The Art of Life (43 page)

               
That
makes Jeremy burst into hysterical laughter.
 
“Sweet, my life is now complete.”

               
“Thank
you for playing for me.
 
I love to hear your
music.
 
It is calming and beautiful,” I
say, as I rest my chin on the tub.
 
“You
are going to make some girl happy someday, because if you do this stuff for me,
you will do amazing things for a woman that you love.
 
You say you don’t do romance, but you are
good at it.”

               
There
is a little twinkle in Jeremy’s eyes.
 
He
looks at me thoughtfully.
 
“There is only
one other person I have ever been like this with before.”

               
“
Aww
, was she sweet?”

               
Jeremy
just stares at me.
 
I can see through his
eyes that he is fighting something in his head.
 
“Yes, she was very sweet.”

               
“What
was her name?” I ask.

               
Taking
in a deep breath, Jeremy says, “I won’t go any farther into that conversation.”

               
“Oh,
I am sorry,” I mumble.
 
“I didn’t mean to
pry.”

               
“Isabelle,
babe, stop saying you are sorry for everything.
 
It’s okay that you ask questions.
 
That doesn’t bother me.”

               
Sitting
up a little more, I say, “But it bothered you when Debbie asked questions.”

               
“I
am closer to you than I was Debbie.
 
You
are…well…my best friend.
 
I feel like I
can be honest and true in front of you and you won’t judge me.”

               
“No,”
I whisper.
 
“I would never judge
you.
 
I will never lie to you either, I
promise that.”
 
I bring my arms up and
fold them on the tub, resting my chin on them.
 
“I like that you are my best friend.
 
I....care about you a lot.”

               
Getting
a smirk, Jeremy replies, “I care about you a lot too.
 
Enough even to tell you if you move up
anymore, you are going to give me a free show.”

               
I
quickly dart down.
 
“Oh
my gosh
!”

               
“I
didn’t see anything,” Jeremy laughs.
 
“Though I think you would look quite good naked.
 
I have a theory that you have a rocking bod
under all those loose fitting clothes that you wear.”

               
“Well,
I have new clothes now.
 
It will help
show off my womanly parts.”
 
My mind
drifts to my clothes and to the lingerie bags.
 
“Cassandra took me to lingerie store.
 
The bags were sitting out last night.
 
Do you think that had something to do with it?
 
My mom said it did.”

               
“No,
that creep knew exactly what he was going to do when he walked into your
room.
 
They were bras and underwear.
 
It’s not like you had out a teddy and thigh
highs.”

               
“How
do you know that I didn’t?” I ask with a smirk.

               
“Sweet
goodness,” Jeremy exclaims.
 
“I want that
shown off to me.
  
That can be your
rent.”

               
Laughing,
I retort, “So I am going to put on peep shows to live here.”

               
“I
wish.
 
A peep show and
a cup of coffee to start the day.
 
That would be nice.
 
So, are you
putting that on the table as an offer?”

               
“Not
on your life,” I reply.
 
My hand starts
to play with the water and I sigh.
 
“I
feel naked.”

               
Jeremy
snorts.
 
“You are naked.”

               
That
makes me laugh. “I didn’t mean literally.
 
I mean, I feel like I am exposed to the world.
 
My mind keeps drifting to what could have
happened.”

               
“I
would be going to prison for murder,” Jeremy whispers.
 
“I promise you that.
 
Even now, if I see that guy, his ass is
mine.”

               
I
shake my head.
 
“I hope I never see him
again.
 
I don’t know what I would do.”

               
“We
are going to teach you how to defend yourself.
 
I will give you a couple of days to get recuperated, but I won’t have
you out there unprotected.
 
I couldn’t
deal with this again.”

               
“I
am sorry; I didn’t realize it was such a big burden.”

               
Jeremy
crawls over to the far side of the curtain.
 
Obviously, so he can’t see in.
 
“It’s not a burden.
 
I literally
want to punch someone in the face.
 
I
can’t believe I wasn’t there to protect you.”

               
Reaching
up, I yank a towel off the wall.
 
I cover
myself up and open the curtain, so that we are face to face.
 
“You couldn’t have been there to protect
me.
 
Neither of us knew he was even going
to be there.
 
I should have sent you a
text, but you were out doing stuff.
 
I have
been up your butt every day.
 
I didn’t
want to bother you.”

               
With
a pained look in his eyes, Jeremy leans in even further to me.
 
“I want nothing more than to protect
you.”
 
He brings his fingers up and
traces them down my face.
 
