On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss
Chapter 14
Jenna
“Take a deep breath. In and out. Continue to focus on your breath, counting as you inhale… and exhale...”
I purse my lips, blowing out as I count along with the guided meditation playing from my phone’s speakers.
“If you have a thought, let it pass. If you lose count, don’t worry. Just start over.”
I clear my head. I let my hands rest on my knees. I sink a little deeper into my mattress as I try to focus on... nothing at all.
Especially not Seth.
Pfft, Seth.
Stupid little—
Dammit.
I take another breath, starting back at one. One inhale. Two exhale. Three inhale.
I won’t think. I won’t think about school. I won’t think about paying for school. I won’t think about Seth and his annoying golden eyes or his dumb smirk or his stupid dimples or—
Dammit.
One inhale. Two exhale.
The front door opens and I suck my breath in tight.
I hop off the bed and bolt into the hallway. As I reach the kitchen, so does Seth, carrying several bags of groceries in his arms.
I place my hands on my hips as every bit of calm gained from my meditation melts away.
“Seth, I thought I told you—”
“Hey!” he says over me as he raises his phone.
“Is that Jenna?”Heidi says over speakerphone.
“Yeah, that’s Jenna,” Seth answers with a glance at me. “You wanna say hi, Jenna? It’s Heidi.”
I close my mouth. Seth drops his bags on the kitchen table and sidles over to me.
“Hey, Jenna!” Heidi says, her bright, smiling face on the screen.
I throw on an instant, happy smile. “Hey!” I say, hiding my annoyance at Seth’s arm as he throws it around my shoulders to bring us closer together. “What’s up? Where are you now?”
“Last night in London,” she answers. “It’s so beautiful here! I didn’t want to leave, but then Drew reminded me we’re going to Paris tomorrow, so I left my options open.” Her eyes shift, hopping from me to Seth and back again. “So, what’s up with you guys? You look... close.”
Seth laughs. “Close? Of course we’re close! We’re just about to make some dinner, actually. Orange chicken and rice. Some roasted broccoli. It’s gonna be delicious. Right, Jenna?”
He nudges my ribs.
“Yeah!” I say, going along with it. “Yummy!”
Heidi pouts. “Aw, man! I love your chicken.”
Seth smirks. “I make good chicken.”
“I’m all jelly now.”
“Well,” I say, “just look out your window. You’ll be right back to never wanting to leave again.”
Heidi glances to the side and sighs. “You’re right. I’m never coming home. I can get chicken anywhere.”
Seth chuckles. “Where’s Drew?”
“Oh, he’s across the hall with his parents. I’m supposed to be changing, so I should get going.” She pauses, looking at us with a sweet smile that quickly turns inquisitive. “You sure you guys are cool?”
“We’re great!” I answer.
“You look shifty.”
“Not shifty. We’re...” I glance at him as his golden gaze fixes on mine. “We’re having a blast!”
“Yeah,” he says. “This was probably the best idea you’ve ever had, Heidi.”
She raises a brow as I do. “It was?” she asks, her face blank.
“We should have done this earlier!” he says. “We’re hanging out, talking things through. Finding some common ground.”
“You are?”
I nod through the lie. “Of course!”
“We’re throwing a party tomorrow night, too!” Seth announces. “It’s gonna be a real shindig. Right, Jenna?”
Seth nudges my ribs again.
“Hell yeah,” I say, selling it. “I can’t wait.”
“She bought new shoes and everything!”
Heidi rolls her eyes. “As if she needs an excuse to do that.”
They laugh. I chuckle softly.
“You know, I really feared the worst here, but you guys seem to be handling this like adults. I don’t know what to even say.”
“Don’t say anything,” Seth says. “Just relax and have a good time. You have nothing to worry about here. Now, I better get cooking soon or else Jenna’s gonna lose it,” he adds.
Heidi laughs with him. “Yeah, Hungry Jenna isn’t fun at all.”
I hold up a finger. “I can’t be held legally responsible for the things I do or say whilst hangry. It’s in the contract.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Again, she looks at each of us. “Well… bye, guys!”
