Best Friend’s Brother: Best Friend's Brother Romance (5 page)

They sat in silence for a while.  Listening for the birds, and the cars that drove by.  It was a nice summer afternoon.

There was a low buzz, and Lauryn dug around in the tight pocket of her pants to get out her phone.

“Yellow?  Yes.  Mhmm….Yes I am.  Sure.  It’s for you,” Lauryn handed her cell phone to Zooey.  She looked on the screen before putting it to her ear.  The call was coming from Lauryn’s house.

“Hello?”

It was Jake.

“
Hey.  I wanted to apologize for last night
,” he sounded so close.  And if he was calling from his house, then he actually was.  He could have come over to talk.

“No.  I imposed.  You wanted to be alone.”

“
I didn’t want to be alone, Zoo.  I just didn’t want to be there at that time.  I wasn’t expecting you.”

“That’s ok.”

“
What are you doing today?  Let me make it up to you
.”

Zooey paused.  The answer was yes, she knew she was going to say yes...but if she responded immediately then it would have given everything away.  She didn’t want to be so sure about him if he didn’t seem to be sure about her.

“Nothing to make up, but I’d like to see you,” she replied honestly.

“
Great.  We could go for a walk to Piedmont Point, if you’re up for it
.”

Piedmont Point was the largest rock formation in the area.  There were hiking trails from all around that led up to the peak.  This wasn’t an everyday walk; this was something that would take over an hour to do.  Zooey had never hiked before, despite Lauryn and even her own mother begging her to come sometimes.  Zooey had given into yoga when Lauryn started doing it with Kady, but the hiking thing was something she was always scared of.  No matter how long she knew her best friend, the idea of walking alone with someone for hours made her uneasy.  What could be said?  What could happen?

“I’ve never been.”

“
I know
.”

“It’s a pretty long trail.”

“
I know
.”

“Fine.  I’ll come.”

There was static on the phone for a moment, and then,

“
I know.  We can go in an hour to make it before sunset
.”

He hung up the phone without another word.  Zooey smiled to herself, forgetting that she was around company.

“So am I walking home...or are you gonna give me a ride?” Lauryn smirked.  Zooey blushed, and handed her her phone.

“I’ll give you a ride.  Going hiking with Jake.”

Lauryn kept the wide smile on her face, like she had orchestrated the whole thing.

Chapter Four

“I tell you, gonna fall out that window one day,” Lauryn hopped out of Zooey’s little jeep and looked up at her brother.  He was upstairs in his room, leaning over the window and watching them.

“Only if I know you’d be here to catch me, dear sister,” he said in a pompous English accent.  Lauryn scoffed.

“I wouldn’t be.”

“Always charming sis!  I love ya!” he laughed and blew her a kiss.  She caught it and smiled.  She turned to hug Zooey.

“I’m gonna see what Ryan is up to today.  You crazy kids have fun!” she stepped inside the house, leaving Zooey outside leaning on her car.  Jake was no longer at the window, he was probably making his way down to her.

Sure enough, the dark green door of the Savage home was open once again.  Jake had a large ARMY bag with him.  Zooey packed light.  She brought some water, and a few snacks, but Jake looked like he was prepared to disappear for a day or two.  That wouldn’t have been all that terrible, Zooey thought as he made his way closer to her.

She turned around, and opened the passenger door.

“Chivalrous,” he said, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before sliding into the seat of the jeep.  He leaned over and pulled up the lock on her door while he closed the door that had just been opened for him.

Zooey got into the car, asked that he put on a seatbelt, and the two made their way to the Piedmont Point hiking trail.

They made it in good time.  The sun wasn’t too close to setting, but it wasn’t beating down on them either.  Zooey tried not to get too awkward around him.  It was weird for her to be.  She never was before.

“I really like out here,” she took in her surroundings.  It was a short forest trail that led out into a desert.  Piedmont Point could be seen from any direction, so it was impossible to get lost.  Zooey was beginning to understand all the fuss the people in her life made over this place.

Jake smiled nervously at her, but kept his head down.

“Really sorry about last ni-”

“You really don’t have to keep apologizing for something that bothers you.  Lots of things bother me.  Potatoes bother me, and I’m not apologizing to anyone for that,” Zooey wanted to hit herself.  This was like the time in 9th grade when she had been “in love” with Mark Melamed and told him “got the runs!” rather than “gotta run!”.  She stumbled over her words, and laughed at the end of her sentences whether they were funny or not.

“I’m also sorry about that kiss…” Jakob’s eyes met hers.  They connected and stayed connected.  Zooey didn’t know what to say.

“It’s ok.”

“No.  You were drunk.  I should have known better.”

“It’s ok.  You were drunk too,” Zooey nudged him on the shoulder with her shoulder.  She had to tiptoe to come close to his height.

“I don’t drink, Zoo.  I haven’t had a drink in almost 2 years.”

