Free Into the Deep 02 Out of the Shallows by Samantha Young

don’t have a problem. I just sat down.” Beck pulled his buzzing phone from his pocket, glaring at Claudia. He looked at the screen. “According to Maggie, Melissa is doing okay. She’s even got a date this weekend.”
    A little weight lifted off my shoulders. “That’s good to hear.”
    Claudia caught my eye. “Feel better?”
    “Much,” I admitted. “You know I hate guilt.”
    Relaxing, I had a drink with my friends, listening to Beck and Claudia snipe at each other. They were on the cusp of giving me back the tension I’d just gotten rid of, so I decided it was time to leave.
    “I need to go too.” Lowe slid out of the booth at my announcement. “I have stuff to do. Claudia, if you and Beck can stop griping for five seconds, why don’t you show him the plans for this summer?”
    Claudia’s green eyes filled with something like panic.
    “Go ahead,” Beck said, clearly not in the mood to leave her company. “Do you want another coffee?”
    Instead of answering, my friend looked to me for help.
    I needed to get her out of this somehow. I looked at Beck, but any excuse that might’ve been making its way from brain to tongue melted upon seeing the puppy-dog look on his face.
    Crap. No wonder she has such a hard time resisting him.
    I looked back at Claudia and shrugged. “I’ll catch you guys later.”
    Seriously. Where was my willpower? If I couldn’t harden my heart enough against Beck to keep them apart, how the hell was she supposed to?
     

     
    Lowe and I hit the top of the steps off Chamber Street that led to my apartment. We were about to descend them when I started at the sight of Jake coming up them.
    His head down, hands jammed into his jacket pockets, he was listening to whatever band was singing through his earphones. A rush of longing ripped through me. My heart soaked in what little it could see of his familiar face; my eyes drank in his broad shoulders and long legs.
    I missed him.
    Even when I was with him I missed him. What we had wasn’t what we’d had before. At this point I only had myself to blame for that.
    Lowe chuckled beside me as we waited for Jake to reach us. “I never had a chance, did I?” he joked.
    I made a face. “I’m that obvious?”
    “Only when he’s not looking,” he said, seeing way more than he should.
    Perceptive pain in my ass.
    Jake looked up, faltering on a step. At first he didn’t seem sure how to react to the sight of me with Lowe, but he quickly shrugged it off, bestowing a gorgeous smile on me. He pulled his earphones out. “Hey, you,” he said, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. He leaned down to kiss me, his lips soft. He smelled great.
    “Hey,” I whispered back, unable to speak any louder over the force of my emotions. It still surprised me that my feelings for him had the ability to bowl me over without warning.
    “Hey, man.” Jake nodded congenially at Lowe. I was relieved.
    Lowe seemed to be too. He gave Jake a small smile and nod. “Well, I better get back to the apartment. I have an essay due in two days and we have a gig tonight.”
    “Good luck.” I waved goodbye and watched him take the steps two at a time.
    “I was coming to get you.” Jake tightened his arm around my waist, and I found myself swiftly falling into his eyes. “I called Beck and he mentioned you were worried about Melissa?”
    I shook my head. “It’s fine. Just guilt. But apparently she’s doing okay.”
    His dark eyes looked troubled. “I’m glad she’s okay. But you have nothing to feel guilty about.”
    I could see his own guilt in his eyes and instantly felt bad for bringing Melissa up. “Ja—”
    My ringtone blasted, cutting me off. Giving Jake a look of apology, I dropped his hand and dug through my bag.
    My pulse sped up at the sight of the caller ID. My dad.
    Relieved more than I could say but still angry and hurt that he hadn’t called in ages, I hesitantly answered.
    “Where are you?” he asked abruptly.
    Disappointed by his