Bad Baby

Bonus Chapter #2

"You're even more beautiful than I remembered," he seemed completely serious, eyes focused solely on mine. I let out a small laugh, looking down at the rum and coke I had ordered, my finger trailing the rim of the glass slowly and gently.

"So, have you got anyone in your life?" I changed the subject, knowing it wouldn't be good if we went down the road he had been persistently wanting to go down for the past forty-five minutes or so. My eyes met his intense ones again, across the small booth in the corner of the bar, and I managed a small smile.

"What do you mean by that?" Jacob asked calmly, leaning back against the booth. He definitely seemed to be less nervous than how he'd been when I'd known him, but still radiated that same manly energy that had me squeezing my thighs together.

"A partner. Girlfriend, boyfriend.." I shrugged, quickly taking a sip of my drink right after to shut myself up. A small grin formed onto his lips, and he shook his head once.

"Not right now, no," he told me while I gave him a nod. "You're married," he then noted, clearing his throat a bit and straightening up along with it.

"Yes, I guess I am," I let out an almost breathless laugh, glancing down at the ring on my finger.

"How are you? You look like you haven't been sleeping enough," Jacob then continued, and I looked up at him with raised brows. It made me extremely nostalgic, the way he'd notice extremely small things about me.

"You're saying I look tired?" I half teased, enjoying the way he never removed his eyes from mine.

He chuckled awkwardly, a small blush rising up to his cheeks. It made me smile gently, not having realised how much I had missed it during these years apart. I looked away, not wanting to complicate my life any further.

The bar wasn't that full, only a few groups or couples engaging in small conversations.

"I am tired," I confirmed, before he had the chance to even open his mouth, "more mentally than physically, I guess. How are you, though? I hear you've been doing quite well for yourself after Uni". I dared to let my eyes meet his dark ones again, a small smile pulling at the side of my lips.

"I've been good, yeah," Jacob casually rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows, and then leaned his arms onto the table between us, his face now considerably more close than before while I was just left staring at him. He knew the whole sleeves rolled up to elbows was my weakness, it had been for years now, and Jacob had used it to his advantage plenty of times. So why was he using it now?

"Honestly, though? I'm still a little bummed I didn't get an invitation to your wedding, I had to hear about it from Victor and Becky. You must've looked so stunning".

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, feeling myself visibly deflating at this emotional turmoil going inside my head, as well as my heart.

"There was always the fact that I thought you hated me," I let out a small and uncomfortable laugh, watching as his brows furrowed with confusion, "I wasn't the kindest person in the world when I ended things..."

"Why did you end things, then?" He asked, completely seriously and surprisingly intensely, "we were doing so well. You remember that, don't you?"

I gave him a small nod, unable to look away from this incredible man. It was amazing how well the past years had treated him, and who he'd grown up to become.

"I do, Jacob. I loved you so much, I'd never been as happy as I was then..." okay, now it might just be the drinks admitting my thoughts aloud, but I was too preoccupied by his dark eyes to care.