“I couldn’t even let you leave my apartment last night because I was more afraid you wouldn’t come back than I was of what Randy might do.” He wiped his face, seemingly frustrated as he continued. “I don’t leave my house often because of shit like that. I’m too afraid of what I might do, what my reactions will be if shit goes wrong. Sometimes I can’t control it, so I go out of my way to avoid it. I’m fucked up, Hilary.”

“Jay—”

He cut me off with his gaze as he looked up at me, more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. “I’m in love with you, Hilary. I’m totally and completely in love with you and I have been for a while.”

Still raw with emotion, I let my tears fall. “I love you too, Jayden.”

He let out a long breath as I towered over him, raising his hands and running his fingers through my hair before bringing my mouth to his. “You do?” he asked sweetly as I nodded. “So much.”

He crushed his mouth to mine as I wrapped myself in his kiss. When our tender lip lock turned hungry, he pulled away. “Let’s go inside.”

Still wrapped in a towel, I pushed him back against the chair then pulled down his shorts, letting his hard length spring free as I stroked it with my hand. Before he could object, I pulled my swim bottoms to the side and took him inside me slowly, inch by delicious inch. We both gasped at the feeling as Jayden looked around us cautiously before returning his gaze back up to me, eyes blazing. The world was still asleep as he began to move in perfect rhythm. “I could never lose you, baby. Not you,” he croaked out, sounding desperate as I covered him in me. I leaned forward, taking his mouth. “You won’t, Jayden, I promise.”

With his deep blue eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, morning stubble rough against my hand, and his mouth parted, he’d never looked more beautiful. He lifted me up, pushing his shorts down further and burying himself inside me, wrapping his arms around my waist and murmuring into my chest.

“I love you, Jayden,” I repeated as he feathered kisses over my neck, his throbbing cock stealing the rest of my words away. I came minutes later as he looked up at me.

“Come here,” he whispered before taking my mouth and thrusting his tongue in, keeping rhythm with his hips. He was greedy for more as he circled and pushed deeper, and I rode out another orgasm, gripping his shoulders. He looked up at me as he came, giving me his noises, his expression, and I knew then I would never love anyone else the same.

Two weeks later, I found myself at the dinner table with Alexis and Jayden. Shortly after our bad night with Randy, our world resumed as if it had never happened. I could sense Jay’s melancholy at the loss of his friend, but he refused to talk about it. In truth, that night had brought us closer together as a couple. Each time he whispered he loved me, I felt nothing but elated.

I’d fallen so far, so fast for him, but my fear of getting hurt no longer existed. My heart was carefree, had already accepted the gift given. Jayden still took special care to court me in an old school manner by putting actual pen to paper, leaving me reminders of his love all over the apartment. Most of them were borrowed lyrics from songs he loved, some of them were sexual, and some were nagging reminders for things like putting the lid back on the toothpaste, which always earned him an eye roll.

Tonight, Jayden had insisted on cooking dinner when I’d told him about my overbearing sister’s plans to come and check him out. I’d told him as much as I could about Alexis as he grilled me while he prepped for dinner. He seemed unusually nervous, so I had pulled down his pants an hour before she arrived, calming him in the way I knew might work, in addition to making him a fresh pot of coffee.

Jay said the coffee was a stimulant and had the opposite effect on him than it did most people. He’d been sharing with me more and more about the reasons behind his idiosyncrasies. He’d said he’d stopped taking the medicine in his cabinets years ago and had learned to deal with his “shit” on his own. I didn’t fight him on it, because in truth, I didn’t really ever see a need to. Every day I learned something new about my love, and everyday had created a new memory.

Now at the table, he gripped my hand, giving it a quick squeeze as Alexis took a bite of his mother’s famous chicken casserole.

“Holy shit, this is amazing!” Alexis looked to me, her curly brown hair piled on top of her head, brown eyes bulging as she moaned in appreciation.

“Told you.” I smiled with pride as I looked to Jayden, who winked conspiratorially.

We sat through only a few minutes of forced conversation before it became natural. The wine flowed as the laughter poured out, and I found myself smiling like an idiot between the two. When dinner was done, we kept residence at the table.

Alexis looked at Jayden with amusement. Jayden, still slightly nervous under Alexis’ scrutinizing eyes, kept the wine flowing and got up when the music stopped to start a new playlist. He’d also told me music was the greatest coping mechanism for him when he couldn’t get quietude. He sat back down and sipped his wine.

I grabbed my glass as a few minutes of silence followed.

“So, Jay, what do you do?”

“I already told you, Lexi, he’s a woodworker.” She gave me an ‘eat shit’ look and turned to Jayden for her explanation.

He grinned and answered, “I’m a woodworker.” Alexis giggled and it was then that I realized she was crushing on my man. Alexis didn’t giggle. “Really, my uncle and I make custom cabinets and furniture. I like the design aspect and he’s more hands on.”

“That’s really cool,” she said, her wine buzz showing in her reddening cheeks. A knock at the door puzzled me as I looked to Jayden. “You expecting someone?”

“Owen is supposed to stop by with an order,” he said with a wink. “Excuse me.”

He met Owen at the door, and curiosity got the best of me as he greeted us and my eyes bulged as I noticed how handsome he was. He had been my second option in the job department. He was older, probably around thirty-five, with dark, sandy blond hair and tan skin. He had an athletic build and almond-shaped, green eyes. It surprised me that Jayden would trust me to work with a friend so good looking considering his jealous streak. But then again, I could be surrounded by a sea of penises and would zero in on Jay’s without hesitation. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d noticed another man. It was as if that world had disappeared.

Alexis stiffened when Owen walked into the living room, continuing to sip her wine, her eyes deadlocked on our visitor.

Alexis likey.

He greeted us both warmly. Jay insisted, after a slight hesitation on Owen’s part, for him to join us. Jay set a plate down and Owen declined dinner but agreed to a beer. He seemed to do a slight double take as he surveyed my sister, and I couldn’t help but notice Jay’s subtle smile as he noticed it, too.

That’s when I realized that Owen dropping by was not just coincidence. I narrowed my eyes at Jayden across the table as his gaze averted from mine. He gave me a shrug as Alexis and Owen struck up a conversation. I sucked my lips in my mouth and slowly shook my head, letting him know I was onto to him. He mouthed “I love you” and was instantly out of trouble.

An hour later, we decided to head to the living room with our booze and conversation. Alexis was all but too happy to keep Owen company as Jayden and I cleared the dishes.

“Slick, baby, but you know the whole point of this was for you to get to know my family,” I said, wrapping my arms around his waist as he scrubbed dried casserole off one of the plates.