My Best Friend's Boyfriend, Leezy Mike [best novels ever .TXT] 📗

work. Nearly four hours later, we unloaded everything and put them at their respective places. Aunt May suggested we treated the movers with dinner at the Lakefront Diner, just ten minutes walking distances. We walked toward the diner and as Aunt May opened the door, the bells chimed. We walked inside and I froze in horror. Jake was standing inside the bar and smiling broadly at us.

A tall and slender woman walked toward us. "Jenna, good to see you again," she said with a warm smile. I stared at her face and tried to remember who she was. "I'm Bella, remember? Jake's cousin?" I smiled. "Hi, Bella," I murmured and we hugged. She inspected me from head to toe. "Look at you, girlfriend. You looked stunning! I hardly recognize you," she exclaimed and my cheeks felt warm. "Say hi to Joel, Eddie, Daisy and Jake," she went on. The others waved and smiled at me. Then I felt a nudge at my knees. I looked down and saw a gorgeous black Labrador. I knelt and scratched the back of his ears. "Hello, Charlie. Nice to see you again. You are one handsome dog," I said and he licked my face. Bella giggled. "Well...looks like Charlie fells in love with you, Jenna," she remarked. I stood up and she ushered us toward an empty booth.

I guess the whole town already knew that I came home because every time the bells chimed, people would walked over to our table and welcomed me back to the town. I've been smiling and now my jaw hurts. Crap. To top it off, Jake Wilson was watching me. Not good. After a delicious dinner, we stood up to leave. Joel really was a good chef. I paid and tipped Bella and Daisy handsomely. They smiled in appreciation. We walked back toward my place and I drove Aunt May to her house after the movers left. She asked me to come in and treated me with a mug of hot chocolate. We sat down at the table, enjoying our drinks. "What happened to you and Jake, honey?" she asked and I stiffened. "Nothing happened, Aunt May," I lied. God, I hate that question! She narrowed her eyes as she stared at me. I could feel it in my guts that she wasn't convinced. "Young lady, I maybe old but I'm not blind!" she said sternly. "You, Jake and Nadine were close friends before. Now you treated the man like a stranger! What went wrong between you and Jake?" I shook my head. "Like I said, nothing happened. Look, thanks for your help today and for the hot chocolate. I got to go." I got up, kissed her cheek and walked toward the door. "Jake came here nearly every day. We talked about you, Jenna," she said softly. I closed my eyes, trying hard to fight back the tears. "Good night, Aunt May. I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered and closed the door behind me. As I walked toward my black SUV, the tears finally rolled down my cheeks.

CHAPTER 4: JAKE

I unlocked the front door and walked inside, flipping on light switches as I went. I filled Charlie's water bowl and put it down on the floor. I leaned over the kitchen sink and frowned. The Hudson's old house was bathed in lights and I remembered I saw a black SUV in the driveway. I'd never seen that type of car in this side of town before. I sat down on the couch and turned on the large flat screen TV. Charlie sprawled at my feet. As I flipped through channels, my mind wandered back to a few hours before when I saw Jenna stepped inside my diner.

I couldn't see her very clearly at the park this morning but in the bright lights of the diner, I took a very good look at her. Her once waist length hair was cut to chest length now and no longer tied into a tight ponytail. Her brown eyes twinkled as she smiled at Charlie and scratching the back of his ears fondly. She stood at five foot five and not chubby anymore but beautifully curvy. Damn! She sure looked lovely. "What a beauty," Bella had said. "Make sure your cooties don't scare her away again, Jake." I glared at my cousin as she walked toward Jenna's booth, chuckling like a devil.

What I didn't understand was the way she was treating me. She treated me like a stranger and I hated that. I missed the moments we shared in high school. Ever since I started dating Nadine, she distanced herself saying she didn't want to intrude although Nadine and I tried asking her to join us every time we went to the movies. She and Nadine were best friends but Jenna was the only best friend that I really cared about. I punched and kicked whoever made her life miserable. That made me got more dates with the principal than Nadine.