We wave. “Bye, Heidi!”
“Say hi to Drew for us,” Seth says.
“I will! Have fun at your party tomorrow.”
“We’ll throw another one for you when you get back, little sister.”
“Looking forward to it.” She waves back. “Bye!”
“Bye!”
She hangs up and we immediately de-couple.
“I told you to get out,” I say, standing my ground.
“Really, Jenna?” Seth turns to face me. “You’re going to kick me out now? After telling her everything was okay between us?”
“Everything is not okay between us, Seth!”
“Why not?”
I pause. “Why not?”
“Yeah.” He stands taller. “Why isn’t everything okay between us? No matter what I do, you’re always pissed at me and I don’t have the slightest idea why. So, if you don’t mind offering me a quick refresher, then I can work on making this right.”
I bite my tongue, holding back. “You can’t make this right, Seth. Just get out.”
Seth exhales hard through his nose. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” He hesitates for a moment. “I have nowhere else to go.”
It twinges my chest, but not nearly enough for me to care. “Go stay with Corey and Wilder,” I suggest.
“I already asked. They’re in Springfield tonight for Harvey’s concert. Won’t be back until morning.”
I drop my jaw. “Harvey has a show tonight?”
“Apparently.”
“Why wasn’t I invited?”
“I wasn’t either!”
“Rude.”
“Right?”
I exhale through my nose. “Then, stay at the Delta Xi house.”
“I checked. It’s all rented up.”
“Well, I’m sure Devin will take you.”
“Jenna…”He stands taller, but his shoulders remain as sunken as the tired circles around his eyes. “I will leave tomorrow night. Okay?”
I open my mouth to argue, but he talks over me.
“Twenty-four hours,” he says. “That’s all I’m asking for here. If you still want me gone after the party, then I’ll go home with Corey.”
“Wait, the party is real?” I ask.
“Hell yeah, the party is real!” He smirks. “You think I’m going to pass up a chance to throw a banger on Shanty? No way.”
“And you didn’t think to run this by me first?” I say. “You know, the person who actually lives here?”
“Jenna.” Seth kisses his teeth. “Jenna, Jenna, Jenna...”
“What?”
“Don’t tell me you’re not down to party.”
“I...” I bristle at the attack on my reputation. “I didn’t say that.”
“Because I thought Jenna Abrams Junior was always down to party.”
“She is, but—”
“In fact, it’s one of the few things I actually like about you.” He pounds his chest twice. “Mad respect.”
“Thank you?” I say with a scoff.
“You’re welcome.” He slaps his palms together, held loosely in prayer. “Twenty-four hours. Please? I promise I’ll be a good little boy until then. I’ll follow all your dumb rules and everything.”
If I say no, I get this prick out of my house, but I also risk disappointing Heidi if she ever found out I booted her brother out with nowhere to go.
If I say yes, I only have to last twenty-four more hours with him, but I also get an excuse to dress up and let loose.
Decisions, decisions.
“Fine,” I say, exhaling hard. “You get twenty-four hours.”
“Thank you, Jenna,” he whispers.
“But I’m doing it for Heidi,” I add. “Not you.”
“Totally fair. We’ll send her a few shiny party selfies before I pack up my shit. She never has to know.”
“And I am not cleaning up after.”
He places a hand over his heart. “Clean up will be all me.”
“Good,” I say with a firm head nod.
Seth pivots toward his groceries. “Dinner?” he offers. “I feel like I owe you an apology for earlier. I was kind of a dick.”
“For locking me out and forcing me to climb through a window?” I spit. “Yes, you owe me an apology.”
He points a finger. “No, for ignoring your labels and drinking your water. I did not purposefully lock you out. That was an accident.”
I cross my arms. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you’re grumpy, insecure, and paranoid. All of which can be treated with a warm, home-cooked meal.”
He flashes a smile full of bright teeth and deep dimples.
With a grunt of annoyance, I step onto my side of the tape-split hallway. “No, thanks,” I say, ignoring the obvious bait.
“There will be leftovers if you change your mind!”
“No, thanks!” I repeat as I close my bedroom door.