Unraveling (29 page)

I grabbed up the huge
green shirt with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it and laughed.

“Don’t mock the shirt,” Jared said, pulling his tee over his head, giving me a g
limpse of his model worthy body and replacing it with a red one.

I went to slip the shirt on and Jared scolded me. “
Nuh-huh. Katy, it defeats the purpose of a dry shirt if you don’t take off the wet one.”

I blanched.

He wanted me to take my shirt off, in front of him? In his car where anybody walking by could see?

I glanced out the window
and decided it was raining so hard that nobody would be able to see in, but that didn’t solve the problem of Jared.

“Close your eyes,” I pointed at him. “I mean it, no peaking.”

Jared closed his eyes and then covered them with his hands, “Happy?”

I didn’t answer him. I was already busy changing.

His shirt came to my knees because I was so short and I decided to risk removing my jeans. My legs already felt like popsicles.

“Katy, it doesn’t take that long to change a shirt… Oh God! Where are your pants?”

I blushed. “They were wet and your shirt is plenty long.”

He stared at my legs for a long moment and I heated under his gaze. Finally, after an eternity, his eyes flickered up to mine and he swallowed hard.

“Kitten, how do you expect me to drive with your sexy as hell legs bare to me?” His eyes flickered with a fire I rarely saw.

I choked. Jared had never been so… forward with me before. It was a bit shocking.

“I’m sorry,” Jared said, straightening and gripping the steering wheel, tightly in his hands. “I shouldn’t have said that. Ignore me,” he shook his head and I swear he was blushing.

“It’s okay,” I whispered as he put the car in drive and pulled away from the small town.

“No, it’s not, Katy. I was out of line,” he ran his elegant, long, fingers through his hair, making the wet strands stick straight up. With a frustrated groan, he reached over and turned the heat up.

“Jared
, it’s fine,” I reassured him. “I’m not going to go running. I’m here to stay,” I took a deep breath.

He glanced over at me quickly
and then his eyes darted back to the road. “Are you sure? I don’t want to push you away, just because I can’t keep my mouth closed. But damn-” he looked back over at my legs. Chuckling and shaking his head, he said, “You are really trying to kill me.”

I laughed. “I never realized my legs were so distracting.”

He grinned. “Kittycat, they’re the sexiest legs I’ve ever seen and to think, just five minutes ago, I had those beauties wrapped around my waist and your mouth on mine.” He squirmed in the seat and muttered something under his breath.

“Really? They’re so short. I always thought guys liked girls with long legs,” I stretched one out on the dashboard to inspect it.

I was not at all expecting Jared’s reaction to my innocent inquiry.

The car swerved off the road. “Fuck!” Jared exclaimed, but he managed to right the vehicle. “I swear to God, you must be trying to get us killed. Put your leg down before I d
o something I really regret and pull this vehicle over to check them myself.”

“Oh,” I said, and quickly lowered my leg.

Jared shook his head and kept his eyes firmly pinned to the road and nowhere near me. A good ten minutes passed before he spoke. “I don’t care if your legs are long or short, they’re sexy.”

I blushed.

“Katy,” he continued, “I don’t tell you enough because I don’t want you to run from me, but you are so completely beautiful. Inside and out. When I tell you that I love you, I mean it. I love
you
. All of you. The good and the bad.”

I opened my mouth to say something but Jared cut me off.

“There’s no need to say anything, Katy. Just listen to what I told you and remember it. Always remember it,” he looked at me sternly.

I nodded.

He picked up his phone. “I better call the hospital so we can get your cast changed.”

“Oh, I can do that,” I said, digging in my purse for my phone.

Jared put his hand on mine, stilling my movements. “I’ve got this, Katy. Let me take care of my girl.”

“O-o-
kay,” I put my purse down.

He chuckled and started to make the call.

They were swamped at the hospital so they told Jared to take me to the emergency clinic.

Yippee. I was just dying to spend the evening with a bunch of sick people while I waited for a new cast. Every time I went to one of the emergency clinics near the campus, it always ended up taking forever. I was sure tonight, would be no different.

I looked down at my ruined cast and rubbed my fingers over the words Jared had written on it. Even though I was sure this was going to be a pain in my butt, I wouldn’t take back that kiss in the rain. It was perfect.

Jared pulled into the parking lot and I slipped my jeans back on before he helped me out. He surprised me when he enclosed my fingers with his. It surprised me even more when I didn’t have the urge to pull away. A smile lifted my lips.

I was healing.

~***~

We made it home just past dinnertime. My arm was now enclosed in a hot pink cast.

I liked the blue one better and I had detested that thing.

“Hey,” Karlie said, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the couch.

“I picked up subs,” Jared held the paper bag aloft. “I’m tired and don’t feel like making dinner.”

“That’s fine,” Karlie yawned.

Jared sauntered into the kitche
n, placing the bag on the table and then grabbing plates.

“I’m –uh- going to go change,” I muttered, pointing my thumb over my shoulder at the stairs.

Karlie looked at me. “Are you wearing one of Jared’s shirts?”

“We got caught in a downpour,” Jared answered her for me.

I nodded in agreement and made a mad dash for the stairs. I really hoped Jared didn’t tell her about me practically mauling him. I doubted he would though; after all, she was his sister. Plus, Jared didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to kiss and tell.

I changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of my own tees. I was going to have to ask Jared where the washer and dryer were; I really needed to wash my clothes.

Jared and Karlie were fixing their food on plates. I saw my sub already out and fixed for me. I glanced up at Jared and smiled.

“Thanks,” I said, sitting beside Karlie.

