Pieces (Riverdale #1) (7 page)

     
Cara laughed and stuck her hands in her
back pockets. “Well, he definitely keeps things interesting.”

 
    
Deb
laced her arm with Cara’s and walked towards the main floor where the bounce
houses. “When you get married dear, you’ll sing a different tune.” They stared
at the kids running around and jumping in the bounce houses. They all looked
like they were having the time of their lives and Cara couldn’t help but think
of her childhood. She didn’t remember once having a birthday party. After her
mother had passed away, she barely celebrated her birthday. Her father never once
went out of his way for cake much less a birthday party. Once she became a
teenager, she would go to the cemetery on her birthday and spend some time with
the one who brought her into this world. She still did, and next week when she
turned twenty nine, that’s exactly where she’d be, wishing that her mother
would be there with her to blow out the candles on a cake, just once.

     
She was pulled from her thoughts when she
felt an arm swing around her and Deb. “There are my two favorite ladies.” Jake
said and squeezed the women closer to him.

     
“You’re all out of breath, where were you
Jake?” His mother asked.

     
“Bouncing!” He grinned like a little kid
as Cara turned around and looked at him. He was dressed in jeans that were well
worn and hung a little low on the waist. The sleeves on his gray Henley were
pushed up to his elbows and his tattoos were out on display. She looked down
and noticed he was just wearing socks, and had indeed taken his shoes off to
bounce around with the kids. Damn it, her heart melted a little at the sight of
him. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Hi.”

     
“Hi.” She smiled back at him and then
noticed Deb staring at them, with a goofy grin on her face.

     
“Jake told us, you went by his place and
cooked dinner for the two of you.” She tucked one of Cara’s loose curls behind
her ear and smiled affectionately at her. “Such a good egg you are, my sweet
Cara.”

     
Jake crossed his arms on his chest with a
cocky grin on his handsome face. “She sure did, she makes some pretty good
chicken cutlets.”

     
She eyed him, wishing she could knock the
grin off his face. “I burnt half of them.”

     
He shrugged, still grinning at her. “They
were much better than stew.”

     
She pushed her palms against his chest and
he laughed before wrapping his arms around her waist. The smile faded from her
face and she looked down at his hands on her hips and then back at Deb. “Your
son is losing his mind.”

     
“Funny, I was just thinking how he finally
is finding it.” She smiled and wandered off leaving them alone.

     
Cara pried Jake’s hands off of her and
shoved them away, but he wasn’t having it. He laced his fingers with hers and
began to pull her towards the huge inflatable Castle. “Take your boots off.” He
demanded and when she bit her lip, he bent down and dragged the zippers down on
them himself.

     
“I can take my own shoes off Jake.” She
said and then her words caught as she watched him on his knees before her. She
didn’t know why, but just seeing him on his knees, peering up at her did a
number on her. She wiped her hands down her jeans and stepped out of her boots.
Still on his knees looking up at her, he took her hand in his and she stopped
breathing. He kissed her hand softly and then rose to his full height.

     
“God, you’re pretty.” He murmured, as if
he had laid eyes on her for the first time. He shook his head, and she figured
he was shaking sense into himself. His smile appeared again and he dragged her
towards the castle. “Ready for, some fun?”

     
Ava ran to them, wiggling her little body
between the two of them. “Uncle Jake, Cara!”

She
looked up between them smiling. Cara crouched down and hugged her.

     
“Happy Birthday, Princess.”

     
“Thank you! Are you and Uncle Jake going
to bounce with me?”

     
“Lead the way kiddo.” Jake said as he took
Cara’s hand in his then grabbing Ava’s hand in his other.

Ave
crawled into the big inflatable with ease, and immediately started jumping up
and down. Cara was next and when she began to crawl in she heard Jake let out a
groan behind her. She looked over her shoulder, against her better judgment and
saw he was staring at her ass. Balls brazen, she wiggled her ass and found her
way inside the castle. Jake dove in right behind her and the three of them
started to jump up and down to the beat of the music. Ava’s giggles filled the
castle and Cara couldn’t help but join her. Jake tumbled and fell as the girls
jumped around him.
       

     
When he tried to get up, Cara jumped
higher and he fell back again. She threw her head back and laughed and kept
bouncing around the castle.

