Page 56 of Only You
Kayla looked stricken. “Are you sure? You don’t have to leave on our account.”
“Trust me, they’re not. This is already past their bedtime,” Jack said, only half-teasing.
Jack and Kayla walked his parents to the front door.
“Now you can go out with your friends like you planned,” Eileen said as she put on her coat.
Jack nodded while Kayla stood silently beside him.
“Have a good night,” John said.
“You too,” Jack and Kayla replied together.
They stood in the doorway and watched his parents get into their rental car and drive off.
“I’ll clean up the kitchen,” Kayla said, and hurriedly walked away.
Jack followed her. “We could still go out,” he suggested as she cleared off the table.
Kayla sighed. “I’ll go on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We go as friends, and nothing more. We don’t have to pretend we’re a couple because Ryan and Josie know the truth. It’ll be just like it was before all this happened.” Kayla flapped her hand around, like she was erasing the conversation that had taken place earlier.
“Agreed,” Jack said.
Kayla’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Yes, really. I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.”
She eyed him warily. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not. The last thing I want is to ruin our friendship. That was never my intention.”
Kayla slowly nodded.
“Tonight, we’ll go out and have fun as friends, just like we used to.”
“Well, not exactly. We didn’t use to play cards with your parents first.”
Jack chuckled. “True.”
“And you didn’t use to parade around in a towel in front of me.”
“Also true. I apologize.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Jack. I’m not permanently scarred from seeing you half naked.”
“Thank God!” He pretended to wipe sweat off his brow.
Kayla laughed, and it eased the remaining tension between them.
“Now that we’re on the same page, are you ready to go?”
She glanced down at her jeans and sweatshirt. “I can’t go like this! I have to change.”
Jack had figured as much. “You go change, and I’ll let Ryan know we’re coming.”
Kayla turned to leave, but paused. “Thank you, Jack.”
“What for?”
“For being a good friend.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go so we can get there before the bar closes.”
Laughing, she hurried out of the kitchen.
Jack expelled a heavy sigh. Friendship. That was all Kayla wanted from him, and he was foolish to think it could ever be more.