“You said
before that you are going to be my responsibility like it was a bad thing, but
it isn’t.
 
I want to take care of
you.
 
I want to show you the world that
you have been denied for so long.
 
You
have a beautiful smile, and I love to see it.”

               
“I
know I am not beautiful or gorgeous, but are the only person that has ever made
me feel pretty, on the outside and inside.”

               
For
a few seconds, we just sit there face to face, inches apart.
 
I feel his soft breath kiss my skin.
 
It sends shivers down my spine as I look into
his eyes.
 
Suddenly the thoughts in my
head are too much and I pull back.
 
“Thank you,” I whisper.
 
“Thank
you for everything.”

               
He
looks down and nods his head.
 
“I am glad
that I can do it.”

               
“So,
can I ask you a favor?” I ask hesitantly.

               
“Sure,”
Jeremy replies with a smile.

               
Biting
my lip, I say, “Tell me something about
yourself
.
 
You know so much about me.
 
You don’t have to tell me anything about your
past.
 
Just something, so that I can get
to know you better.”

               
Jeremy
glances up and hums, “Hmmm, what do I want to tell you?”
 
There is silence as he obviously thinks.
 
“Let’s see you are in high school.
 
What can I tell you?
 
I know
,
I have never
been to a school dance.”

               
“Really?
 
Why?” I ask.

               
Shaking
his head, Jeremy says, “You get one fact.
 
No questions.”

               
“So not fair!”
I exclaim, laughing.
 
“That’s fine.
 
I have never been to one and doubt that I will.”

               
“Don’t
you have any this year?” Jeremy asks.

               
I
nod.
 
“Winter formal and Prom, neither of
which I will attend.”

               
“Why?
 
We can get you a dress and make you all
pretty.”

               
“No
offense, but I don’t want to go by myself,” I mutter.
 
“Everyone goes there with friends.”

               
There
is just silence as Jeremy looks away.
 
“Well, maybe you will have friends by then to go with.
 
When is winter formal?”

               
“Like
a little less than two months,” I reply.
 
“It’s dumb.”

               
He
chuckles, “Most stuff in high school is.
 
Well, I should let you take the rest of your bath.
 
Though I enjoy seeing you covered in a towel,
with your hair all damp on your skin.”

               
“Pervert,
gosh Jeremy!” I yell.

               
Snickering,
he stands up.
 
I make sure to keep myself
very covered.
 
He just takes a deep
breath and laughs some more.
 
“You know
if you ever want to come in the bathroom while I am in it, you are more than
welcome.”
 
I glare at him and he smiles.

               
“I
don’t want to see you naked Jeremy,” I articulate.
 
Okay, I am lying.
 
ISABELLE!
 
Now, I am fighting to keep a straight face.
 
With a wicked grin, he starts to lift his
shirt off.
 
“JEREMY!” I scream.

               
“What?”
He retorts.

               
Pointing
to the door, I say, “Get out of the bathroom if you are going to take your
clothes off.”

               
“So,
you want me naked in the living room.
 
Surprise
you when you get out of the tub?”

               
I
roll my eyes.
 
“I want you to keep your
clothes on.”

               
“
Mhmm
,” he replies.
 
“Most girls like seeing me without my shirt on.”

               
My
hand covers my face.
 
“Yes, you are hot
without your shirt on, but I don’t want to see it right now.”

               
“See,”
Jeremy laughs.
 
“You like seeing me
without my clothes on.”

               
“Is
this the way it is going to be living with you?
 
You pumping
your own ego?”

               
Jeremy
grabs his chest.
 
“Ouch.
 
Fine, I won’t tease you anymore.”

               
“Promise?”
I ask.

               
“NOPE,”
he emphasizes.
 
“Sorry, comes with the
territory of being my friend.”

               
My
eyes just stare at him.
 
“Can you get out
of the bathroom now?”

               
“So
you can have dirty thoughts about me?”

               
“JEREMY!”

               
“Alright,
alright, I am going,” he exclaims, grabbing his violin.
 
“Enjoy the rest of your bath.”

               
Sighing,
I say, “Thank you.”
 
With that Jeremy
leaves the bathroom.
 
Putting the towel
on the floor, I lean back in the tub.
 
My
hands instantly come up to my face, because I start having dirty thoughts just
like he said.
 
What is my problem!?

               
A while later, I get out of the tub.
 
After dry off, I open the door a crack.
 
“Jeremy, can you bring me that bag with the
pajamas?
 
I want to put them on.”