     
“Aunt Sam is going down the slide! I want
to go with her.” Ava said and slid out of the castle like a little snake,
leaving Jake flat on his back and Cara by herself. She stopped jumping and
peeked out of the castle and watched Ava run towards Sam. Jake’s hand snuck
around her ankle and he tugged her gently. She fell forward and on top of him.

     
“Jake!” She cried as she braced herself
against him.

     
“Love it when you scream my name.” He
chuckled and she pressed her elbow into his stomach. “Ouch!” He wrapped his
arms around her and flipped her onto her back, and his six feet of male
perfection sheathed her. “Having fun yet?”

     
“Too much,” She admitted and stared up at
him, her arms snaked around his neck and before she could talk herself out of
it, she pulled him down. His smiling mouth fell onto hers and his lips
instantly went to work. His mouth was hot and wet and his tongue eager. He
explored her mouth ravenously and he nudged her legs apart with his thigh,
allowing her to feel how his body responded to her. Her hips arched and she
wasn’t sure if she moaned or if it was him. His teeth grazed her lower lip, and
tugged slightly. Her breath was coming out in little short pants.

     
“Hey kids, keep it PG we’re at my
daughter’s seventh birthday party.” Cara heard Luke say, and she pushed Jake so
hard he fell backwards off of her. Cara’s cheeks flushed as both brothers burst
out laughing and at that moment she wished the inflatable castle would suffer a
punctured hole and collapse on her, hiding from the Lanza clan.

     
That night, after Ava’s birthday
festivities died down and she was tucked in safely for the night at grandma and
grandpa’s the five friends ventured into Luke’s truck. Once a month, on Cara’s
weekend off, they made it their business to go out for a few drinks, leaving
Riverdale behind them. This would be the first time in six years that Nick
would be with them. When Jake had first brought it up to him, he was skeptical
since Jake and Cara were the ones responsible for choosing where they went, he
made Jake solemnly swear they didn’t take him to a Swingers Club. For none
other than the look that would adorn Nick’s face, Jake wanted to do just that,
but refrained. Instead Cara had found a karaoke club in a town about an hour
away.

     
Jake offered to drive, to give Luke free
reign to cut loose, being as he seldom did. He waited as everyone piled into
the car. Cara and Sam climbed into the second row, while Luke sprawled out in
the third, completely taken advantage of responsibility free night. Jake was
fiddling around with the GPS when Nick got into the passenger seat. “You know
how to set this thing up?” He said, handing him a Post-It with the address to
where they were going written sloppily on it.

     
Nick stared at the piece of paper, trying
to determine what it said and looked back at Jake. “Are you serious? I can’t
read this shit.”

     
Jake rolled his eyes as he started the
car. Cara leaned over the console and grabbed the paper from Nick’s hand and
looked down briefly before punching in the address. Nick looked at her and then
at Jake. “You can’t possibly read that.”

     
Cara didn’t say a word, she just hit begin
route on the GPS and sat back in her seat. Jake held back a smile and Nick
mumbled. “Two idiots.”

     
The first hour of their drive they went
around in circles on the interstate. On and off, u turns galore. Jake was two
seconds away from throwing the GPS out the window. His electric cigarette
dangling out of his mouth as he let out a stream of curses, that if his mother
was there she’d shove a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

     
“Jake just pull over.” Nick grunted and
Jake did just that. He couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t follow directions
well, and when he did it always backfired in his face. He and Nick switched
seats and, re-routed the GPS. A half hour later, Nick pulled, into the parking
lot of the bar. Jake was never more happy to get out of a car before in his
life. Instantly he lit up a cigarette, like it was his salvation.

     
 
Sam
squealed in delight, grabbing him, pulling him towards the bar. “I love
karaoke!” She exclaimed excitedly.

     
“You sing?” Nick asked, walking into the
bar behind her.

     
“Yeah, she’s great too.” Jake rolled his
eyes, mocking her. “Sounds like a fog horn.”

     
“Hey,” Sam nudged her brother defensively.
“I’ve gotten better.”

     
“I’m sorry, sis. You’re right.” He looked
at Nick. “She’s got the voice of an angel.” He leaned over and whispered to
him. “If they sell ear plugs, do yourself a favor, and invest in a pair.” Nick
laughed and eyed Sam.

