Jake's eyes widened as he stared down at the material held out in my hand. “I am not fucking wearing that.”

I frowned, pursing my lips. “But you said—”

“No. I said I would help you,” he snapped, cutting me off.

“And this is helping me.”

“When you asked me to meet you here, I thought I’d be moving a few boxes. Maybe a bit of painting or something. You know, the usual stuff one friend does for another. That…” he said, pointing at the fabric in disgust. “Is not happening.”

“Are you saying no to me, Jake?” I fluttered my eyelashes.

“Hell yeah, I’m saying no.” Jake shook his head and pocketed his hands. “You're crazy.”

I pouted. “That's not very friendly of you.”

“Neither is forcing your friend—a guy friend—to play dress up in a damn dress. No. It ain't happening, sweetheart.”

“Please, Jake. Frankie's working and I need to get this dress sent away tomorrow or I’ll miss the deadline.”

“There's a mannequin right over there. Go use it.”

“I’m making adjustments on that dress. I can't take it off.” That wasn't a lie. I planned on getting it finished that weekend.

Jake shook his head and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Fine,” I sighed in defeat. “I guess I’ll just have to send it away unfinished. They'll laugh at it, of course. Pick it apart from the seams. Maybe even use it to wipe their arses, but hey, who cares? It isn't like it's my future career that's on the line or anything.”

Jake cursed under his breath. “Fine. Okay.”

“No one will ever take me seriously again. I may as well give up now…”

“I. Said. Okay.”

“I guess this means I’ll be dealing with Leanne for the rest of my entire life…”

“I said okay, for fuck’s sake. I’ll put the damn dress on.”

“You will?” I gasped.

“Give me the dress, Mel.” Jake sighed.

“You... are a lifesaver. My knight in shining armour. Knight? Get it?”

“Funny. Now hand it over before I change my goddamn mind.”

I walked the few short spaces towards him and held it out. When he begrudgingly ripped it from my hands, I smiled sweetly, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

Jake was mumbling under his breath as he started to slip his legs into the dress. I held back a laugh as I pushed my hand in the air to stop him. “No. You can't wear those clothes underneath. I won't be able to tack it properly.”

“What?” He frowned.

“Naked. Please?” I pursed my lips, narrowing my eyes.

Jake cursed and shook his head. I tried not to watch as he tossed his jeans aside, then his shirt. I should make him lose the boxers, too, but I figured that would be pushing it.

I managed to hold back the laughter as I pretended to make adjustments. All the while Jake kept asking if it was okay or did he need to move or something. It was hard not to crack up with laughter when I stood back, making it appear as though I was deep in thought.

Every time I looked up, I found Jake’s eyes on mine. He refused to look down at the dress that clung to his chest and butt.

“There,” I stated proudly.

“You've finished?” he asked, hopeful.

“Yep.” I nodded and sat on the edge of the table.

Jake hadn't realised it yet, but he’d cheered me up. Tonight could have easily gone to shit. I knew drinking the pain away was a bad idea, so I’d asked Jake to meet me, making out I needed his help when really, I didn’t.

“You okay?” he asked as he sat beside me on the table.

“I’m good.”

“You sure?” He nudged my arm.

“I’ll be fine, Jake.” I smiled.

“Something happen today?”

“A lot happened today.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

I shook my head. He didn't need to hear about my problems.

“I meant what I said about being friends, Mel.”

“Really?” I asked too quickly. I thought he was just being nice when he'd mentioned us being friends. Like maybe he felt sorry for me or something. I didn't think he actually meant it.

“Really. Tell me what's upset you.”

I sighed, knowing I had to at least give him something. “I went to visit Shawn’s grave today. It's been four years since… well, you know.” Jake nodded and waited patiently for me to continue. “I went there, just like I do every year, only this time I wasn't alone. Someone else was already there. I guess it just…. it was weird, that's all. I haven't spoken to her in a while and we’ve not been on good terms since.”

“She? Does she have a name?”

“She does. It’s Aubrie.”

“Wait…” He frowned. “Rye’s Aubrie? Brie?”

“Yep.”

“What was she doing there? Did she... did they know each other?”

“You could say that. Brie was in love with him. Well, as in love as a seventeen-year-old can be.”

“Wow, I had no idea.”

“Yeah. It's not something that's ever really spoken about.”

“I knew you guys had a history, but I had no idea why. I guess we all just figured you'd fallen out or something. You know, teenage stuff.”

“That would have been easier,” I admitted.

“What happened?”

“Honestly? On her part? I have no idea. We were friends for years. Best friends. We did everything together. Joint birthday parties, sleepovers. We even shared a boyfriend once.” A bubble of laughter formed in my throat at the memory.

