Next Year in Israel (23 page)
She snuck into the hallway. “I’m off.”
“Good luck.” I watched her creep toward the bathroom.
I left the door ajar, noticing my empty cubby. The room was rundown, and the bed a thin piece of metal, but they had become prized treasures to me.
I yanked my cream-colored jersey from my suitcase on the floor. The
kfar
laundry had shrunk it from oversized to clingy. Hiding in loose shirts wasn’t me anymore, nor was showing off in a sequined bikini. I smiled at myself for dressing up. Did it matter what clothes I wore? Jake hadn’t seen me naked, but he knew what I felt like. I pulled my arms through the jersey’s sleeves. It felt as comfy as my jeans. At the sink, I brushed my teeth, applied pink lipstick, and left my hair loose.
Listening to music was out of the question. I didn’t want to come across like I didn’t care. I wanted Jake to know I was waiting for him. Not only did I want to see him, I wondered what would happen when he was next to me. I opened the window, and a burst of chilly air swished in. Mia’s orange shirt was still covering the window screen. I had forgotten it hadn’t come with our room.
“Lights out, loves.” It was Leah. “Where’s Mia?”
I turned around. “Bathroom. Don’t you trust us?”
Leah fidgeted with a bobby pin underneath her bun. “I trust you.”
I bit my tongue to stop myself from whining. “See you in the morning,” I said sweetly. “
Laila tov
.”
“
Laila tov
.” She walked down the pergola as the toilet flushed.
I stood by the door, wanting to giggle with Mia in the bathroom. I closed the door. Extra precautions had to be taken. The second hand ticked on my travel alarm clock. Forget Leah—what was I gonna say to Jake? What would he say? No matter what we said, I could count on him to make the first move.
How much longer did I have to wait? At the sink, I filled up a plastic cup of water and swallowed. Maybe it would make the wait go faster. The cold water did nothing to satisfy my thirst or speed up time. I took a deep breath. If I counted sheep, it might go faster.
The door slid open. “I trust you,” Jake mimicked from behind me.
I smiled at the reflection of his button-down blue shirt and jeans in the mirror. “Get in here.”
He closed the door and locked it. “Why’d you close the door after I flushed the toilet?”
I faced him. “I thought it was Mia. You got here fast.”
“Tricks of the trade.” He winked.
I laughed. “If she does a third check, you’ll have to hide in Mia’s bed.”
“She won’t be back until tomorrow. Loved how you threw the trust question at her.” He slipped off his shoes.
I took another sip of water. “Take off your shoes and stay a while,” I said stupidly. We both knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
He snatched the cup from my hands and placed it on the sink. “Guess what?”
My feet were stuck on the ground. “What?”
“I spoke to my parents today. I got an interview at Harvard.”
“That’s awesome. Congratulations.” His parents had to be thrilled.
“I can’t pass up the interview.”
I wiggled my toes until my foot moved. “You have to go on the interview.”
He looked into my eyes. “I’m flying to Boston by myself. Can I stay at your house?”
“If you want.” My heart skyrocketed. I had always imagined my first time would be with a sexy, smart guy like him.
“I’ll sleep in your basement. You can sneak down after your mom falls asleep.”
I was touched he remembered how I had described my house. “After midnight.”
“Don’t make plans that weekend.”
“Why can’t I have plans?”
“I want you to show me around Boston.” He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed gently. I pressed my legs against his and closed my eyes, breathless. He kissed my neck, moving down. “If I end up at Harvard, we can hang out together. You know, like we do here.”
I pulled away to catch my breath. Lies weren’t necessary. If he went to Harvard, we would hang out until he got busy with new friends and his classes. But once he got settled, I wouldn’t be included. Taking Harvard out of the equation equaled the same outcome. It was unrealistic to assume we would spend time together after we left the
kfar
.
“It’s true.”
“Sure, we’ll hang out,” I said, my voice unsteady.
“Good, cause I want us to stay friends.”
“Me too.” Would it be possible? We were going in different directions.
“I’m not feeding you a line.” His eyes searched mine for confirmation. I knew he truly wanted us to be friends. But missing him would be hard. He had given me bits of his
real
personality, and I wanted to discover more. The reality was he’d be dating girls from his classes. How was I gonna feel when he was with them?
I stepped backwards. Even if he sugarcoated it and said he wanted to be my boyfriend, it wouldn’t work out.
His eyes pleaded with me. He knew what I was thinking.
My legs felt clumsy from the separation. I wanted to tell him that I knew he cared for me. The feeling was mutual. But I didn’t want a broken heart. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
He kind of nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. “I knew you would say that.”
I held in tears.
He forced a smile. “Friends, we are.”
THE END
THANK YOU FOR READING
Next Year in Israel
. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to read about Rebecca when she gets home and has to face Derrick, check out the short story:
Last year, Rebecca Levine was relentlessly bullied at school and tried to kill herself. An emotional wreck, she left for a study-abroad program in Israel. Now she has come home, ready to face the kids who tormented her—with a game plan to catch them. But things don’t go according to plan. Can Rebecca stand up for herself, and can she forgive her ex-best-friend who backstabbed her?
A young adult short story of 8,000 words.
For an Adult Audience
If you’d like read about Jordyn from Next Year in Israel as a grown-up, pursuing her dream of becoming a bestselling author, check out the novella:
Jordyn Simmons has almost everything she’s ever wanted: a sexy live-in boyfriend, an adorable son, and a finished manuscript she plans to get published. The only thing missing from her life is a relationship with her estranged mother, Debra.
Debra Simmons wishes she could patch the relationship with her daughter but doesn’t know how. Her previous attempts to reconcile have failed, and Debra has given up hope of seeing Jordyn again.
When Jordyn searches for a publisher, her world collides with Debra’s. And both women are forced to make decisions that could change their lives forever.
A novella of 36,000 words for an adult audience. Contains mature themes and mild profanity.
For more information about me and my books, please visit my website at:
http://www.sarahbridgeton.com
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