a year; I believe in everything we talked about. We’re young! We should get to know the world before we try to make art; we should have experiences now, while everything’s still new and full of magic. It makes sense. All of it.”

“So…you’re going with me?” she asks, perplexed.

“I’m going, yeah. You convinced me this is what I want, too. But if you want to sit on opposite ends of the plane and never even speak, that’s okay. If you want to go off and explore on your own, I can accept that.” I lower my voice, blocking out everyone around us, getting lost in her eyes. “I just wanted to make this happen for you. Well, my gran helped me out. I can’t take all the credit.”

For a moment, the room goes totally silent. Everyone’s watching Dakota, waiting for her to speak, to buoy my hopes or crush them with a word. For a terrifying few seconds that seem to last forever, I fear I’ve done everything wrong. Maybe she’ll feel pressured by my extravagance; maybe she never really wanted to go in the first place, and now she’ll feel guilty about all that wasted money. My big dream is on display before a room full of people, and I’ve never felt so exposed.

Then I realize, either way, I can survive—whether she accepts the offer or rejects it, at least I gave her everything I had to give. I wasn’t afraid to risk it all and, because of that, I can accept whatever fate she dishes out.

Suddenly she springs up out of her chair, puts her hand on my arm, and stares into my eyes. “It’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you.”

“Does that mean you’ll go?”

She flashes a coy grin. “Yes. And you don’t even have to sit on the other side of the plane, though once we get there, all bets are off.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” And then I do something I never imagined I could do in front of a room full of spectators: I pull her close and press my lips to hers, and I pour everything into this kiss.

At first she’s too surprised to move. But then I feel her arms wrap around me, her small hands deliciously cool against the back of my neck. Her mouth tastes like chai—sweet and spicy, exotic and familiar. I tighten my grip on the small of her back, pulling her even closer, feeling the delicate circle of her waist, the miracle of her body pressing against mine.

The café erupts in cheers.

Epilogue

Dakota

I’m standing in front of
the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. Twilight has turned the sky a rich, satiny lavender, and the air is perfumed with a pungent mixture of jasmine and singed garlic. Today I’ve explored the gothic quarter Anya told me all about; I bought a red satin change purse at an old shop that smelled of figs, and I met a little old woman who sold me mango ice cream from a cart.

I take a deep breath, savoring the moment. I’m here! I’m really here. My gap year is finally happening. Every day my Spanish gets better, more fluent, and I meet new people as I wander—some of them fellow travelers, some locals. My sketchbook is quickly filling with new ideas and images. Yesterday I spent three hours trying to capture the curvaceous detail of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo.

Best of all, though, I’m growing. I can feel the pleasures and the challenges of my journey etching their designs into my bones. Every day I’m forced to dig deeper into my self and find resources I never knew were there. I’m like a snake, shedding my skin and emerging as something new. The old me is still there somewhere, cozy and familiar, but this new me is someone I like even better.

“There you are!”

I turn and there he is, beaming at me. His thick black hair has grown so long it now grazes the tops of his shoulders. Speaking of shoulders, his are sculpted and brown from long days spent carrying a heavy pack in the sun. He looks amazing in army surplus shorts and a white ribbed tank.

“Here I am,” I say, letting his infectious smile kindle my own.

He pulls me close and kisses me hard on the mouth. His lips are soft and his hands are so warm on my waist I find myself nestling even closer, running my fingers through his hair. It’s a great kiss, full of warmth and friendship and much, much more.

“Did you have fun?” he asks, eyes shining.

“I did.” I show him my new satin change purse.

“Fantastic! Love the color.” He hands it back to me. “I met a man from Tasmania doing a documentary on Spanish prostitutes.”

Jack always meets the most fascinating characters. Put him in a room full of people and he’ll immediately strike up a conversation with the one dude who has the craziest stories, the most whimsical views on life and love. It’s a real talent, and one of the many things that make traveling with him such an adventure.

“You ready to get a bite?” he asks, still gripping my waist. “I hear this place downtown has the most amazing paella.”

“Yes! I’m ravenous.”

He starts pulling me away from the fountain, but impulsively I tug him back. He looks confused.

“You okay?”

I touch his face. “Yes.”

“I thought you wanted to eat.”

“I do,” I say. “In a minute. First, I want to savor this moment with you, by this fountain, under this sky.”

He kisses my nose very gently.

“I want to remember this forever, standing here with the guy who is Jack Sauvage and Alejandro Torres all in one.”

He groans. “You’ll never let me forget that, will you?”

“No,” I say, feeling so happy I think I might burst. “Never.”

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