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“Well you better get them
and I’ll read and sign them.”

My mom dropped me off
at Jett's house just after 1:00p.m. Before we got there
I realized I never met Cale's parents and never
heard him talk about them except when he told me they went out of
town, which isn’t
normal now
that I thought about it.

When I arrived no one
knew where Jett was, his mom called around and sent me in the
basement after him. I went down and found him working
out. He was in fitted shorts and no shirt bench pressing some
weights. If he was down there lifting weights to impress
me, it worked because all I could do was stare. If he was
lifting five pounds or a hundred I had no
idea. I stood at his feet watching him and finally
startled him with a “Hi.”

Clank! He dropped the weight
down and said “Holy shit!” and sat up. “You scared me, is it
one already?” He scooted himself to the end of the bench and
grabbed his shirt from the floor and wiped his face and threw
it on the stairs. “I'm sorry I was hoping to have taken a
shower by now.”

I was thinking
thank goodness he didn't, my heart was racing a little and my
face went flush. I remained silent admiring
him. 

He looked at me and smiled,
reached over and grabbed one side of my jacket and pulled me toward
him. He put his other hand inside my coat and around my waist
and pulled me down onto his lap. Facing each other, neither one of
us spoke, I felt like he was giving me time to back out.
I broke the silence in a hushed voice and asked him what he
wanted to do today. He pulled my legs on top of his and then
wrapped both his arms around my
waist. I thought I would panic and squirm but
the panic didn't come. He pressed his lips into mine parting
them as we kissed. My face turned hot and my body was
tingling. I slid my hands up his bare arms to his smooth
bare neck and through his hair. He slid his hand up my back
under my coat and the other slid down to my waist while pulling me
closer to him pressing his chest to mine. One hand slipped under my
shirt and touched my skin.

I immediately pushed
him back. I felt claustrophobic with the onset of a panic
attack and I tried to talk but what came out was barely
audible. “I thought we were hanging out today.” He pushed
back, he looked relaxed, however, I was still a little freaked
out. He backed me up onto the bench next to him and he leaned back
and crossed his feet and said nonchalantly “I need to take a
shower, possibly a long one.” He kissed me on the neck, his lips
were hot. “Come on” he said reaching out for my hand, I took it;
his hand was very warm and masculine and felt good in
mine.

His mom was at the kitchen
table, she asked me if I was hungry. My face was still
flush and I was a little embarrassed but sat down.
She offered me a drink, I accepted. She was awesome to talk to and
before I knew it Jett was done with his shower and dressed.
His mom complained that he worked out but hadn't hauled the hay
from the truck to the barn yet.

I chimed in “We can do that
now” he looked at me very strangely and said “No way, I can do it
later.”
If our chores weren't done at my house we weren't
allowed to do anything. “If we do it now, it's done, then we have
all night to hang out.”

“All night, huh.” He said to
me, narrowing his eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders with
a smile and said “All night...”

He didn't grab a jacket, I
swung mine back on and we trekked out to the barn. When we got
there he pushed me slowly against the barn wall bringing himself
with, I couldn't move. He whispered in my ear “So you just wanted
to get me alone.” He kissed my neck and then moved to my
lips.

I put both hands on his
sternum and pushed back. “No, I actually thought that the two of us
could get this done faster than by yourself.”

“Hmmm” was all he said. He
grabbed the key from above me and started up the tractor and
signaled for me to get on. There was a trailer on the back, I
hoped he didn't mean for me to get on that because I hopped on the
seat behind him and grabbed him around the waist. He pulled up and
around to the driveway. He stopped the tractor alongside the
other trailer attached to his
dad's truck and
I got off. It was too wet to drive the truck down to the barn.
Jett asked “So, you can pick up a bale of hay and feed
huh?”

I said “Hell no, not the hay
anyway, well maybe. You need to turn the tractor around so both
trailers are back to back. “He looked at me quizzically.

“Trust me, Nic and I have
done this a million times. Just do it” and to my amazement he did.
I made sure the tractor trailer was lower than the trucks by
pushing it down with my foot.

I hopped up on the truck
trailer and told him to come up with me. “Now what genius, I do all
the work?”

“I'm glad I'm not the only
sarcastic one. Now, we flip the top row end over end so it's on the
trailer bed.” The hay was stacked two rows high and three rows
deep. He went to grab one, and I showed him. “No do it this way.”
He moved his hands to mimic mine, he looked at me thru his
eyelashes, “Now just slide.”
He slid it so hard that it
went off the tractor trailer. “Pure genius Hercules, try to be a
little gentler.
If we slide together it will go
right to the end of the trailer.” We got three bales of hay on the
tractor trailer and straightened them. It was a little awkward
and not as easy as when Nic and I did it but I hopped back on the
truck trailer and nodded for him to come up, he didn't look really
impressed but the rest went easier. He jumped down and I slid the
feed bags to the end of the trailer where he was standing. He
plopped them on top of the hay. He smiled at me.

“See, not so bad” I said.
“Now we're half way done.” We got on the tractor and I got on
behind and put my arms around him.

Another ten minutes at the
barn and we had the trailer emptied. I turned to him and said “Now
that you know how to do it right it'll go faster next
time.”

He laughed “Really? I don't
know how to do it?” he said mocking me.

“Well you do now,” I
replied. “I bet you and your brothers try and toss each bail by
yourself seeing who could toss them the farthest or lift it the
highest and hurting yourself in the process.”

He laughed “Just
about.”

“You and your brothers could
get it done superfast this way and without hurting yourself. Plus,
Nic and I use hooks to hook the hay - it's way easier.” He shook
his head in satisfaction.

I walked outside the barn to
check out their yard. We owned an acre and a half which I
thought was a lot but they had ten. They had a small pond just
beyond their barn and a perimeter of trees and brush surrounding
the property. I was scanning the woods nearest us when I swear I
saw something large move.

