“I liked you, before that night. Jeff showed me your picture, and he talked about you a lot. Regardless of how he treated you, I know my cousin loved you, but yeah. I think I started to crush on you because of what he’d say and then I met you in person, and you were more, you know? So I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t using you or anything. I would’ve dated you too, or pursued dating you, but you disappeared the next morning, and Jeff told me later you two were trying to make it work.” A shadow crossed his features. “I thought maybe I’d leave you alone after that.”
My mouth was slightly open as I listened to what he was saying. I never expected to hear that. He liked me? Because I had no idea how to respond, I snorted. “Jeff did not love me. No matter what you say. He had been screwing one of my best friends for two years.”
“He did?” A flash of anger appeared in his gaze.
I straightened, taken aback. “I’m over it. Trust me, things got better for me.” And with all the talking about Jeff… “Where is Jeff? I haven’t seen him since this summer.” A small buzzing sensation was in my stomach from Jackson’s explanation. I should address it, but I had no idea what to say. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to talk about what would’ve happened if he had pursued me. It didn’t matter. It was in the past.
He leaned back, rolling his eyes. “My cousin has a girlfriend.”
A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Yeah.” He was grinning too and propped his hand up, shaking a finger in the air. “His new girlfriend is a serious Christian.”
“What?” Bombs exploded. “Jeff’s with a Christian? Manwhore Jeff?”
Jackson nodded, a smile stretched from ear to ear as he laughed. “I know. Can you believe that? And get this, he’s not been around because on the weekends, he goes to a wilderness camp with her.”
My eyeballs were going to fall out. I couldn’t believe this.
He added, “They do bible studies, bonfires, singing. All of that.”
“Sex?”
He kept laughing. “Oh, they’re having sex. Jeff said she’s changed him and strengthened his faith, but the sex is his influence on her. He said he can only be so much of a saint, you know.” Jackson kept laughing, and he shook his head. “Man, I laughed so hard when he told me he’s in love with this girl. I never thought it would last.”
“How long have they been together?”
“I think they’re going on three months.”
“Wow.” I was stunned. “That would explain why he hasn’t gone to any parties.”
“Nope. He said he’s been praying. They do lots of praying.”
“Good for him.”
“Yeah.” His grin faded a bit, and his laughter changed to a soft chuckle. “This has been nice.”
“This?”
He gestured from me to him. “This. Talking to you. It was so easy to talk to you that night. I wasn’t used to that. I’m usually shy around girls.”
“I thought you said you were a manwhore that year?” But I agreed with him. It was easy to talk to him.
He chuckled again, stretching an arm up to rub the back of his neck. “Talking and having sex are two different things.” He flashed me a grin. “Sometimes being a football star comes in handy. I’m sure Mason and Logan have that affect. They’re like gods around here.”
“Yeah, they are.”
Memories of when I first moved in with them came back to me. Going to eat with Mason and him getting free food. He had been given free beer at the gas station a few times. So many girls. They had all wanted him. I’d almost forgotten what that limelight was like. He was gone, and all that attention went with him. Now, I was only Sam.
“Sam?”
I glanced up and realized Jackson had been watching me, waiting. “Sorry.” I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “I was just remembering when I first started dating Mason. It was hard to get used to, but now it’s different.”
“What do you mean?”
I glanced up. He seemed genuinely interested, but not like others would have been. Other people would’ve wanted to know about Mason or Logan. It was different with Jackson, and I knew that he would understand.
I heard myself asking before I realized what I was saying, “How do you handle the attention?” I flushed. I had no idea what I was asking. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.” I started to stand from my chair. “I should go—”
“I don’t.”
His words stopped me, and I slowly sat back down. “What do you mean?”
His tone was so soft. “I don’t handle it. I meant it when I said that I’m shy around girls. You’re different, Sam. You don’t have an agenda. You’re not trying to use me for anything. Hell, I don’t even think you want to talk to me, but I like it.” He waved his hand over his face. “I’m not dumb. I know I’m good looking, and I’m good at football. I might have a future there; I’m not sure yet. I know I’m playing in college, but that’s all I know. Girls are already looking at me with dollar signs in their eyes.” He looked away, but raised his eyes again.
He was looking at me, but it was different. I felt a sudden tension go through me. It was like he was seeing through me. No one looked at me like that except Mason. My fingers curled around the sides of my chair, and I bit down on my lip. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say.