Christmas Behind Bars #simplychristmascontest

Chapter 15-Coming Clean

     The fire snapped and sparked in the fireplace as Darcy sat cross-legged on the couch facing Jacob. "So you really aren't mad at us?" She took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"How could I ever be mad at you? You basically saved my life," he grinned. "Besides, it was you and Preston that gave me the courage to finally decide to end things with her once and for all."

"What are you talking about?" she shook her head. "What did we do?"

All the others had gone to bed half an hour ago, and it felt so good to catch up with her little brother...to get their relationship back to where it used to be.

"I just saw how you were with each other. I mean...it's pretty clear you're both head over heels. I never felt that way for Lexi. When I saw the two of you, it made me want what you have. I may have to wait forever, but I think it would be worth the wait."

Guilt stabbed her, and her eyes stung as his words rushed over her like cold water. A shiver snaked down her spine and she swallowed hard. "Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"If I tell you a secret, do you promise you won't tell anybody else?" she drew a jagged breath.

"You know I won't, Darce. What is it?"

"Preston and I...we aren't really dating." Tears spilled down her cheeks as the words exited her lips. It felt so good to tell him the truth.

"What do you mean?" he leaned forward.

"I told everyone I would be bringing my boyfriend home for Christmas, but the truth is...I never had a boyfriend to bring."

"So...who's Preston? Is that even his real name? You didn't pay him to fake us out...did you?"

"It is his real name, and I did worse than hiring him," she hated the thought of saying the words out loud even though it was very liberating to allow them to sit out in the open for once.

"What could be worse than a rented boyfriend?"

"I kidnapped him," she whispered.

"You did what?" he hissed. "Darcy...why?"

"I wanted to make you all proud," tears dripped from her chin. "Mom and Dad...and Gammy, they always pressured me to find someone. For once in my life...I wanted to be everything they wished for. I'm so tired of letting everyone down." Her head hung down and her shoulders drooped.

Jacob sat across from her his eyes swimming. "You've never let us down for a minute, Darcy," he hugged her as she let the tears fall unheeded down her cheeks. "They only ever wanted you to be happy. Have you been unhappy?"

"No," she shook her head. "Not until now."

He pulled her back by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You love him...don't you? It's not just an act anymore."

When she met his intense gaze and found only compassion and care, she dissolved into a puddle of tears. He held her close again and patted her back until her crying subsided.

"I do love him, Jake," she sniffed and dried her cheeks with the sleeve of her pajamas. "But he'll never love me; not after what I did. It's all still an act for him."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," one corner of her brother's mouth curved into a half-grin.

"Why do you say that?" Hope fluttered in her heart for a split second before it was killed by her rabid doubts.

"I've seen the way he looks at you, and I have a hard time believing it's all an act." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Does he treat you differently when you are alone? Is he more distant when it's just the two of you?"

Darcy thought back to their trip to the library earlier in the day. He told her she was perfect, and none of her family was around to benefit from the words, they were meant for her ears alone. She remembered how tenderly he slipped her gloves on when she hurt her hand, the feel of his lips brushing gently against hers, and his assurances that his sister would love her. She swallowed hard before answering. "No...he isn't distant when we are alone."

"Darcy, he looks at you like you hung the moon," Jake smiled. "Besides, he'd be a total lunatic if he wasn't madly in love with you by now."

"How can you say that?" she playfully slapped his arm. "You know I'm a total screw-up."

"But you're not. You're compassionate and loyal and fun. I've never understood why that bozo Travis let you go. He was obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed...although he was a tool. How many times did you have to pay rent for that loser?"

"At least once every few months," she sighed and shook her head.

"Preston seems a lot more responsible than that dingus."

Darcy covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Jake cocked his head.

"Dingus is a funny word," she laughed and he joined in for a moment.

"Look, Darcy, I'm going to give you my opinion for what it's worth." The mirth in his eyes was replaced with seriousness. "You tend to sell yourself short and settle for losers like Travis. You deserve someone much better than him. If you love Preston, you need to tell him. Life is too short to let people you care about walk away. Don't let yourself think you aren't good enough for him...I just worry he might not be good enough for you."

"Thank you, Jake," her eyes swam as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"If he ever hurts you, I'm going to kick his butt."

***

Tossing and turning in bed, Preston sighed. Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight. He rolled onto his back and thought of the events of the day. Such a mixture of awful and wonderful. As he thought of Darcy's sparkling eyes and contagious smile, he was convinced the wonderful far outweighed the awful. There were times he was convinced she was still pretending to care for him to keep up the act for her family. His heart ached to think the feelings for her which grew stronger with every smile, every touch might be completely one-sided. A deep sigh escaped his lips, and he prayed she would find a way to love him back.

Hushed voices from downstairs caught his attention, and he slipped out of bed and stepped out into the hall. He would recognize Darcy's voice anywhere, and his heart wrenched to hear her tears as she spoke. Another voice answered her; it sounded like Jake. Padding quietly down the stairs, he stood for a moment in the shadows outside the living room. Never before had he been a fan of eavesdropping, but when he caught Darcy's words, his heart ceased beating and his feet refused to move.

"I do love him, Jake," there was a brief pause as his heart lurched with hope. "But he'll never love me; not after what I did. It's all still an act for him."

Though he despised himself for standing and listening to a conversation he wasn't privy to, he continued to soak in every word. Tears stung him behind the eyes, and his heart skipped happily in his chest. She does love me.

As their conversation came to a close, he knew it would be best if he wasn't caught with his ear to the wall listening in. As quietly as he had traveled down the stairs, he crept back up to his room.

Lying on the bed, he tried to close his eyes, but he was too happy to give sleep the chance to take root. Instead, he plotted and planned a way to make this Christmas special for Darcy. He thought back to the things she wished for and smiled. He only had two days to check off at least two items on her list of three wishes.