Jared shook his head. “There’s nothing to thank me for. I just put your sub on a plate. It’s not that hard.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” I shrugged, taking a bite of my sub. Mayonnaise dotted the corner of my mouth and I hastily wiped it away with a napkin.

“So…” Karlie said, filling the sudden silence. “What did ya’ll do today?”

Jared raised an eyebrow at his sister. “Nosy, much?”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “I don’t have much of a social life. I have to live vicariously through everyone else.”

“Even your brother?” He eyed her.

“Even my brother,” she put her sub down. “You don’t have to tell me. I was just curious.”

“We had a fun day, we went… exploring,” He supplied.

I snorted. Exploring each other’s lips more like it.

Jared grinned over at me and then went back to talking to Karlie. “So, you have no social life? What about school? Rodney?”

Karlie waved her hand. “I hate school and don’t really talk to anyone. And Rodney…” she trailed off. She looked up at her brother with big, pleading brown eyes, “Promise, you won’t get mad?”

“What
did he do?” Jared growled.

“Calm yourself,” Karlie glared. “He didn’t do anything,” she sighed. “He’s just made his… feelings known.”

“Did he touch you?” Jared was about to turn into the Hulk in five seconds if she didn’t calm him down. The veins in his neck had popped out and his hands were clenched into fists.

Karlie snorted. “We’re dance partners, Jared, he kind of has to touch me,” she rolled her eyes.

“I swear, if he did anything inappropriate-”

“Jared, it’s fine. He just wants something that I can’t give him,” she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brother.

Jared paled and his eyes threatened to pop out of his head. “Damn straight, you’re not giving that to him.”

Karlie laughed. “Not
that,
Jared. He just wants to date and I’m not ready for that.”

“Thank you, Jesus!” Jared visibly relaxed. “I think
, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” he put a hand to his chest, over his heart.

“Sorry, you asked,” she picked her sub back up. “I was just being honest.”

“You’re giving me gray hairs,” Jared pointed to his head. “I’m too young for this.”

“It’s not my fault that you’re a worrywart and misconstrue everything I say,” she gave him a look that clearly said he was crazy.

Jared took a sip of his Gatorade. “No more talking about, Rodney. My poor heart can’t take the stress.”

Karlie
giggled.  “Jared, you do realize that one day I’m going to have a boyfriend and I might have… sex,” she gasped for dramatic affect.

Jared slapped his hands over his ears. “No, no, no, no,
no!
That word will never be uttered from your lips, again! At least not in my presence! Nope!” he shook his head. “Never. Oh God,” he hung his head, “I’m going to have to lock you away. No one is ever touching you.”

“It’s going to happen someday, Jared,” Karlie wiped at the condensation that had formed on her glass of water. “I
am
going to get married and have kids.”

Jared looked up at the ceiling. “And I pray I’m dead when it happens because I will kill the bastard.”

“You’re worse than most dads,” Karlie huffed.

“Maybe,” Jared glared at her, “that’s because not only am I your brother, but I’ve practically raised you. Double w
hammy.”

“
Woohoo, lucky me,” Karlie dead panned.

I just sat there, watching the siblings banter back and forth. My head swiveling from side to side like someone watching a tennis match.

Suddenly, Karlie broke protocol and looked at me. “Katy, you’re gonna have to help me with this one. I do plan on dating sometime before I’m thirty.”

“Not going to happen, Karls,” Jared growled. “You’re too young to date.”

Karlie rolled her pretty brown eyes. “You’re not the boss of me, Jare.”

“Actually, since Dan and Patsy signed rights over to me, I am your ‘boss’. You’re my responsibility, Karlie. I won’t let you ruin your future by getting involved with some douche
and ending up pregnant. What happened to you wanting to go to Joffrey?”

“Joffrey is my plan, Jared, you know that. I was just joking around. I certainly don’t plan on throwing my future away
for a one-night stand. Stop getting your panties in a bunch,” she said, softly.

Finally, I interrupted. “What’s Joffrey?”

Karlie and Jared both turned to look at me.

“It’s a ballet school in New York City. They’ve already been scouting me, which is highly unusual. Julliard has taken a look too, but I doubt I’ll get in there. They’re highly exclusive,” Karlie explained.

“Wow, that’s incredible,” I truly was in awe. “I didn’t realize that you were so serious about ballet. I guess I thought it was just a hobby.”

Karlie tucked a piece of bright red-orange hair behind her ear. “I guess
ballet has always been an escape for me, just like MMA is for Jared. I love it and I’m really good at it. I’m very fortunate that some of the best dance schools are interested in me. It makes it more real, that maybe I really can live my dream.”

“That’s awesome,” I said,
lacking for anything better to say. But it really was incredible. Seeing Karlie perform, I knew she was amazing, but hearing this made it all more real.

Karlie smiled. “Thanks, hopefully nothing changes in the next two years. I want it so bad.”

“As long as you don’t give up, it’ll happen,” I told her, smiling reassuringly.

“Thanks, Katy,” she smiled.

We finished our dinner and I helped Jared wash the plates and glasses before heading upstairs for a shower.

Dressed in sweatpants and a tank, I made my way to Jared’s room. Butterflies descended on my stomach.  I thought about asking him to sleep on the couch tonight, but if I was honest with myself, I really didn’t want him to.

I opened his bedroom door and found him stretched out on the bed in plaid pajama pants and shirtless. His arms were crossed behind his head, leaving his chest completely open to my view.

My eyes roamed over every dip and curve, marveling at how smooth his skin was. My eyes stopped when the reached the light dusting of brown hair below his belly button.