Prom night was one memory that I won't forget as long as I live. Jenna arrived with her date, Peter and I swore to God my eyes jumped out of their sockets. She wore a long and strapless purple dress that hugged her body nicely. Her long hair hung loose like a flowing silk. The other guys fixed their eyes on Nadine with her skimpy and sleeveless knee length pink dress while I couldn't stop staring at Jenna. She was definitely stunning. Poor Jenna. Peter was definitely an A class jerk. He drooled over Nadine and deserted Jenna. As a good friend, I got up and asked her to dance with me. Just as we reached the dance floor, the fast number ended and Shania Twain's love song started. She hesitated and looked at Nadine who was talking to Peter. I assured her that it was okay and Nadine wouldn't mind. I stepped closer and gently put her hands on my shoulders. As I put my hands on her waist, she stiffened and her face turned red. I smiled and guided her on the dance floor, gazing at each other as we moved together. Staring deep into her brown eyes, I swore something happened to me right there on the dance floor. Mesmerized by her lovely eyes, I almost leaned forward when suddenly the song ended. I caught Nadine's eyes across the dance floor, staring at us. My cheeks felt warm. Was she mad at me for asking Jenna to dance with me?

A loud scream jolted me back to the present. It seemed to be coming from right next door, the old Hudson's house. I got up and jerked open the door. "Come on, Charlie!" I shouted and the black Labrador jumped onto his feet, running right beside me toward the house.

CHAPTER 5: JENNA

Damn! I lay sprawled on the floor like a sack of grain. My butt hurt like hell. I was in the middle of hanging a picture on the wall when the stool I stood on wobbled and I crashed onto the floor, butt first. "Jenna! Are you okay?" a voice asked me in alarm and a wet tongue licked my face. Charlie and his good looking master, Jake. Damn him for making me confused and excited. I should have lock that God damned door. "Are you hurt?" he asked. I didn't want to look up at him but my whole body had other ideas. I looked up and wished I hadn't done that. Jake knelt in front of me with concern in his brown eyes. I tore my eyes away, afraid I might drown in its depth. "I'm fine," I gritted and tried to stand. I winced. He frowned. "No, you're not," he muttered and lifted me off the floor as if I weighed no more than a feather. "What are you doing?" I shrieked. "Put me down!" He ignored my protests and kept walking toward the couch. My stupid heart was doing the familiar flip-flops at the close contact. Too close I'm afraid. My eyes drawn toward the slightly open button down shirt he was wearing. My fingers itched to touch the flesh underneath. I kicked myself mentally. Stop it, Jenna! What the hell were you thinking?

He put me on the couch carefully and sat next to me. "Let me check for injuries," he said and I stiffened. No way I'm going to let him touch my butt! "You don't have to do that!" I snapped. He glared at me. "Would you rather I bend you over my knees and smack your butt?" he snapped back. "I know what I'm doing. Now sit still!" I turned my body away from him so he could check my back. I felt him lifted up my shirt, then touching and pressing my exposed skin. I closed my eyes, trying hard not to tremble although there was nothing I could do to stop the heat from creeping up my neck and cheeks. I must have resembled a well cooked lobster. When he pressed his fingers at the painful area, I winced. "Nothing too serious. Just a nasty bruise," he said. I turned on the couch to face him, totally ignoring the pain. "How the hell did you know that?" I snapped and glared at him. The jerk smiled. Smiled! "My dad's a doctor, remember?" he answered. "Now stay put while I get the ice." I glared at his back as he walked toward the kitchen. Stay put? What am I? A dog? I stared at Charlie. "No offense buddy," I murmured to the big fella.

Jake reappeared, carrying a bag of ice and proceeded putting that thing onto my back. "Ouch! Jake that hurts!" I shouted, fuming at him. "It wouldn't hurt if you just stop turning around so much!" he snapped. I clamped my mouth shut and stared down at Charlie. I heard Jake let out a heavy sigh. "Look Jenna. I'm tired of arguing with you. We haven't seen each other for fifteen years and here we are, bickering like old enemies. We used to be good friends. Really good friends. To tell you the truth, you're the best friend that I really cared about," he murmured. If my aching back permitted it, I would turn around to face him but I stayed put and stared at Charlie instead. My chest tightened with emotions. No, don't cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

I felt Jake shifted on the couch. I heard a soft curse then, "Please don't cry,