“It sounds like you two were close.”

I nodded. “We were.”

“What changed?”

“That's the thing.” I shrugged. “I have no idea. When we found out Shawn died, Aubrie sort of closed off. She didn't ask me how or what happened. She didn't even cry, which, looking back, was weird. I mean, she was so into him and I knew he liked her, too. Maybe not as much, but still, he had to feel something for her, right?”

Jake lifted his shoulder into a shrug. “I guess.”

“She never cried. She never hugged me or stayed with me while my parents sorted out the funeral arrangements. I tried calling her three days later and… nothing. Her phone went to voicemail and so did the house phone. I stopped by her place after dinner one day and her dad answered the door. He said Aubrie was staying with her auntie for a while and that he didn't know when she was coming back. Back then I thought he meant like a holiday. Maybe two or three weeks at most. She never came back.”

“That's it? She just didn't come back again?” Jake frowned.

I shook my head. “Not until second year of college, first day back, and then suddenly she's right there, standing at the gates. She wouldn't even look at me or acknowledge my existence.”

“That sucks.”

“I hated her so much for leaving me. I needed her, Jake. I needed my friend and she wasn't there.”

“I’m sorry she did that. At least you had your parents.”

“Technically, yes. Emotionally, no. They took it bad. I think they blamed themselves for Shawn's death. We all knew how bad things were, but it was easier to ignore than to face the truth. They eventually stopped talking to each other, then me. If it wasn't for Bessy…” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “She took me under her wing and treated me as though I was her own. In a way she saved me.”

“Fucking hell, Mel. No kid should have to go through that. My dad's an arse but I know if I needed him he'd be there. I don't know what I’d do if I didn't have my parents in my life.”

I smiled flatly. “Let's hope you never have to find out.”

Jake nodded. “Do you know what happened with Brie? Why she went away?”

“Nope. Like I said, when she came back she was a different person. It was like I never even knew her. She was a stranger. So, I did what she did and acted as though she didn't exist. It hurt like hell, but I’m over it now.”

“Are you?”

“What?”

“Over it?”

My lips pulled into a grin. I hated that he seemed to see right through me. Not even my parents knew what I was thinking or feeling.

“Sometimes. Other times I’ll remember what it felt like to be abandoned and I’ll hate her all over again. When I see her now, she's just another girl in a long line of girls. She's just a girl I used to know.”

“What happened today? Did she say something to you?”

“She said that she wanted to explain—that when I was ready, she'd be waiting.”

“Are you going to let her?”

“I don't know. I think too much has happened to even consider going back there. Too much time has passed. I don't know that it'll even make a difference or if I’ll just be disappointed again.”

“And you don't want to risk the disappointment?” Jake breathed out.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, just staring into empty space. The silence was suffocating and I willed Jake to say something, anything that didn't involve returning to my memories. Thinking about Aubrie and the friendship we once had made me sad. I wanted to forget that we were ever friends, but it was hard. We lived in the same town and frequented the same places so often, it was impossible to avoid bumping into each other.

I looked to Jake and I was thankful I had. He looked ridiculous in that fuchsia dress.

“What?” he frowned.

“Nothing,” I lied, trying desperately to hold back the giggles.

“Come on. What is it?”

“You look ridiculous,” I told him.

Jake poked his finger into my ribs and grinned. “Made you smile, though, didn't it?”

I slipped out my phone, tapped on the camera and held it up. “Say cheese,” I sang, quickly snapping a couple of pictures.

“Don't even think about it,” he said in warning. When I continued snapping away happily, he darted for my phone. The muscles in his thick arms rippled under his skin as he tried to reach out for it. I was quicker, though. I had the phone stuffed inside my pocket and my body across the other side of the room within seconds.

Jake seemed to buckle as if he had hurt himself, and limped forward. I frowned. “You okay?” I asked, immediately feeling guilty.

“Yeah, just a cramp,” he said, hobbling his way back over to the table. His brows pinched at the corners as if he was in pain. A lot of pain, by the looks of it. He must’ve noticed the concern in my eyes and he smiled. “If you even think of putting that on Facebook, I’m revoking our friendship.”

“Wouldn't dream of it,” I lied again. That shit was going on my social media as soon as I got home.

I could tell Jake was still in pain, even if he tried to hide it. All the colour had drained from his face as he flexed his knee out and brought it back in.

I sat beside him and pulled up the edge of the dress. In a normal situation that action alone would have been hilarious, but it was clear that the injury was more serious than he was willing to let on. “Can I?” I asked, lifting the material a little higher.

