Released: MC Secret Baby Romance (New Adult Contemporary Biker Romance) (80 page)

Jake stopped in front of Mae and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, lifting her off her feet as he spun her around. Mae squealed hysterically before whining how sweaty he was, making her brother laugh at her.

“Get off of me. You reek!” Mae shrieked, but Jake merely tightened his hold around his sister in retaliation.

“You’re the one who asked for it, so you’re going to get it!” Jake said, hugging her for a few more seconds before setting her down and turning to Sarah to whom he smiled cheerfully.

“Hey, Pancake. Want a hug?” Jake asked, opening his arms wide in offer while Sarah shook her head, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“No, I’m fine smelling like myself at the moment, Nugget,” Sarah replied, making Jake chuckle.

Sarah blushed, as she remembered how they started calling each other those pet names. The three of them went to eat at a McDonald’s, and since Jake had a bottomless pit for a stomach, he’d go and steal his sister’s food, which was a really big deal for Mae. He’d then sit and pout at her, staring at her food until Sarah gave in to his cute face and ordered chicken nuggets, his usual order, and asked if he wanted to share. His eyes lit up like Christmas, and Sarah blushed when he took her hand with both of his.

“You are a lifesaver, Sarah. Just for that, I’ll buy you another order of pancakes because you seem to like them so much,” Jake said.

“What about me?” Mae asked, and Jake glared at her.

“Satan doesn’t get shit because she’s incapable of sharing,” Jake answered, and the siblings proceeded to bicker in front of Sarah.

Sarah didn’t care one bit about their squabble because the only thought running through her head was how Jake remembered her order. Surely remembering someone’s order counted for something, right?

And so their tradition started, and Sarah couldn’t recall which one had the idea or which one of them thought of it first, but they started calling each other by their favorite order and it stuck. Sarah held on to this moment like a lifeline because this was what set her apart from other girls. She was friendlier, closer to him, and she was comforted by that thought.

But sometimes, that thought was immediately followed by another thought. That to be so close to him that way, she was venturing toward more of an unattainable, sisterly affection from him rather than the romantic one she desperately craved.

Jake talked to them for a bit before he went back to the team and joined the huddle. Mae then pushed Sarah to the bleachers and they sat down and watched Jake do his thing. Sarah wasn’t much of a fan of football, but she had been present for every game because of Mae who was cheer captain in their school. Over time, she learned how the game went, but if she had to admit it, she was only watching right now because it made her feel closer to Jake.

Jake had graduated from high school by the time Sarah entered it, and had only met him the week after she met Mae when the latter invited her for a sleepover.

The two girls were up all night watching chick flicks and fell asleep well into the early hours of the morning. Sarah had slept so well that she had forgotten she wasn’t in her own home, and when she entered the bathroom and sat down on the toilet to pee, she was too groggy to realize that there was a six-foot tall and muscular man putting on a towel while he was in the shower.

Jake’s eyes widened, as he watched this complete stranger do her business in their toilet. He remained quiet for a few moments; waiting for her to notice that he was inside of the bathroom, but when it became clear she wasn’t about to open her eyes, he placed his fist in front of his mouth and coughed pointedly.

Sarah’s eyes opened slowly; her eyes focusing on Jake little by little. She blinked a couple of times before she finally realized she wasn’t alone.

“Hi,” Jake said simply.

Sarah blinked and before Jake knew it, she had pulled her pants back up, flushed, and ran the hell out of the bathroom. He stared after her for a few moments before breaking out into loud guffaws; the sound embarrassing Sarah further.

When everyone had come down from breakfast all showered and covered up, Sarah had apologized profusely to Jake, and he took it all with ease.

“You’re a funny girl, Sarah. I like that,” he said, smiling at her. Sarah had blushed at his compliment and couldn’t say anything in response, but it was around that moment when she had started to fall for him.

“Will Jake be staying awhile?” Sarah asked, snapping out of her reverie. Mae’s face turned ghastly at this question.

“No. He says his
precious girlfriend
wants him back soon, and he can’t say no to her,” Mae grumbled, and Sarah’s heart sank.

That was another reason why Sarah merely admired Jake from afar. He has a girlfriend of four years to whom he was absolutely faithful to, and whom Mae absolutely loathes. Mae told her that their parents weren’t particularly thrilled about Jake’s girlfriend either, and they have yet to see her in person. Mae had met her before though, during one of her visits to her brother’s campus, and when Sarah asked her how she was, Mae only replied with one word: awful.

“That’s too bad,” Sarah offered sympathetically.

Whether Sarah meant what she said for Mae, for herself, or both, she was not about to elaborate.

Chapter Three

After practice, Jake went with the guys to the shower rooms and while the girls waited for him outside, Mae talked about a party another senior invited her to later tonight and wanted Sarah to come with.

“Come on, it’ll be fun! The first and last party you’ll ever attend in high school! Isn’t that exciting?” Mae asked. Sarah shook her head.

“No,” she replied, making Mae pout and hit her shoulder.

“Don’t be such a--,” Mae never got to finish her sentence because Jake had come out of the locker room fully clothed, but arguing over someone on the phone; his face a little red from frustration. The girls looked at each other, slightly worried while Jake waved his hand, as he argued with the person on the other line.

“I’ve only been here for six hours, Kimberly! My sister’s graduation is next week. What the fuck are you talking about?” Jake said; his eyes moving left to right, as he listened to the person on the phone. His face changed into a look of outrage at what he heard, and then he said, “I’m not going to pick you over my fucking family, Kimberly! Get over yourself!”

He looked at his phone furiously before looking up at Sarah and Mae. “She hung up on me,” he muttered incredulously, and Mae rolled her eyes as she snorted.

