Best Friend’s Brother: Best Friend's Brother Romance Read online

  “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.

  They talked about their time apart. She told him about doing Journalism in college, but not really feeling fulfilled once she got her degree. She was thinking about getting into music, like her mom. She wanted to be a producer, and maybe do jazz vocals over interesting beats. She’d made a few, but she was only ever brave enough to share with Lauryn; who of course loved all of her work.

  Jakob had majored in creative writing when he had started college, of course. It was his engineering skills and Thomas Hardy’s “Drummer Hodge” that were the deciding factors for him to join the army. "Drummer Hodge" was also the poem he recited at Nathaniel’s funeral. He admitted, during their hike, that poetry was pretty much responsible for all of the major decisions he had made in his life.

  “When did you realize that?”

  “I think it was from the first time I recited some Hardy to you,” the memory made him smile. Zooey knew that memory well. She remembered that it was “How Great My Grief”, and she was confused at first as to what he was saying, but when she read it again for herself, she knew that it was meant from her. Jakob didn’t know what was happening in her life, and the persona was asking for him to. Jakob understood her in a way that required poetry to decipher what it was that he really felt, or what he thought she may have tr
uly felt.

  “Jake,” Zooey said after a pause, “can I ask what we’re doing?”

  Bemused, Jakob took hold of Zooey’s hand and moved her farther away from the edge. The trail was getting more and more narrow as they ascended. He wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I don’t know right now. There are so many things I’ve been trying to figure out and piece together since I’ve been back. Like where to work, or what to do in general actually. Do I go back to school later on?”

  Zooey nodded when he didn't continue. She didn’t want to be selfish. He had been through so much in the last few years. If she asked him where her place was in his life, it would be like she was dismissing all of his experiences. She didn’t want that.

  The sun had almost set, and they had finally reached the peak. There were a few stars twinkling beyond the horizon, inviting the moon to come and join them. It was breathtaking.

  “I wasn’t expecting you Zooey,” Jakob said. “You were always there...I just wasn’t expecting you.”

  Chapter Five

  The next few days went on like this. Zooey spent a lot of time at home with her brother. She was working on her music. Newly inspired, she started creating jazz and ethereal beats that reminded her of what it was like for her being a kid, and how much life had changed now that she knew who it was that she loved the most.

  Isaiah was good company, and wise beyond his years. He would take Zooey’s House of Marley headphones and turn up the volume to listen to her progress. She was newly inspired by music from Gregory Porter and Nouvelle Vague. The music she created soothed Isaiah, but also kept him on his toes. Finding anything that didn’t bore a three year old was a gift. Finding anything that didn’t bore a three year old, but also had the ability to make one go to sleep, was miraculous.

  Zooey didn’t call Jakob. She didn’t send him any texts or message him on Facebook or anything. It wasn’t a game. She didn’t want to see if he was thinking of her, or if he would call first. She wanted to give him time. She wanted to give herself time. If she could avoid going down that waterfall in a barrel she would. She would only give in if she knew that it was completely worth it, because she already knew that he was.

  “Good morning.”

  She was in her room working on a new drum and base beat she had created when she got a text from Jakob. It came just a little over a week after the hike. They didn’t kiss again, or talk about what came next with them. They hiked down from the point just talking. It was nice. There was no pressure there.

  “Good morning. How are you?”

  “I’m great. Wanna run errands with me today?”

  “Sure. When?”

  “I hope u took a shower cuz I’m already in front of ur house.”

  Zooey laughed out loud when she got the text. She had in headphones so she couldn’t hear what was going on around her, or outside her bedroom.

  She took off her headphones and peered out the window. Jakob was sitting in his car. He was bobbing his head up and down, listening to something with a good beat. He didn’t know she was watching him. That made her smile. He was just being a silly mess in the car. Zooey watched as he gripped the steering wheel, closed his eyes and belted out lyrics in the car. He was singing “Living On A Prayer”, she was going to bet.

  Zooey opened her bedroom window and started flailing her arms. It took a while for Jakob to see her. He turned down the volume and wound his window down. He was all smiles. She melted when she looked at him. He’d never looked so happy to see her before.

  “Bon Jovi!” she screamed.

  “Huh?” he shut off the music in his car. She repeated what she said. He laughed at her and shook his head. “Home. Framing Hanley, but nice try. I think Bon Jovi’s on this playlist. You ready?”

  “Gotta shower and breakfast,” she called out.

