Young Love Dies Hard: The Young Brothers, Book 1 by Nikki Lane (old books to read txt) 📗

Meg and Uncle Jim aging, I knew the day was coming when I’d have to be Kasey’s full-time guardian. But that time was quickly approaching, and a flash of panic hit me. How was I going to take care of a nine-year-old girl all alone, and more importantly, was I ready?

Chapter Nine

Jacob carried my bag for me as we walked back to the apartment from campus. He never asked. It just became a normal part of our walk. The walking did, too. We both had an evening class that ended at the same time. He’d always be waiting for me outside of Bunce Hall. The cool air had finally kicked in and the green leaves were starting to rust.

“How was work today?” I asked.

“Good. You know it’s always been my dream to clean out smelly animal cages.”

“Just think in four years you’ll be working as a vet.”

A few people said hello to Jacob as they walked by. He smiled and said hello back, immediately returning his attention to me. “Four years seems like forever.”

“Time always seems to slow when you’re waiting for something you really want. All good things are worth waiting for.”

He lowered his head and smiled. “You bring up a good point.”

“Maybe I could be a vet.”

He cocked his head to one side. “I’m not sure about that.”

“Why not?” I said. “I love animals.”

He nodded. “True. But you can hardly stand the sight of blood and your stomach flips at the word mucous plug.”

I shuddered and shook my head, remembering the night we delivered Billy. “Never mind.”

“I have something for you.”

“You do?”

He swung his bookbag off his back and rummaged through it. “Here.”

I took the wrinkled piece of paper from his hands and stopped walking as I read over the words. It was a flyer for classes at a dance studio. They offered all kinds of lessons—jazz, tap, ballet.

“Where did you get this?” I asked.

“It was pinned on the waiting room bulletin board at the vet’s office. I thought you might be interested.” He readjusted the bookbag so that it was on his back again; his fingers clutched the straps near his waist.

“Thank you.” The gesture caught me off-guard. “I haven’t been to a dance class in years.” I could barely get the words out, still staring at the flyer.

“Now’s a good time as any.” A small smile curled his lips. “You used to love it so much. And you were so good at it. I don’t know why you quit.”

“I didn’t quit because I wanted to. It just got too…hard.” We resumed walking, and I folded the flyer up and put it into my bag. “And how would you know I was any good? You’ve never seen me dance.”

He gave me a crooked look. “Yes, I have.”

“When?” I said, incredulously.

“You’re telling me you don’t remember?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“My mom went to one of your recitals and dragged me along with her.”

Jacob’s mom had come to one or two recitals, but I didn’t remember Jacob being there. I had been lucky enough to just have Aunt Meg show up.

He adjusted his glasses. “She made me sit through the most boring two hours of my life, watching little girls twirl around the stage and wave to their parents.”

“Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t know they were putting you through that kind of torture.”

“It wasn’t so bad. The fifteen minutes you were on stage made up for it.”

The blood rushed to my cheeks. He was taking a little piece of my heart, bit by bit. How long before he had it all?

We stopped at the crosswalk and waited for the light to change green. A brunette with a pink headband stood inches from us, clutching a bag on her shoulder.

“Hey, Jacob.” Her voice was syrupy sweet. The kind that would put a cavity in your brain if you listened to it for too long.

“Hey, Taylor.”

She smiled, seeming a bit relieved that he remembered her name. “How’s it going?”

“Good. Happy the weekend is finally here.”

Jacob gestured to me. “Maeve, this is Taylor. We study at the same table in the library.”

I was sure that was no coincidence. “It’s nice to meet you, Taylor.”

“You, too.”

I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and pulled out a cigarette. I needed to occupy by mouth with something to keep my thoughts from falling out. I zoned out of the conversation. When the hell was this light going to turn green?

“What do you think, Maeve?”

“Huh?” I let out a stream of smoke from my nose.

“The party,” Jacob said. “Wanna go?”

“Can’t tonight. Work.”

Finally, the light turned.

“Well, I hope to see you there, Jacob.” She smiled one more time before crossing the street and going in the opposite direction.

Jacob pulled the cigarette from my fingers as I took another drag. I scowled as he threw it on the ground.

“I thought you said you were going to quit.”

“I am.” I popped out a piece of Nicorette and stuck it into my mouth.

When we got back to the apartment, Jacob plopped on the couch and pulled the books from his bag. I sat on the floor next to him to finish an assignment before I had to leave for work. I thwacked my pen against my notebook, rereading the same words on the page. Jacob’s face was buried in his book.

“What are you going to do tonight?” I asked.

He didn’t look up. “Stay here and study.”

“What about the party?” Thwack, thwack, thwack.

“What about it?”

“Aren’t you going?”

He finally looked up at me, and my pen froze.

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh, come on, Jacob. You’ve done nothing but go to class, work at the vet clinic, and study. You need to get out a little.”

He scrunched his face. “You’re one to talk.”

“I told you I have to work tonight.” I set my notebook down on the floor. “You need to get out and meet people…get over your social anxiety.”

I could almost hear his eyes roll.

“Okay, please don’t start psychoanalyzing me. Last week, I had