Free Always Been You by Tracy Luu Page A

his heart, or if I wanted another bone since the two hundred six in my body weren’t enough. If a guy was planning to try and pick up a girl, wouldn’t he find a better way than trying to repulse her?
    Finally having enough of his lame attempts when he brazenly tried asking me for my number, I opened my mouth to tell him off when Jacob, who appeared holding a huge bucket of buttered popcorn with a wide grin on his face, wrapped his free arm around my waist.
    “It figures the pretty ones are always taken,” the guy muttered.
    “That’s right!” Jacob hollered after the guy, who ran a hand through his blond head as he walked away.
    “Ahem.”
    Jacob and I both spun around. Matt was marching towards us with a huge grin on his face, followed by the rest of our friends.
    “This look like an interesting situation we seem to be witnessing, eh, Dev?” he said.
    “You know, Matt, I do believe you’re right,” smirked Devon from behind him. “I think these two have been hiding something from us this whole time. What do you think, Alex?”
    “I think you’re both right,” Alex said cheekily. “So what do you think it might be? That Jacob and Jenna are madly in love? We knew it all along of course.”
    “The signs are there,” added Devon. “It’s just a matter of time before it happened.”
    I was confused on what they were talking about when realisation hit me quick. Jacob must have noticed too. He hastily dropped the arm he still had around my waist.
    “There is nothing between us, you guys,” said Jacob.
    “Sure there isn’t,” sighed Matt. “You’ve probably been hiding this from us the whole time, and we just finally caught you. Being your cousin and all, I thought you’d at least have the decency to tell me about this. Finding out this way is a little disappointing, don’t you think?”
    “Now that we all know, when are you guys gonna tie the knot?” taunted Alex.
    “We just want to find out first before everyone else does,” said Devon. “You both owe it to us since you hid this little fact already.”
    “And you have to warn us beforehand,” said Matt, amused. “I need the time to buy a tux. Of course I will be the best man—”
    “Keep talking and you won’t even be at my wedding!” yelled Jacob.
    “So there is a wedding!” said Alex, clapping Jacob on the back.
    “I was just speaking hypothetically!” Jacob let out a low growl, grabbed my hand as he yanked Alex’s arm away, and stalked into the theatre with me in tow.
    “Then like I’ve always told you, you’re blind as ever,” Matt said with a frown, following us in.
    “Would you guys quit it?” I said in disbelief. “You didn’t even let us explain, and you’re trying to plan a wedding for us.”
    “So, Jen, start explaining why we found Jacob’s arm wrapped around your waist,” Amy proclaimed, following behind me as Jacob pulled me up the steps.
    “Oh, about that,” said Jacob. “I was just saving Jenna from this guy hitting on her.”
    “And I was about to tell Jacob he didn’t have to,” I said. “I was almost turning green from his bad attempts to flirt with me. Who goes and says things like ‘Pardon me, but I lost my phone number. Could I borrow yours?’ ”
    “That must be one of the lamest pickup lines ever,” groaned Nikki.
    “Maybe Jacob’s protecting you for himself,” said Matt.
    “Or he could be getting hints on how to pick up girls,” snorted Alex.
    “I still think it’s because he’s already has the hots for you, Jen,” whispered Amy, staring at Jacob’s hand still holding mine as he guided us down the row to some seats.
    The lights started to dim before I could come up with a retort. But rather than doing nothing once Jacob had let go of my hand, I quickly grabbed some of his popcorn and threw it at her head.
     

 Chapter 6
    Winter Break
    The snow was crunching loudly under my feet, and the flakes were falling around me, coating the world in white. Each hot breath exiting from my