The real twilight

Part 19

2 hours later

Jake says, "Let's take a break."

I glance over at the car, which shines brighter than when I arrived.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," I reply, wiping some sweat from my forehead.

We start walking toward the house, the gravel crunching beneath our feet. The sun is high in the sky, casting long shadows and making the day feel almost too hot to handle. As we approach the door, a man steps out, his silhouette framed by the sunlight. He looks at Jake with a strange expression, one that mixes curiosity with something else I can't quite place.

Jake immediately shifts his posture, moving to stand in front of me as if he's shielding me from the man.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" he asks, his tone sharper than before.

Sam raises an eyebrow, his smile widening but not quite reaching his eyes. "Nice to see you, too, Jake. Just thought I'd drop by," he replies, his voice dripping with casual indifference.

I can feel the tension radiating off Jake.

Just then, Jake's dad came out, asking, "What was going on. Jake just looks at his dad.

Sam says, "I was just going, goodbye, Mr. Black."

It was the first time in my life that I heard someone call Billy Mr. Black.

Sam walks to his car and drives away. We went into the house. Jake is still looking tense, so I grab his hand. He looks at me, then we go to the couch, sitting down with Dad and Billy. We watch football until dad and I have to go.

The ride back home is quiet, the only sound being Dad's fingers drumming against the steering wheel. I'm about to ask him about Sam when he speaks first.

"You like Jacob, don't you?"

I blink, heat rushing to my face. "Uh... I mean, yeah. He's cool."

Dad chuckles. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Em. Just be careful, okay? The Blacks have always been close friends with the Swans.