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

on my first date with, I couldn’t get any luckier than Jacob.

“Thank you. You look very handsome.” Something fluttered in my stomach. Maybe it was the butterflies I’d always heard of?

“Are you ready?”

I nodded, and he reached for my hand. Jacob opened doors for me, let me walk through first, and pushed my chair in for me when we got to the restaurant.

After we ordered dinner, I squirmed in my seat as Jacob stared at me.

“What?” I asked. My hands sat in my lap under the table, my finger fidgeting with the mood ring.

“Nothing,” he said with an impish grin. “Just admiring my date.”

My cheeks burned, and I focused my eyes to a random spot in the dining room. “Stop.”

He chuckled. “What? I thought women loved compliments.”

“Where did you read that? In a handbook or something?”

“Yes, a handbook. You didn’t get one?”

I half laughed. “No.” But if there was one on how to survive your first date, then I could have used it.

Jacob leaned closer. “Why do you look so nervous?”

“Nervous?” Never. That was so ridiculous. “I’m not nervous. Just hungry.”

Total nervous wreck.

“It’s just me, Maeve.” He smiled, and it was almost enough to calm me down. But not quite enough.

I wriggled in my seat, feeling like any second I could bolt out the door.

Jacob folded his hands on the table. “I know I’m probably the most eligible bachelor in town but…”

I smiled and feigned excitement. “The most eligible bachelor in town?” I fanned my face. “How lucky could I be?”

He laughed, and it prickled the skin on the back of my neck. Hearing him laugh sent me back to my childhood. The good parts, anyway.

“You always did think you were hot shit,” I said. My stomach was finally starting to loosen up, and I reached for a piece of bread.

Jacob’s eyebrows shot up. “Did not,” he said with a full mouth.

I shook my head. “You always had about three or four girls following you around like disciples. It was kind of creepy.”

“And how would you know that? Kept a close eye on me? Who’s creepy now?”

I playfully threw a piece of bread at him. “It was kind of hard not to notice.”

“Nah, they weren’t interested in me…just wanted to copy my homework.”

I took a sip of wine, not sure how much of that I believed.

“And you’re one to talk,” he said.

My eyebrows pulled together. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Jacob gave me an eye roll. “Don’t play stupid.”

I laughed. “I’m not.”

“Travis Thompson.”

“Who?”

“Travis. The kid who used to sit with us at the lunch table all the time.”

I scrunched my face, trying to remember. “Oh, that Travis Thompson. What about him?”

Jacob scoffed. “He was, like, completely obsessed with you.”

“What? No way.” I took another sip of wine. The waiter came to the table to deliver our meal.

“Why do you think I beat him up?” Jacob said when it was just the two of us again.

“What are you talking about? You didn’t beat him up. Kyle McGregor did,” I said, fork in hand.

Jacob took a bite of his food and shook his head. “Nope. It was me.” He swallowed whatever he was chewing and then smiled proudly.

My hands hovered over my plate. “Why would you beat up Travis, and why would Travis say it was someone else?”

Jacob looked down at his plate and continued to eat. “Because I heard him lying to some other guys in the boy’s locker room about you. So, after school one day, I beat the crap out of him and told him to stay away from you.” He took another bite of food. “Oh, and to tell everyone it was Kyle since he beat up people all the time. Couldn’t ruin my nice guy reputation.”

My mouth hung open as I put the pieces together. Travis had become my shadow eighth grade year. He finally got the nerve to ask me out, but I politely declined. A few days after that, he was sporting a black eye and wouldn’t come within ten feet of me. I’d just assumed it was because I’d rejected him.

“Why would you do that?” I sputtered.

Jacob looked up as he cut another piece of steak. “You were my best friend, Maeve. I couldn’t let him lie to all those guys and let them think you actually did all things he said you did with him.”

Holy shit. He was defending my honor.

“Well, how did you know he wasn’t telling the truth?” Why did I say that? I stabbed at a piece of food.

“Because that’s not the type of girl you are.”

“You mean were.”

“Were. Are. Whatever.”

I lowered my head and wracked my brain for a reason to change the subject.

“When are you leaving for Florida?”

“Day after the semester ends.”

“For how long?”

“Just a few days.”

We finished dinner talking about how ready we were for finals. I was looking forward to getting them done and out of the way in the coming week.

Jacob reached for the check in the black book the waiter left at the table.

“Let me help you with that,” I said, reaching into my purse.

Jacob wrinkled his face. “No way. That’s not how a date is supposed to work.”

“Jacob…”

“Besides,” he said, flopping the cash next to the bill. “I’ve been saving up for this.”

“You saved up enough money between last night and today?”

“No.” He got up from his seat and came around the table to reach for my hand. “I’ve been wanting to ask you out for the last few weeks.”

My heart fluttered in my chest. I rested my hand in his and let him lead me back to the car.

“So what did you think?” he asked as he drove us back home.

“I had a great time, Jacob. Thank you for dinner.”

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

“Thank you for saying yes.”

I smiled. “Thank you for asking me.”

I used the ride back to the apartment to settle my head. My first date, and it wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated. But I suspected that it had to do with Jacob.