Falling In Read Free

“Nice to meet you. Thanks for inviting us. I wasn’t expecting any of this. I’m usually an ignore-neighbors-maybe-wave-hello-in-the-morning-before-work type of guy. But Evangeline here is pretty damn persuasive.” He looks back to me and offers a friendly, platonic smile. Smart man .
                  “Ha. That she is. You have no idea. This woman can bring any man to his knees with just a fucking look. Trust me, I know from experience.” He grunts as I elbow him in is impeccably hard stomach. He turns and heads toward the refrigerator to grab what I assume are beers.
                  “ I can believe it ,” Jake whispers to himself. I’m not sure I was meant to hear it, but alas, I did. He glances back at me once more before heading over to Cole to grab a beer. They both go outside to the grill to talk man-talk, I suppose, whilst I have a ginormous gulp of my wine and then take a deep breath. In through the nose. Out the mouth.
    After we finish dinner, we decide to put a movie on for the kids so we can talk without having to scream over all of the ruckus that a seven and two six-year olds can create. All three of us sit at the turquoise picnic bench I scored from a garage sale and refurbished three years ago. Each of us is facing one another, making a triangle of sorts. Alcohol is passing quite freely between us. The guys are on their fourth and fifth beers, me on my second glass of my oh-so-yummy sangria. We decide on playing a friendly game of twenty questions. It’s the easiest way to get to know someone quickly. 
                  “How long have you two been together?” Jakes asks while taking a long pull of his beer and looking between the two of us.
    I decide to answer this one. “In a way, we’ve been together since the first day of first grade. He’s always been my best friend.” I look over at Cole and smile up at him with nostalgia, gratitude, and a twinge of sadness, my eyes expressing my unconditional love for him. He smiles back knowingly and winks. “But we technically didn’t get together until seventh grade—”
                  “That’s when she got boobs!” Cole interrupts. I punch him in his ogre-sized arm.
    “Shut it and let me finish our great love story! So, it was the beginning of seventh grade and well, Cole was right, I did get boobs over the summer, albeit a bit small, l but I was still looking mighty fine.” Cole looks at Jake pointedly and nods up and down like a moron. Men . “I was at my locker with my boobs and the rest of my banging body when David Lee—super hottie, by the way—asked me to go to the fall dance. I, of course, said yes. I wasn’t stupid—I did have eyes. Plus, no one had ever asked me out before. Well, news travels fast, and it got to Cole around third period gym class. The ogre that is now my man attacked poor David Lee, giving him a black eye and split lip. I was mortified. Cole was suspended for a week.
    “After school, I hiked the five miles to his house, climbed the tree by his window, and snuck into his room. Something I had done a million times before. I demanded he tell me why he would do such a thing to poor David Lee. Cole looked at me like I was an idiot, and then said the sexiest and most amazing words I have ever heard: ‘Because I won’t let anyone touch what’s mine!’ That’s when I tackled him to the ground and kissed him like my life depended on it. I’ll let you in on a little secret, one that even Cole doesn’t know.”
    I glance at Cole, who is staring at me with intrigue and confusion. I smirk. “See, Jakey boy, what my Cole here doesn’t know is that I have loved him since the second day of first grade. When he noticed I didn’t have any lunch, he gave me his.” I smile to myself, remembering how even at six years old, I knew this boy was special. “But it wasn’t until that exact moment when David Lee asked me to the dance when I concocted my little plan. You see, I