Chapter 143
Jay blinked, then turned to Claire with a mix of disbelief and amusent. "You dated Charlie?"
Claire winced. "It was one date! Maybe two. It didn’t an anything."
Lunch slowly wrapped up with the clinking of cutlery and last sips of drinks. Plates were cleared, chairs pushed back, and casual hugs and handshakes made their way around the long table.
Scarlett and I left the restaurant, our fingers intertwined as we stepped into the warm afternoon sun.
"Beach?" I asked.
"Absolutely," she said.
We walked barefoot along the sand, the breeze light and salty, our conversation lighter now that the family circus was behind us. After a while, I gestured toward a small path tucked behind so rocks.
"Co with . I want to show you sothing."
She followed up a narrow trail, curiosity in her eyes. At the top was a secluded lookout point, quiet and shaded, with a panoramic view of the ocean crashing into the cliffs below.
Scarlett’s breath caught. "Wow. This is... incredible."
"Yeah," I said, watching her instead of the view. "I thought it matched the mont."
And then we kissed. Slow at first, then deeper.
Obviously, the security detail was nearby, making sure no one interfered with the mont.
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Later that afternoon, I returned ho alone. The sun had already set, leaving a soft afterglow across the Santa Monica sky.
As I walked up to the deck, I paused for a mont.
The four of them were still at the house—Carly, Sam, Paige, and Missy—sprawled across the outdoor furniture. Freddie had just arrived too, holding a drink and looking amused by whatever they were discussing.
I stepped out onto the deck, offering a relaxed smile.
"Hey, everyone," I said, waving casually as I approached them.
They all responded with a chorus of "Hi, Jake," and a few lazy waves.
Carly tilted her head, smirking. "So... how was the date?"
"A little ssy," I said, dropping into one of the chairs. "At lunch, we ended up joining a family that knew mine. But all went well after."
I made exaggerated kissing noises, just to ss with them.
They booed loudly in unison, and a couple of throw pillows ca flying in my direction.
I ducked, laughing. "Okay, okay! I’m done!"
I stood up, stretching. "I’m gonna take a shower and get ready. Scarlett’s coming over for dinner with us, and later we’re hitting so party. Want to co?"
"I’m in," replied Sam.
" too," Paige added, already grinning.
Mom trusts to look after Paige, which is why she lets her co to so parties (I hire soone to do it, as I’m not a babysitter). She also knows the security team is always close by—she even calls one of them from ti to ti just to check.
"I wish," said Missy, frustrated. "I doubt my parents will let go. And I don’t want another month grounded..."
"I’ll go too—and I’m calling Griffin," said Carly, casually grabbing her phone.
Freddie groaned.
"Freddie’s not a big fan of Carly’s boyfriend," Sam explained to Missy.
"I’m not either," I added. "He stole Spencer’s motorcycle."
"That was only for a joyride," Carly argued.
"Now you defend him, but I rember you said sothing very different back then."
"Why do all the girls like bad boys?" Freddie said louder than he probably ant to, drawing everyone’s attention for a second.
Sam smirked. "Because bad boys are fun."
"I don’t know either. Maybe girls mistake a guy’s selfish attitude for attractive confidence," I replied, shrugging.
They all looked at at once.
"You’re a bad boy too, Jake," Carly pointed as a matter-of-factly, and several heads nodded in agreent.
"What??" I gasped. "I’m not a bad boy! I’m a nice boy, a funny boy!" I started counting on my fingers. "A rich boy, a smart boy, a handso boy... an aweso boy!!"
Then I mid an explosion at my temple with my fingers.
"Shaless boy!" said Carly, deadpan.
"Cocky boy," added Sam.
"Delusional boy!" Paige finished.
We all burst into laughter.
"But why are you against being a bad boy?" Missy asked, intrigued.
"They hide their insecurities behind fake confidence," I began. "They act like jerks for no reason. They’re impulsive, get into fights over nothing, and think it’s cool to treat people badly. Down the line, they usually end up stuck with soone just as chaotic—and neither of them really wins in life." Most of them turn into losers
Paige leaned forward, grinning. "You are a smug bastard, you fool around with girls, you act mysterious from ti to ti, you don’t care what others think, you do what you want, when you want—and you’re cocky!"
"I don’t lie to girls nor manipulate them," I retorted, ticking off on my fingers. "You all know why I’m mysterious sotis. I have self-awareness, so I know when to take others’ opinions seriously. I do what I want, when I want, because I worked for it. And I’m not cocky—I’m pretty humble."
A chorus of "Yeah, right, humble" echoed from around the deck.
A vein popped in my head. "Think about it, Paige," I said.
Paige paused for a mont, then started listing. "You’re (very arguably) the famous artist in the world, a multimillionaire, you’re friends with Britney Spears, wrote so multimillion-dollar movies, and your ex is one of the most desired girls of our generation."
Yes, Laura and Kristin Kreuk are becoming every boy’s crush (though it’s an exaggeration to call her one of the most desired girls of our generation... for now). Just like Tom Welling for the girls.
Her eyes widened as she continued, "And you’re only 14... you’re actually... humble?! Or at least you could be waay smugger"
She added with a smirk, "Oh, and you’re intelligent—just not like ."
"Don’t teach Paige your bad habits," complained Carly.
"I don’t," I protested. "She’s a genius. She just learns like a sponge—but sohow only picks up the bad habits, not the good ones."
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