“Dammit!” I was pissed! How
was this guy stalking me when I didn't even know I was going to be
here today? I started walking toward the woods, slowly at first.
Then I saw the movement again but it stopped behind a tree. I
yelled "Hey!" Jett came out of the barn and asked me “what?” I
glanced at him and back at the stalker or whomever it was and they
started running, I took off after him. Come hell or high water I
was finding out who the heck has been following me today. I heard
Jett yell "Addie" I just kept running in the direction of the
stalker, he was running toward the street. I lost him so I slowed
down. The trees were dense and suddenly I was knocked onto the
ground and then I was being dragged by my arm, but he stopped,
looked back and let go of me. I couldn't tell who it was as he had
a ski mask on, but I swear I saw sandy brown hair hanging down from
its edges. He looked tall enough and his build looked the same. I
laid there frozen not sure what my next move was.

He started running for the
street again. Jett jumped over me flying toward the guy, Jett was
running fast! Although Jett seemed to be just as fast or faster, he
couldn't catch him. The guy jumped in a dark navy banged up pickup
truck, someone was waiting for him, "Did you get his license
plate?" I asked Jett as he offered me a hand and helped me
up.

"No, his licensed plate was
covered up.”

“So this was all planned." I
said. “I think that’s Cale’s truck” or his ladies friends truck I
thought.

Jett looked a little
panicked but he wasn't breathing all that hard, I was still winded
and had been on my butt for at least a minute or two. I asked
him "What's wrong?"

Jett started pulling some
leaves from my hair and jacket.

"What is it with you and
weirdo’s attacking you?" He asked.

I stood there and stared at
him in rapt. “How do you know it wasn't the boogie man and he
was after you?” I said trying to be funny. The sky started to turn
dark and ominous, we headed in. 

We took our shoes off inside
and Jett helped me peel my coat off. We went to his room, I stood
in the doorway. He peeled off his shirt and put on a new one and
asked “Not coming in?”

I shook my head no. He met
me at the doorway and I asked “Aren’t your parents’
home?”

“Yeah, why?” He replied and
unbeknownst to me I let out a sigh of relief a little too loud.
“What you don't want to be alone with me?”

I replied shakily “Not that
alone” but smiled. He looked concerned, he leaned on the other side
of the door jam and asked me if I wanted a clean shirt. I tugged on
the one he had on and I said “I'll take this one.”

“I wore this for a bit this
morning, it's not clean.” I just raised my eyebrows. He took his
shirt off right in front of me. As he did, I put my hand on his
chest and let it slide down six pack. He almost
shivered.

He handed me the shirt and
pointed to the bathroom and he disappeared into his room again.
What I don't get is why this gorgeous, super talented, intriguing
guy liked me. When he re-appeared he had a new shirt on.

“I could use a sweatshirt,
it's a little chilly.” He gave me a peck on the forehead. When he
returned, he smiled at me and said “I'll need that t-shirt back in
trade for the sweatshirt. He stepped even closer holding the folded
sweatshirt just off to the side. I’m not sure why, but right now,
at this instant I wasn't a bundle of nerves, I felt safe and warm,
steady. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, I wanted to be
here. I couldn't take my eyes off of his dark and full lips, he
moved in closer, slid one hand behind my neck, I closed my eyes and
let our lips part.

I pulled the sweatshirt out
of his hand and whipped into the bathroom shutting the door behind
me. When I came out Jett wasn't in his room so I went to the family
room, he was watching TV on the floor and his mom was in the
kitchen. She was only there for a minute and disappeared
upstairs.

“So you don't trust me” he
said as I sat next to him. I leaned up against the couch and held
my knees up to my chest casually, I started getting nervous. “I do,
why would you say that?”

“You said you didn't
want to be alone with me so that must mean you don't trust
me.”

“Do you always think
everything is so black and white?” There was a slight pause, a
laugh and a “No” escaped his lips.

“Have you ever thought that
maybe I have morals or that I’m not as experienced as you think and
I just don't want to go jump into the sack with you? Maybe I’m not
interested in having sex at all, it's not like we've even talked
about it. Maybe I don’t trust myself around you. Besides it’s
not like we are even dating exclusively, are we? What do you want
from me? I mean we haven't talked about that.” I went on so long
I'm not even sure what I said. I almost felt mad though, I was
waiting for him to respond.

"And there is the fact that
you're hot and cold - your mood swings are killing me."

Jett was looking at the TV
now, how long could the silence last. After what felt like forever,
he scooted closer to me lying on his side and rested his head on
the couch. He broke the bond easily between my hands and put his
arm over my legs pulling me closer to him. I let them fall limp to
my sides. Softly so no one else in the house could hear, he said “I
like you a lot and I feel a lot when we touch or kiss. I would like
us to date exclusively, I'm not interested in anyone
else."

He kissed my shoulder I felt
a little relieved, but still a little tense. “And for the rest of
it” he continued “we can go as slow as you want. If you tell me no
or to back off I'll stop, no pressure, I promise, you can trust
me.” 

And somehow I did trust him
and began to relax, my shoulders fell away. He pulled me down so my
head was resting on the couch with his, it was uncomfortable and he
whispered “I know something else is bothering you and I wish you'd
tell me. Maybe I can help.”

He got up slowly and pulled
me up and held on tight to my hand as he led me downstairs. This
time he pulled the door shut making me flinch and he felt it, he
turned to look at me. The basement seemed to be a place we went for
privacy. I sat on the old gold velvet couch that matched the
tattered love seat and Jett sat across from me on the stained and
faded coffee table. They didn't look nice enough to sit on but
that's where we sat. He waited for me to talk. I waited not knowing
how to start.