Less than Perfect, S. J. Evans [classic literature books txt] 📗

stepping back without losing his gaze on her.
She nodded slowly and tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she had butterflies swarming inside of her. “Can’t you see that I don’t want you to be just my friend?” She breathed, her body tingling.
Before he could respond, there was a knock on the door and Leah’s voice called through, “Skye, may I come in?”
Skye jumped at the sound of her voice, springing forward and slamming into Jules’ chest with her hands. He scrambled back, allowing her small hand to push him back, and chuckled when he hit the door of the closet. She tried not to laugh when she caught his bright smile and quickly glared at him instead. “Get in,” she whispered as she pointed directly behind him and backed up a little bit.
A smirk crept up his face and he breathlessly turned around and hid himself inside the closet. Laughter crackled in the room when he stumbled upon his own T-shirt in the bottom of the messy closet. Through the crack in the closet door, he could see Skye hurrying over to the bedroom door and tossing her hair into a sloppy ponytail—she didn’t want her mom to see how tousled her hair had been.
“Hey mom,” she said as she opened the door, faking a smile. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Her breathing still hadn’t caught up with her and she was panting in the slightest.
Leah looked at her with a quizzical stare, trying to figure her daughter’s behavior out. “I wanted to say goodbye before I left. You do know that I’m going out of town for a couple days?” She questioned, laughing a little at how Skye was acting. She hadn’t seen her that quirky before, and, in a way, she found it very calming. She was finally thinking about getting hope for her daughter, no matter how strange she saw that she was acting.
Skye chuckled nervously and nodded her head. “Yes, Mom, I know. How could I forget, I’m going to be left alone with your fantastic husband. What’s his name again? Oh yeah, Johnny.” She muttered rhetorically. Johnny made her upset enough to the point that she really couldn’t care less about what Leah thought of their relations.
Leah only wanted for them to get along enough to where she didn’t have to bud in and stop their fighting, and, in her mind, they were treating each other very well. “Look, I know that you don’t like him, but you still have to respect him and respect my decision. He’s a good guy, Skye, give him a chance.” She spoke in a calm and careful voice, laying her hands on Skye’s shoulders and staring into her eyes. “Please, sweetie, it has been almost four years.”
Skye desperately wanted to tell her mom how far off she was, to tell her just how bad of a guy Johnny really was, but for Leah’s sake, she didn’t. “I’ll try, I really will.” She assured Leah, despite her own worries and fears about Johnny. Accidentally, she let out a long sigh and frowned.
“Hey, sweetie, it’s going to be okay. Johnny cares about you, he’s not going to let anything happen to you while I’m gone.”
“I know,” she whispered, her voice threatening to disappear, “he’ll keep me safe.” She lied, thinking better than to express the dark truth. She couldn’t be sure that either of them would be safe for long, and, according to Johnny, if she ever spoke a word of their “games” both of them would be suffering, and she was determined to keep her mom out of it.
“I love you, sweetie. Stay safe, and whatever it is you’re doing in here better be rated G. I may be leaving, but if your hiding something in your closet I’ll figure out whatever it is and I won’t shy away from a punishment.” She teased warningly, kissing Skye on the cheek. “Bye, Skye.”
Even though she knew Leah was teasing her and probably talking about something to do with her newly developed “cutting”, she somewhat tensed up at the thought of her finding out that Jules had stayed over—unintentionally of course, but nevertheless, he had stayed. “I love you too, Mom, don’t ever forget that.” She wrapped Leah into her arms and held on as tight as she could for a few moments, never wanting to let go.
“I’ll always remember that, you’re my beautiful baby.” Leah chimed in Skye’s ears. “I’ll never ever stop loving you.” Tears bubbled up in both of their eyes but neither would let them spill, they were both holding out for each other.
“Bye, Mom. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
They separated and Leah stepped back into the doorway, smiling at her daughter. “A couple of days. Be good, baby girl.”
“Promise.” Skye finished, waving daintily at her mom as she left, a fake smile creasing at the corners of her mouth. The days would take too long once Johnny arrived and she knew that all too well. He was similar to that of a disease, deepening her life into a dark and oppressing hole of pain. “You can come out now, Jules”
At the sound of her words, Jules perked up in the closet and slowly made his way out of it. “G rated? I’m sorry, but who says that?” He snickered, grinning like an idiot as he stepped out and wrapped her into a bear hug.
“My mom.” She replied weakly, subtly laughing at his lame attempt at making her laugh. “You listened?”
“Not really, but when she brought that up, I just had to hear it.” Pulling away, he examined her expression, trying to read what she was thinking. “Hey, are you okay, trouble?” He added, pushing away her bangs and dropping his smile.
She rolled her gaze up to him and sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay. Things are just a little awkward when Leah’s not here.” Johnny’s not going to be easy with me this time, he’s going to cross the line, and Leah’s gone

