Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Nine

Jacob kept hitting the doorbell, but nobody was opening up. The lights seemed off. No, he couldn't just leave without talking to her—not this time.

He looked around, worried a passerby might think he was a thief. Seeing the street was quiet, he climbed over the gate. That wasn't too hard. What was hard was sneaking into Merida's room through her window.

Jacob climbed up to her small balcony where she kept her plants. He almost dropped a cactus pot but caught it just in time.

Her room was dim, but he could see her perfectly on her bed. He tried sliding the window open, and to his relief, it wasn't locked. Good thing, or all this effort would've been for nothing.

He slipped in silently. Success. But it looked like Merida was already asleep. He pulled her swivel chair closer and sat down, just staring at her back with a smile. Honestly, he looked a little creepy.

Jacob held his breath when Merida suddenly turned to his side. He exhaled only when she stayed still again. This was a better view anyway, he thought.

But Merida wasn't asleep. She felt it—that heavy sensation of being watched. She opened her eyes, and through the blur of waking up, she saw someone sitting in her chair. At first, she didn't react, but when her vision cleared, she shot up in alarm.

Clutching her blanket to her chest, she glared at Jacob. "What are you doing here? How—how did you get here?"

Jacob licked his lower lip before answering. That small gesture made Merida glance away quickly.

"Why did you say that?" he asked, leaning forward.

Merida's glare sharpened. "How did you get in?"

"The window," Jacob admitted with a sigh. That expression on her face—yeah, she was upset. "So, what are you upset about?"

"Nothing. I just realized I shouldn't have befriended you."

Jacob stared at her, processing her words, before frowning.

"Do you mean that?"

Merida couldn't meet his eyes. Her tears threatened to fall.

Jacob let out a heavy sigh and stood up.

She thought he was leaving, but instead he sat down on her bed, right in front of her. He reached out, but she shoved his hands away. He clenched his jaw, trying to stay patient.

"I don't like the way you're acting," he muttered.

"Well, go away. I don't need you here," she snapped, sniffling.

Frustrated, Jacob refused to fuel the fire. Instead, he pulled off his shoes and lay down on her bed.

"That's not funny!" she yelled, but he ignored her.

"I'm tired from the game. If you want to act like that, fine," he said, settling in beside her.

Merida knew how stubborn he was. With an exaggerated sigh, she turned her back on him, making sure he noticed every annoyed movement. A small gap separated them.

But Jacob was never used to sleeping with a shirt on. He got up, peeled it off, then glanced at Merida with a smile. What an attitude she was giving him. He lay back down and slipped an arm around her waist.

Merida tensed at the contact. What was this guy doing? If he kept acting like this, she wouldn't be able to run away from him.

He closed the gap between them, his breath brushing her neck.

"I'm sorry. I should've checked on you and come straight here. Your headache must've been really bad."

Merida frowned. Headache? What was he talking about?

"What do you mean, a headache?"

"Lisa told me. She said you had one, that's why you couldn't come. Said you'd go together, but she showed up without you."

The realization hit Merida hard. It was a setup. Of course. No wonder the voices earlier sounded so familiar. Lisa and Candice. Her tears fell again.

I was stupid—making excuses for Lisa, she thought bitterly.

She wanted to apologize to Jacob, to tell him she misunderstood. She turned toward him—then froze. He was shirtless.

"What—where the hell is your shirt?"

Jacob chuckled, watching her flustered face. He brushed away her tears with his thumb. "I don't like sleeping with a shirt on. Just like you don't like sleeping in a bra."

Her face went crimson. She kicked him off the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket. She was mortified.

Jacob laughed at how cute she looked, all embarrassed. When she finally stopped tossing and turning, he climbed back beside her. She peeked out from under her blanket, still pouting.

He studied her face, then her lips. He knew he shouldn't—shouldn't rush this, shouldn't give in to temptation. But he couldn't resist. He leaned in and kissed her.

Merida froze, shocked. Panic rose in her chest—she didn't know how to kiss. But when Jacob's lips began to move against hers, she just closed her eyes and let herself feel.

Jacob deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted too good to stop. His hands began to wander before he even realized it.

Merida was lost in the moment, until his hands slid under her shirt. Startled, she pushed him away.

"Ish! I'm sorry—I went too far," Jacob said quickly, regret flashing in his eyes.

Merida's face burned with embarrassment. Everything had happened so fast.

When she didn't reply, Jacob pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I should've told you I love you before kissing you."

Merida's eyes widened.

Does he really love me?