“She’s a bitch. I don’t even know why you put up with her,” Mae said. Jake’s eyes narrowed at his sister, but she shrugged it off and walked ahead of them. Sarah didn’t know whether to follow Mae or wait for Jake, but he nodded his head to her, so she walked beside him.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Jake whispered, and Sarah shook her head.

“It’s okay,” Sarah reassured him. “Trouble in paradise?” she asked, and Jake shook his head, sighing.

“She wants me to come back to campus already. She said she misses me,” Jake grumbled. “But, I’ve only been gone a day! I told her I’d be here until Mae’s graduation day, so why all this drama?”

Sarah’s heart leaped as Jake told her he’d be here for their graduation ceremony, but managed to give him a rueful smile.

“Why didn’t she just come with you then?” Sarah asked; making Jake raise an eyebrow at her.

“Do you really think Mae is going to appreciate the fact that I brought my girlfriend to one of the most special days of her life?” Jake asked in return, and Sarah laughed.

“Yeah, I see your point,” she said.

“And I just realized that it’s going to be your special day too, right?” Jake said, smiling at her. “Are you and my sister still going to do the music route?”

“Yeah, I’ll be majoring in Music Composition though. Mae is going to take Performing Arts,” Sarah explained, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“I just realized that I haven’t even heard you play the piano,” he said, and Sarah’s eyes widened.

“You’d…you’d want to hear me play?” Sarah asked. Disbelief was apparent on her face that Jake looked a little offended.

“Tell you what, since Little Miss Priss is already on her way to ditching us for the party, why don’t we sneak over to the empty auditorium and you can show me what you got,” Jake said.

He grabbed her hand and they ran for the auditorium; Sarah hoping that the thumping of her heart only sounded loud in her ears.

“I got to admit, I’ve never really ventured into this part of campus before,” Jake said; looking around at the auditorium as Sarah nervously set herself up on the piano bench. She tapped the keys a little before looking up at him.

“What do you want me to play?” Sarah asked, and Jake shrugged.

“Anything you feel like. It won’t matter to me,” Jake replied, and he quickly retracted his statement when he saw her face fall. “I mean, it won’t really make a difference to me whatever piece you play. I’m sure it’ll still sound amazing,” he amended.

Sarah bit her lip, as she looked at the piano keys before nodding her head. She gently placed her trembling hands on top of the keys, took a deep breath, and played.

The piece she played was beautiful, tragic, and melancholic. It sent shivers down Jake’s spine that he never knew was even possible for a guy like him, and it amazed him that he got such a reaction only a few bars into the song. His eyes went in a haze, as his mind conjured up an illusion around Sarah; circles and wisps of color falling softly over the sight of her that Jake couldn’t help but gasp.

He hadn’t noticed how incredibly beautiful Sarah Matthews was until that moment.

Sarah was determined to not get distracted by him, and poured her focus on the piece, unconsciously setting off her emotions again and transferring it to the music, not because she was his sister’s best friend, but because she was herself.

The final note resonated and their eyes connected at the same time; both breathing heavily, though they weren’t sure why. Jake walked over to Sarah’s seat, never breaking eye contact until he was standing right beside her. He raised his hand to cup Sarah’s cheek; his fingers feeling her skin softly and making Sarah sigh.

He lowered his head to hers and she closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a door boomed, making the both of them jump.

Mae huffed as Sarah and Jake turned to look at her standing outside the door; her hands at her hips as they looked at them in annoyance.

“There you are! Geez, talk about leaving me in the dust,” Mae said, and Jake and Sarah both looked at each other for a second before awkwardly turning away. Sarah’s cheeks turned crimson, as she recalled their almost kiss.

“Let’s go, pipsqueak,” Jake grumbled, walking away from Sarah and pushing Mae out of the room. Mae turned back and looked at Sarah weirdly before following after him.

Sarah sighed.

‘Sometimes Mae, you just have the worst timing,’ she thought.

Chapter Four

The music was blaring from the speakers and it was starting to hurt Sarah’s ears, as she squeezed through the crowd of students dancing and drinking around the large living room. She had once again lost sight of Mae when Sarah told her she was going to the bathroom, and Mae replied she was just going to get a drink. Sarah had gone over to the beer kegs, but Mae wasn’t anywhere there.

Jake seemed to have disappeared right after they arrived as well, leaving Sarah to wonder if their almost-kiss made him feel awkward, so now, he was trying to avoid her. Sarah hoped it was not the case.

Fortunately, she spotted Jake outside of the house; walking back and forth as he plugged one ear with his finger and held a phone in his other ear. He was probably talking with his girlfriend again and, judging by the look on his face and the way he was practically spitting his words out, they were arguing heatedly over something. Sarah was about to walk toward him, but decided against it, choosing to stay close and within his line of sight instead.

“If he wasn’t avoiding me, then he can just come and talk to me,” Sarah thought.

A few minutes later, he ended the call, muttering to himself as he put his phone back in his pocket. He turned back toward the house, missing Sarah as he searched for the beer. He spotted the beer kegs and walked over to them.

Sarah followed Jake with her eyes, getting worried as he downed one red solo cup after another. Mae was still nowhere to be found and Sarah didn’t know if she would be able to hoist Jake by herself to their car if he got too drunk.

Suddenly, he turned and caught Sarah’s stare and lugged himself over to her, plopping himself over the couch she was sitting on, and then he sighed. Sarah’s brows furrowed, as she noted the slight blush in his cheeks from drinking a lot.

“Jake, are you--,” Sarah started, but he cut her off.

“She left me,” Jake whispered. Sarah leaned closer to him, straining to hear what he was saying over the loud music.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” she said.

“She left me,” he said louder, and Sarah’s eyes widened.

“Kimberly broke up with me on the phone, just like that.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point, and she put her hand on his shoulder, patting him comfortingly.