Zooey could have sworn she had seen him drinking.  Did that mean that he had meant to kiss her?  It wasn’t a mistake.  But now he was apologizing.

“You probably saw me with a can of ginger ale,” he laughed.  Zooey shook her head and laughed too.

“Why did you quit drinking?”

“For me, it doesn’t serve the purpose it serves other people.  That and I thought it was time for me to grow up.  Though I can hold my liquor better than some babies I know.”

“Hey!” her eyes widened, and she punched at him playfully.  He chuckled and dodged the attack.

“What?  I am older and wiser than you, young lady,” he flashed her a smile then.  He was in front of her, but his body was at an angle that he could see her easily if anything happened.  They had begun their ascension of the point.  They reached a rest stop with a few huge rocks.  Some were easy to climb, but two took some work.  Jakob made it to the second largest one, and held out his hand for her to take.  She grabbed hold and hoisted herself atop the rock he was on.

“You’re less than 2 years older than me!” Zooey laughed when she was safely in place.

“Then I’m less than 2 years wiser.”

“Guys don’t mature like we do.  Try again.”

“Maturity and wisdom aren’t necessarily interchangeable,” he winked at her.  She was about to ask him how one could be wise and immature at the same time, and then she realized who she was talking to.  Amidst all of his weirdness, there was always clarity.  Then Zooey realized that maybe he was never weird at all.  Jake had always made sense to her.  He didn’t express himself like anyone else she knew, yet there was a way to decipher whatever he talked about.  She could sit on this rock all day.  Just sit and listen to him speak.

"What's something interesting about you that I don't know?" Jakob asked.  Zooey squinted her eyes as she thought.  Jakob knew a lot about her.  They had spent a lot of time together growing up, and even though they hadn't really had time alone together to get to know each other, Zooey couldn't think of anything worth saying.  All she could think of were stories about her family, or things in college she had done.  What did she know about herself that was worth knowing?

"It doesn't have to be a secret.  No pressure.  Don't get a headache," he said after a while.  He could see the look on her face.  He was right.  She was thinking too much about herself and the situation.  She was too busy thinking what he would find interesting, instead of just having a normal conversation with someone who had been her friend for years.

“My middle name is John,” she blurted out.

“What?” he laughed.  It sounded genuine, and Zooey could feel the freckles on her face light up.  She blushed.

“Not even Lauryn knows.  I tell everyone I don’t have a middle name.  But my mom really likes that song Two Days In February.  And John Rzeznik.  Something to do with my dad,” the words tumbled out of Zooey like she’d been waiting a lifetime to say them.  Jakob studied her face.  He reached over and took her hand and squeezed.  He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want to talk about this any further.  He was going to be patient with her since she had always been so patient with him.

“O Star, the fairest one in sight,

We grant your loftiness the right

To some obscurity of cloud

It will not do to say of night,

Since dark is what brings out your light.

Some mystery becomes the proud.

But to be wholly taciturn

In your reserve is not allowed.

Say something to us we can learn

By heart and when alone repeat.

Say something, and it says, ‘I burn.’

But say with what degree of heat.”

She was holding her breath the entire time he recited the poem to her.  She had no idea why it was making her cry now.

“Choose Something Like A Star.  Robert Frost,” he said as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.  They didn’t stop, but he kept wiping them away intermittently with his thumbs.  He smiled at her, and let her cry.

A long deep sigh floated from Zooey’s core.  That cry was something she needed.

“What’s your favorite constellation?” he asked.  It was random.  He was still grinning widely at her.  The way he looked made her smile too.

“The Big Dipper.  That’s basically the only one I know.  You?”

“Orion.  I can see a part of it on your face.” Jakob drew a line with his thumb from one part of her right cheek to the next.  It was such a tender touch.  It was like he had never gone away to war.  Maybe it was because now he recognized he was completely free, and never had to go back.

He gently poked a spot.  “There is Betelgeuse,” he traced to another point, “and here is Bellatrix.”

“You can show me after the sun sets,” Zooey boldly leaned forward and gave Jakob a soft kiss on his lips.  She pulled away, too shy to do anything further.  Jakob’s blue eyes followed her.  The way she blushed matched the dusk of the sky.  She had become one with everything around them.

“Kiss me again,” his voice made Zooey smile.  They kissed.  It wasn’t wild like it had been a few nights before.  This time was slow and soft.

They pulled away from each other, and avoided looking each other in the eyes.  They were both smiling, but too shy to say anything.  Jakob gave Zooey’s hand a squeeze and started to collect himself.  It was time to move on.  There wasn’t that much sunlight left, and Zooey didn’t pack anything for hiking down the rock at night.

Jakob slid off the rock.  Balancing himself on the smaller rock they had used to hoist themselves up on.  He tossed down his bag and helped Zooey down.  He took out his phone from his pocket and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  He smiled, and she tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek.  He took the picture like that, and chuckled when he showed it to her.  He put his phone back into his pocket, and they continued their trek up to the peak.