Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Chapter 23 - Want A Ride Anna?

Jake heard the countdown but was focused on Anna's eyes, for they had jiggled twice since the countdown started. Because he wasn't sure he had seen what he had seen Jake was taken by surprised when Anna jerked him toward her. Jake's grip on her shoulders was the only thing keeping him from landing on her. He lightened his touch once he righted himself because he was afraid he was hurting her.

Jake didn't stop the kiss however. It had been so long and the alcohol he swallowed in a few gulps was making his reflex time slower. In the flash of a moment his head was quiet, and her lips were warm and inviting. After a second something felt wrong. It didn't feel like it should have, like it did with Brittany.

A sudden gasp jolted him back to reality. At someone's intake of breath, Jake and Anna jerked around to see Stacy standing in the doorway. At first Jake felt fear then remembered he had no reason to feel caught for he wasn't doing anything wrong. Anna kissed him. Yet he indulged in it.

He wished it were anyone other than Stacy in the doorway. His sister understood that Jake was single, but his heart belonged to Brittany. That was the only reason he felt guilty. He bit his cheek at the thought that Brittany could be kissing some guy tonight instead of him made his stomach tighten. Jake looked at Stacy in anger even though she wasn't the cause of it.

Stacy saw the recognition of Anna within seconds, which besides walking in on Jake kissing someone, it must really be shocking that he was kissing the best friend of her enemy. He thought the feeling was the same for Anna as Jake glanced at her. Jake had seen shock written across Anna's face. She glanced back at him and quickly recovered, but he understood the confusion of how to feel.

Nobody noticed the wind started to blow a little chillier as the air didn't feel even as cold as when they first went onto the balcony which wasn't bad at all.

Finally recovering herself Stacy smiled and just barely through her teeth asked Jake,

"Are you ready to go yet?"

"Yes."

"Where is your friend?" Jake asked not wanting to say Skyler's name in front of Anna.

"Gone. Now please?" Stacy was glaring at her brother.

"Apparently Bryce didn't hit a home run with Harmony then?" Jake asked trying to beg against Stacy's lack of restraint on her tongue, while with his eyes were trying to motion he was sitting with Harmony's best friend.

"No, he struck out within the first half hour. Harmony only flirted with him probably to keep as a last resort if she couldn't find anyone she liked better. Too bad that someone was someone I liked a lot. I guess she had her prize on bigger money than Bryce has. What a witch." She said.

Stacy didn't seem to care that Anna would relate the conversation back to Harmony as that was probably what Stacy wanted. Anna said nothing. Jake knew he had to stop her before it got worse.

"Anna, this is Stacy, my sister." Jake said not wanting to be rude.

"Stacy... Anna." He held out his hand from one to the other as he said their names.

"Yes, we were in the same class year, but we don't really know each other. Nice to officially meet you." Stacy said reaffirming what Anna told him earlier. He watched as Stacy shook Anna's hand. Anna was staring at Stacy as if she had seen a ghost. Jake heard her mumble something which sounded like a greeting.

Stacy turned to Jake once more. He could see the fire behind her eyes as she was barely hanging onto her anger.

"I'd really like to go. There's no reason to be here and I want to leave before all the drunk people do. The cops should start driving up and down this street before long."