  “Go ahead and shower. I’ve got my music,” he said patiently. Zooey went back inside, and Jakob went back to his music.

  Zooey raced to her closet and pulled out a shirt and pants. No pressure she kept thinking to herself. She moved as quickly as she could as she got ready.

  "Mom, can you watch ZyZy? Going out!" she called out when she was finally ready.

  "Sure, going out with Laur?" Kady was already with Isaiah. He was watching cartoons, and she was reading and drinking tea on the couch.

  "With Jake actually," Zooey said as she put on her shoes.

  "Jakob Savage?" Kady's eyes widened, and her mouth curled up into a surprised smile.

  "Yeah...why?" Zooey avoided her mother's look, but that made it all the more obvious.

  "Nothing. Nothing at all," Kady said. Isaiah looked up from the TV for a second. "But you and Jake huh? Since when?"

  "Not long. I mean...well, since never actually. He’s sort of figuring things out. We're just hanging out today," Zooey said.

  Kady's eyes went back to her paper, but her attention was still on Zooey and her movements.

  "Ok. Have fun. But..." Kady stopped herself.

  "But what?"

  "Be careful of a man who hasn't decided what you are to him."

  Kady said nothing more. She was back to being fully engaged in what she was reading now. Isaiah was back to watching TV. Zooey knew her mother was looking out for her, but she didn't want to pressure or confuse herself more than she already had.

  Jakob opened the door for Zooey when she was outside. He thought it was only fair since she had held the door open for him.

  They laughed and listened to music. Jakob was doing some things for his father, which also meant he was doing some things for himself. He had to see a few people on his dad's behalf. It was giving him something to do before he got a stable enough job.

  Zooey helped when she could. She was mostly there to boost morale. Whenever she offered to help, Jakob always declined. He appreciated the company, and that was all he needed. They had spent most of the afternoon together. They didn’t even keep track of the time until they noticed the sun starting to set.

  “Just need to make one more stop,” Jakob said as he turned onto a familiar dirt path. He was heading toward Carla Mennez’ house.

  *

  “Aren’t we trespassing?” when they got to Carla’s house, Zooey and Jakob got out of the car and started moving toward the barn. Zooey’s eyes darted around and she crouched just a bit while she walked, getting ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

  “I doubt it.”

  “What are we doing here?” Zooey squeaked. It was bad enough that they were there, but she didn’t even know why it was they needed to be there.

  “Just checking in on the horses and feeding her dogs.”

  The barn looked so different in the day. It seemed bigger now that there was light seeping through all of the cracks. The stable looked like it had been recently cleaned. The four horses looked up and exhaled sharply at the intruders. They grew bored quickly and settled down. Jakob was satisfied enough with the horses, and started heading out to feed the dogs.

  Carla had a large dog that was mixed with too many things for it to have a definite breed, and a small labradoodle by the name of Moxie. The big dog was Bruce, and he roamed around the property mostly. Moxie was a housedog, but now that Jakob was here, she could spend some time playing with Bruce outside. Jakob opened the door to Carla’s large home. Zooey didn’t feel comfortable walking in, so she stayed on the porch and watched Bruce.

  Bruce’s ears were perked up, and he shimmied to the left and right of her, making sure not to get too close. Jakob came out of the house with a small curly haired dog in tow. Moxie wriggled in his arms. She moved her head around wildly in search of a face she could recognize.

  “Hey Zoo, can you get me their bowls? They’re in the kitchen by the archway,” Jakob was too busy inspecting the puppy’s paws, and looking for ticks and fleas to notice the look of horror flash on Zooey’s face. How could it be after so many years that she was still so uncomfortable she couldn’t even go into Carla’s home to help feed her dogs? It was si
lly. Zooey moved past Jakob and stepped inside.

  Carla’s house was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. The interior looked like a cottage straight out of an HGTV magazine. Zooey moved into the kitchen and found their bowls. She was going to have to make two trips. She took the food and water bowl of Bruce, whose bowls were bigger and silver, and went back out onto the porch. That excited Bruce enough that he hopped from side to side and spun around. Zooey went back inside and got Moxie’s bowls.

  By this time, Moxie was calmly lying in one of Jakob’s hands and slowly pedaling all four of her legs, as if to swim away slowly. She sniffed the air and yawned. Jakob walked over to Zooey, and put the puppy in her hands. Moxie started wiggling again. She had just gotten used to Jakob. Zooey rubbed the puppy all over her fur and snuggled with her.