Chapter 41: Jack's Confession

Both Jack and I were left startled by the sudden jerk of the car that made me fall into him though he looked far more flustered than I was. His ears were red as he stuttered with a concerned response. “Are you alright?”

I had half the mind of stapping on my seatbelt after that awkward situation. “I’m fine. Just focus on the road, will ya?”

There was silence between us until he attempted to communicate with me after hearing the hint of sass in my tone. “So… why suddenly call me to come get you? Not that I don’t mind or anything.” that smile of his finally returned to his face. “It’s always pleasant being around you.”

I scoffed sarcastically with a roll of my eyes. “Har har. I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a tease.”

“Why not both?”

My frown softly turned into a grin as I chuckled with amusement. “You’ll always be pleasant to be around too.” I eventually looked out the window, watching the glowing streetlights fly by as we drove. “I was just getting suffocated again… that’s all.”

Jack briefly glanced away from the road and looked at me with worry. “Your eyes say otherwise. You looked distraught when you came in the car.”

“I’m not distraught about anything!” I instantly snapped, that single word made me feel as if I was being described as weak. I huffed and leaned back in my seat while crossing my arms and staring dead ahead. I did have half the mind of confiding in him but thankfully my memory struck me before my tongue could slip.

*Ah, right. Everybody thinks Julian is my boyfriend. Greeeeeat…*

“...It’s my stepbrother. He’s been a real pain in my ass lately and I don’t know what to do about it. I mean, it's not like I can avoid him… we live under the same roof. Not to mention my mom would get so worried that her hair would fall out. I don’t want to give her any stress. Not when…” I hesitated with my next words before finally sighing and mumbling them quietly. “...Not when she’s finally happy. I haven’t seen her this happy since, well, before Dad died…”

“Hmm.” Jack’s lips pursed in thought as if he were trying to think up a solution to my situation. “Usually you scare people off pretty easily just by you being you so he must be really resilient to you… being, uh, you. Just you in general.”

I shot Jack the stink eye. “I get it. You can stop saying you now.”

A small smile crossed his lips out of humor before trying to act serious again. “I get that your mom’s mental health comes first. Hell, I’d do the same. But…” Jack peeked at me in the corner of his eye. “Somehow it feels like your stepbrother is getting to you a little too much. Did something happen between the two of you? Like, did he try to make a move on you?”

My jaw clutched but I did my best to keep my cool. The image of Julian’s muscular, naked body flashed through my mind and I could feel my cheeks instantly heat up. I quickly turned my head away and looked out the window in an attempt to hide my face with my hair. “Pfft, of course not! He’d never have the balls to do something like that. Ha.”

One of Jack’s eyebrows lifted with curiosity as he glanced at me again. “Riiight… anyway, you can come to spend the night at my place if you want. It’s been a while since you’ve camped out with me.” he flashed me a mischievous grin with his next words. “I won’t bite, I promise.”

I would’ve laughed at his dumb slyness and taken his offer but the thought of Julian crossed my mind again. “I don’t think that’d be a great idea. I–” I caught myself from saying something that may raise questions later. “I don’t want to make my mom worry.”

*Right. Mom. Not Julian. Mom. Julian can go fuck himself. I need to get home to Mom… not Julian…*

I repeatedly told myself that in an attempt to get myself to believe my own mixed emotions. “Though not gonna lie, I could really use a drink…” I mumbled while running my fingers through my long, floppy, curly locks.

“I thought you’d never ask!” his voice turned more entertained as he put pressure on the gas peddle, speeding us up rapidly. I couldn’t lie, it felt good being around Jack. Though I loved all of my boys, being around Jack was a little more special to me. Maybe it was because we were closer in age or more compatible with our personalities. Either way, I was glad I could spend my troubled time tonight with him.

We went back to his place and drank some beers. A couple turning into a few and a few turning into… well, a lot. Beer wasn’t exactly my favorite but it was his and all he had so I didn’t complain.

“You know, SuSu,” Jack slurred as he swayed back and forth. Watching him give his hiccup made me wonder if he was in shape to drive me home now.

“What is it?” I questioned him when he didn’t finish his sentence. “Spit it out. I’m about to pass out cold.”

“You… sloo ah…” he slurred words that I couldn’t even make out this time.

“What?? If you don’t talk properly, I’mma smack the sober back into ya.”

“No, I–” he rubbed one of his eyes as if he were getting sleepy. “I always wanted to, to say that I… I, uh… what was I going to say again…?” I stared at him blankly till he practically had a lightbulb lit up over his head. “Everybody thought you were scary, but, I always thought you were cool. You were… you reminded me of someone invincible. Like, like a superhero… or somethin’...”

I stared at Jack wide-eyed in silence until speaking. “Yeah, you’re drunk off your rocker. I’m far from a hero, bud, you know that better than anyone.”

To my surprise, the look in Jack’s eyes turned sad. “Yeah… I’d like to think otherwise…” and with that, my ride fell over and started snoring. I smacked my palm to my forehead.

*Fucking hell. I knew this would happen.*

As I stared down at him, I couldn’t help but smile to myself ever so slightly. I had never been told something like that before, and though it sounded like the joke of a century, not counting my mother telling me she wanted me to have a peaceful life with a family of my own, I was still touched that Jack thought that highly of me.

*He puts his admiration in the wrong fuckin’ person… that’s for sure.*

Maybe it was from spending too much time with Julian but I felt a feeling in my chest that I had only ever felt with him. A feeling that made me lean down and kiss Jack’s cheek.