Jake’s eyes lifted to mine and he nodded, wincing as I pulled his leg onto my lap. I smiled up at him as I pushed the dress up to his thigh and brushed my thumb across his knee. It was red and swollen. This definitely was not a cramp.

My fingers shook as they soothed the raised knee. I remembered reading something about him being injured a while ago, but he’d been back on the field a few weeks later so this couldn't be the same injury. I wanted to ask him what happened but before I could speak, Jake tipped my chin with his finger and smiled. When his soft eyes met mine, anything I was about to say was long forgotten. Was I crossing the line of friendship? Was I hurting him?

“Do you feel up all your friends?” Jake's mouth tipped into a grin, and I smacked his arm playfully.

“You’re an arse.”

“I’m just messing with ya, Mel. And you should know something…”

“What's that?” I asked, my voice croaky and uneven.

“If you keep touching me like that I’m gonna bend you over this table and fuck you so hard that you’ll be the one struggling to walk”

I leaned in close, my voice dropping an octave. “Really?”

“Really,” he repeated.

“Jake?” I whispered.

“Hmm?”

“You should know something, too…”

“What's that?” he asked, swallowing down the question.

I leaned in closer, noticing how his breathing became heavier. My lips parted as they gravitated towards Jake's mouth. When his eyes dropped to mine, reality kicked in, snapping me out of the trance I seemed to have found myself in. “That dress really brings out the colour in your eyes.”

“Bitch,” he said, feigning hurt. “This is the last time I’m ever going to do you a favour. Next time you enter some fashion show or whatever the hell it is, you're on your own.”

I frowned. “What fashion show?”

“That fashion thing or whatever you call it.”

I continued to frown. “Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about.” I shook my head.

“This dress. The deadline!” he yelled louder, gripping the fabric in his hand.

“Nope. Still no idea.” I deadpanned.

“Mel…” Jake said, his voice full of warning. “There is no show? No deadline?”

“Nope,” I confirmed. Inside I was doing my very own victory dance. I’d gotten him good.

“You lied. You made me wear this damn thing, for what? So you could have a laugh at my expense?” His mouth hung open in shock before he quickly snapped it shut. I jumped back as a fresh bout of laughter took hold of me. Tears formed in my eyes as I tried to force myself not to laugh. It was hard not to. He looked like a raging bull in a prom dress. My chest began to vibrate as the laugher gathered inside of me, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, desperate to force its way out. I couldn't breathe.

Before I could even catch a much-needed breath, Jake was already ripping away at the bright pink fabric as though it were on fire. His eyes were wide as he limped the small distance to where I had stopped. “You call yourself a friend?” he snarled.

“What? I needed you to take my mind off of today and you did. What's the problem?” I asked innocently. He was mad as hell.

His brows arched high on his forehead as he pushed his face closer to mine. “What's the problem?” he said, repeating my words.

I bit my lip and nodded.

“What's the damn problem?”

I stayed silent.

“I only put that damn thing on because I felt sorry for you. Because I really thought you needed my help.”

“I did. Kind of.” I cringed. Okay, maybe laughing wasn't such a good idea. Nor was making him put the dress on in the first place. I wouldn't apologise, though. I’d had way too much fun watching him squirm while I made fake adjustments.

Jake pressed his body against mine, leaving me no room to breathe. The dress was still clutched tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white with the force of the grip he had on it. When he met me nose for nose, he sighed. His mouth hovered over mine, his lips edging their way closer to my own. I could feel his angry breaths dancing across my face. Was he going to kiss me? Friends didn't kiss. Did they? Just as I felt the slight brush of his skin on mine, absolutely certain he was, in fact, going to kiss me, he pulled back.

I blinked up at him, wondering what the hell had just happened.

“Payback’s a bitch, babe.” He laughed menacingly, his brown eyes twinkling as I squirmed on the spot. Would he actually try and get me back for that? Surely not.

“Jake?” I questioned. “It was just a joke. You're not really going to do anything, are you?”

“No. Right now, I’m hungry,” he said, pulling his jeans over his legs.

“Wha… where are you…?” I stuttered, frowning as he pulled the shirt over his head.

Jake paused and turned to face me, his brows raised high. “You want pizza or what?”

“Pizza?” I frowned. “So, you're not going to get me back for lying to you about the dress?”

“No, Mel. We’re going for pizza.

I sighed with relief.

“Then I’ll decide how I’m going to get you back for that little stunt you just pulled.”

My mouth hung wide open as I stared at his back. I could hear his maniacal laugh as he pushed open the door and stepped outside.

“You coming or what?” he asked over his shoulder.

I grunted in response.

Ah, hell. That would be me well and truly fucked.