“I’ll see you in two hours at your house,” I said, forcing lightness into my voice.
Jake exhaled, some of the tension easing from his tone. “I can’t wait.”
I hung up before I could second-guess myself.
The dress clung to my body so perfectly, its silky fabric gliding over my skin as I adjusted the straps in front of the mirror. Midnight blue. One of the many expensive dresses Kester had bought for me, but this one-this one he had been particularly possessive over.
“Wear it for me, Kasmine. Only me.” I remembered the way he had said it in his usual dark and unapologetically claiming voice… Remembered the way his fingers had trailed down my spine as he zipped it up in the dressing room of the mall, his lips pressing into the curve of my neck, as he whispered the words, “You are beautiful to a
And now, here I was, wearing it for someone else.
I ran my hands down the smooth fabric, ignoring the way my stomach twisted. Kester wouldn’t find out.
But why did it feel like a betrayal?
Jake’s house was small, tucked into a quiet street where the glow of streetlights bathed the cracked sidewalks in soft gold. His uncle’s car was parked in the driveway, but the living room lights were dim when I knocked.
I barely had time to lower my hand before the door swung open, and Jake’s face lit up like he had been waiting all his life just for this moment.
Gods, his smile. It was easy, genuine, the kind that could sujooth out any rough edge in the world. And for the briefest second, I wished I could love him the way he deserved to be loved.
“You’re here.” His eyes flickered down my body, admiration flashing in his expression before he masked it with a grin. “You look-“He exhaled a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Wow.”
I forced a smile, stepping inside. “Don’t act so surprised.”
“Not surprised. Just… impressed.”
The house smelled like cinnamon and something sweet. Jake led me through the narrow hallway, past the familiar framed photos of his uncle’s family, and then stopped at his bedroom door.
“Wait here,” he said, slipping inside before I could see anything. A few seconds later, he peeked out, his grin widening. “Okay, now.”
I arched a brow but stepped in, and-
Soft candlelight flickered across the small space, casting golden glows on the walls, Fairy lights were strung above his bed, their warm bulbs twinkling like fallen stars. A blanket was spread on the floor, set up like a picnic, with plates of food carefully arranged-spaghetti, garlic bread, and a small chocolate cake in the center.
My heart clenched.
It was simple. Nothing extravagant, nothing lavish. But it was Jake. It was effort and thoughtfulness. And after three days of feeling like I was drowning, it was the first time I felt something other than regret pressing against my ribs.
I turned to him, my throat tight. “You did all this?”
He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Didn’t have a fancy place to take you, so I figured… why not bring the date here?” His smile softened. “This way, we can eat and talk without any distractions.”
Something inside me ached at the sincerity in his voice.
Goddess, why did he have to be like this? Why did he have to be so good? 1
I stepped further in, running my fingers along the checkered blanket. “Jake…”
“You like it?”
I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I love it
And for tonight, I decided, I would let myself love the moment, too.
KASMINE.
The scent of garlic and butter filled my nostrils, the soft hus of a movie filling the quiet room as I twirled a forkful of spaghetti around my fingers. The fairy lights above us cast a golden glow over Jake’s face, highlighting the quiet adoration in his eyes every time he looked at me. And he looked at me a lot. Like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
I tried to focus on the movie. Some sappy romance Claire hd gushed about weeks ago, where the leads were caught in an angsty, slow-bun love that made my chest for tight.
I shouldn’t have agreed to this movie.
Because all it did was remind me of another setting. Another room. Another man..
Kester.
I had beercurled up on the couch in his living room, flipping through movie options, when he had grabbed the remote from my hand and chosen a film I never would’ve expected him to watch. A romance.
We had watched in an uncomfortable silence until that cursed scene where the male lead pressed the heroine against the bed and fucked her. I felt Kester shift beside me.)
I turned my head just enough to catch the way his chest rose and fell. The way his fingers flexed against his thigh. The way his eyes darkened, heat simmering behind them as if he had been picturing something else.
Something involving me. Before I felt the hard outline of his erection poking my ankle….
I took a slow breath.
No.
Tonight wasn’t for Kester. It wasn’t about him in any way.
Tonight was for Jake.
So, I forced myself to look at him.
To really look at him.
His dark eyes were already on me as if he had been waiting for me to meet his gaze. He had that soft, patient smile
-the kind that made my heart squeeze for all the right and wrong reasons.
I let myself take in the way his dark hair fell messily over his forehead, and his jaw clenched just slightly. whenever I caught him staring at me for too long as if he was fighting the urge to say something he wasn’t sure I was ready to hear.
I set my fork down, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of my dress-Kester’s dress. Guilt pricked at me, but I shoved it down. Jake didn’t deserve my half-hearted attention. He didn’t deserve to be a second thought.
So, I did something I hadn’t done in a long time. I leaned in resting my chin in my palm, and let a small, genuine smile tug at my lips. “You keep looking at me like that,” I teased, tilting my head, “starting to think you have something to say to me.”
Jake let out a breathless chuckle, his fingers playing with a strand of my hair. “What if I do?”
The atmosphere between us shifted, something heavier settling in the space where easy conversation used to be.
I should have laughed it off. I should have made a joke and steered us back to safe waters.
But I didn’t. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “Jake…”
His fingers shifted from my hair to the side of my cheek, caressing gently as he looked into my eyes in a way that made my heart melt.
His thumb stroked my cheek, his touch featherlight, as if afraid I might pull away. I couldn’t breathe. Not with the way he was looking at me.
I let myself drown in the warmth of his touch, in the quiet longing in his dark eyes.
Then, slowly, as if giving me time to stop him, Jake leaned in. His lips brushed against mine, soft and unhurried.
It felt like a gentle question.
And for once, I didn’t hesitate. I answered him.
I kissed him back.
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