. She thought with remorse, subtly blinking away a few tears of fear.
Jules flinched, noticing her tears but not saying anything about them, and sighed. “I’ll be here, whenever you need me. Things don’t have to be awkward, Skye, I’m not going to let things get that way.” He traced his finger around her jaw and carefully bent down to kiss her, forgetting that he had ever told her he thought they should be just friends—he knew that shouldn’t be the way things are. The touch of their lips created fire that pulsed through their bodies and sent them into shock, frenzying their bodies into a gentle but more aggressive passion.
She let thoughts of Bryan and Johnny fall away as they kissed, and she didn’t bother to feel the pain she felt when she kissed them. The kissed they had shared were nothing but painted memories that were uncomfortable, but when she and Jules kissed, it was as if the world all melted away and they were on top of the universe, alone together.
Chuckling, she took a breather and pulled her lips away. “You know what? I think that you should put on a shirt, it’s more mannerly.” She teased him, feeling his muscular abs as she put her hand on them, scooting him away from her.
He laughed and ruffled his hair, closing one eye and regarding her with a playful smirk. “Should I put on the shirt from the closet? Or the one from last night? I think that they both belong to me,” he played, displaying both of the shirts in his hands.
Her cheeks flushed a bright pink as she thought back to when he gave her the shirt after swimming, and of the moment Bryan violently pushed her too far, the night that so much had happened in a few instances. She tried not to think about Bryan and shoved away the memory, replacing it with the moment and smiling at Jules. “Sure, whatever you want, hotshot.” She purred, recalling the word she had spoken to him the first time she met him.
“In that case, maybe I’ll just leave like this; I bet it would freak out the neighbors.” He chirped, tossing the shirts on the bed.
She slapped him on the shoulder and let out an objection. “Stop it, Jules! Just put on a shirt and get out. I’m not keeping you away from getting home and risking the possibility that your dad will be displeased seeing you without a shirt and have stayed out all night.”
He groaned and rolled his head, “Do I really have to leave? I know that you don’t want me to.” He traced a thumb over her cheek and batted his eyelashes playfully.
“Jules, will you ever stop acting like this?”
“You know what? I don’t know. You’re right though, I should probably get home, but don’t worry, I’ll see you soon. Tomorrow, you and Rachel meet me and Victor at the beach?” He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Sound good? Great,” he whispered, trailing the words into her ears and pecking her cheek.
“Uh—Okay,” she stammered, trying to think of something to say. She wouldn’t turn him down though, that much she knew. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” She smiled as she thought about the four of them at the beach together. She still didn’t like Victor, but she was going to have to grow to like him if she wanted to be around Jules a lot, no matter how hard it could be.
Jules flashed her one last smile before ducking out of her bedroom and hurrying down the stairs, throwing himself off of the step three away from the bottom and leaving the house.
Skye sighed and sat herself down on the bed, a smile unmovable striking her features. Maybe I was wrong about Bryan; we’re really over

.

Skye was cleaning her room when she heard a knock on the front door. Snapping her head towards her doorway she frowned, who’s here

? She asked herself. She hadn’t told Jules to come back over and Rachel wasn’t the kind of person to stop by often without calling ahead.
Tossing a blanket on the bed, she scrambled out of her room and down the stairs, anxiety brewing inside of her. She looked into the peep hole and sighed. It was Maria.
Opening the door, she felt her anxieties slip away as annoyance took its place. “What do you want?” She asked Maria wearily.
Maria’s smile dropped a little, “Is Johnny home?” She countered, feigning a smile again.
“No, he’s not.” Skye mumbled, leaning her head against the side of the door and regarding Maria with a look of slight distress. She hated seeing the girl that Johnny obviously had a secret thing with, it just made her hate Johnny even more. He had so much power over her and she wished he hadn’t. “You do know that he’s married, right?”
She laughed a little at Skye, “Of course I know that he’s married

.”
Skye tried not to gawk at her and stood up, suddenly very uncomfortable.