Free The Exception by Brittany Wynne Page A

think about it.”
    “What?” he asked innocently. “You’re not afraid of a little night swim are you?”
    “Maya!” I yelled. “Help!”
    “Bye, Em. Have fun!” she called back.
    “Traitor!”
    Maya laughing was the last thing I heard before I hit the water.
    “Holy crap the water is cold!” I shouted when I surfaced.
    “Some might say refreshing,” Jake countered.
    “Well, some would be wrong,” I stated while swimming to where I could touch.
    “Is that so?”
    I could hear Jake swimming behind me and stopped to face him as soon as I could touch the bottom.
    “Yes. Because this water is freaking cold.”
    “You didn’t seem to mind this afternoon.” He raised a brow, then cocked his head to the side.
    “You think you are being so cute, don’t you?”
    “Well, that depends,” he said, placing his hands on my hips, causing a million different goose bumps to surface. Stupid betraying body. “Is it working?”
    “I just don’t know yet.” I was trying my best not to let him know he was affecting me, but when he was this close, touching me, it was hard to even talk normal.
    “How about now?” he took another step closer, closing the gap between us. I shivered in his arms, and a satisfied smirk broke across his face as he bent down and kissed me. “Emma,” he breathed with his forehead pressed to mine. “Something about you makes me crazy. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I met you. I don’t want to sound lame, but I don’t want there to be any question.”
    “Question?” I gazed up at Jake, not exactly sure what he was saying.
    “Emma, will you be my girlfriend?”
    A smile spread across my face. “Jake, of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”
    Jake instantly wrapped both arms tightly around me before jumping us backward into the deep end while shouting triumphantly. We were both laughing and splashing the other when Maya and Dylan walked up.
    “What the heck is going on over here?” Maya asked.
    Jake looked over at her and shrugged. “She said yes,” he responded coolly.
    “Again…what?” Maya looked from him to me, clearly confused.
    I burst out laughing. “I said I would be his girlfriend!”
    “Aahhh!” Maya screamed as she jumped in the pool, which caused me to laugh even harder and cueing everyone else to come over to the pool.
    We spent the rest of the night swimming and hanging out in the water. I didn’t want the night to end.
     
    ***
     
    Around eleven thirty everyone was walking out to their cars to go home. I walked Jake out to his truck. When he opened the door, he reclined back on his seat and pulled me into him. “Call you tomorrow?” he asked, putting a loose piece of hair behind my ear.
    “Sounds good,” I smiled, placing my hands on his chest.
    “Night, Emma,” he reached up, grasping my cheeks with both hands before kissing me.
    “Goodnight, Jake,” I let out slightly breathless.
    That cute smirk spread across his face before he shut the door and drove away.
    “Damn, girl! That boy makes me hot just watching you two,” Maya exclaimed, breaking me out of my trance.
    “Tell me about it,” I said pretending to fan myself. “But seriously…I’m tired.”
    “I bet you are,” she laughed. “Alright biatch, let’s go get some sleep.”

Chapter Six
     
    The next week things couldn’t have been any better. Well, except for with McKenzie, who was in what seemed like a constant bad mood since her spat with Ryan over the weekend. Jake started walking me to class whenever his schedule allowed it. It always makes me smile to see him standing there whenever I walk out of class, and I love walking down the hall with his arm over my shoulder. He mixes so well with my friends; you would swear they had been friends forever. He can even keep up with, or should I say, handle Maya.
    Friday morning I could hardly wait till the end of the day so I could go out with Jake, even though I was practically going to be with him all day anyway. It