     
The club was decently packed, with people
letting loose and having a good time. Luke grabbed them a table close to the
stage. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Alright, so who’s
drinking, what?”

     
“Uh oh, he’s cutting loose.” Cara teased.
“If we get him drunk enough, he may even sing.”

     
Luke laughed, “I don’t know about that.
Take a beautiful woman home? Now that’s a strong possibility.” He said as he
glanced around at his prospects. Jake smiled as he watched his brother. He
remembered this side of Luke. He hadn’t seen it in a really long time, since
before Ava, actually, before Marie. When Luke had become serious with Marie,
there were seldom nights that she wasn’t with them when they went out. The
nights that they did manage to go out without her, Luke, was always the
designated driver. Nobody did responsible, quite, like Luke. He never looked
upset with his life or his responsibilities. Jake admired him for that.

     
“You doing a shot, Nick?” Jake hollered
over all the noise.

     
“Sure.” He said as he next to him at Sam.
“So when do I get to hear you sing?”

     
“That depends.”
 
She looked at him, challengingly. “Will you
sing with me?”

     
“You have a better chance of seeing Jesus
Christ walk through the door, and request a duet with you.” Nick said and she
shrugged her shoulders.

     
“Your loss, Foti.”

 
The shot girl came back to their table with
ten shots of whiskey.

     
“Shit’s going down tonight.” Jake
exclaimed, passing around the shots. He let his fingertips linger when he
handed one to Cara.

     
“Nick, you really should’ve let him drive.
He’s going to get buck wild now.” Cara said as Jake wiggled his eyebrows,
agreeing.

     
Luke raised his shot glass. “Alright,
let’s do this. To a good night.”

     
“To Luke, getting laid.” Jake added. They
laughed and downed the shot. “Woo!” Jake said, slamming his empty glass down,
already, reaching for the second.
 
He
raised the glass and waited for them to join him. “Come on guys!” They lifted
the glasses. “To breaking down walls.” He said as he stared directly into Cara’s
hazy eyes.

None
of them understood that one, but they drank to it anyway. Jake grabbed Cara’s
hand.

     
“Come on.”

     
“Where are we going?” She said as he
dragged her to the stage. “Oh, no. Jake! I’m not ready, yet.” But she had no
choice they were on the stage before she could say another word. Jake grabbed
the microphone.

     
“Hey, all. I hope you all are having a
good time. My name is Jake, and this here,” he pointed to Cara, grabbing her
hand and pulling her next to him. “… Is Cara. She’s a little shy, can we give
her a big welcome.”

     
Everyone in the audience shouted. Nick put
his two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

     
“Yeah, Cara!!” Sam shouted beside him.

     
Cara smiled at the crowd, her cheeks
turning pink. “I’m going to kill you.” She muttered under her breath.

     
“See Cara, they love you already.” Jake
said to her, but smiling out at the crowd, obviously ignoring her.

     
“Is he a regular here or something?” Luke
asked Nick and Sam. Sam shrugged, a huge smile on her face, obviously enjoying
Jake’s shenanigans.

     
“He’s got a couple of screws loose lately,
huh?” Nick asked Luke.

     
“You’re not kidding.” Luke leaned back in
his seat and took a swig of his drink, watching his brother amusingly.

     
The music began, a slow beat filtered
through the speakers. Jake looked at Cara, and nodded towards the teleprompter.
“If you don’t know the words, they’ll be right there for you to read.” He said
so low that only she could hear. She looked at him, her face a bundle of mixed
emotions. He took her hand and winked at her lovingly. He gave her hand a
slight squeeze and looked out towards the crowd and began to sing. Her eyes
were glued to the screen of the teleprompter as he sang. The song Jake had
chosen for them was called Beneath Your Beautiful by Labyrinth.

     
His voice was delicate as he sang about a
girl who was out of his league. A girl who had built walls around her heart,
hoping no one would climb them. Jake vowed along with the words of the song
that he’d be willing to try.

     
H
e
turned to face Cara. She was holding the microphone just staring at him, her
eyes questioning him. He merely nodded before he began again and with the next
verse, he asked for permission, to be the one she let in behind those walls. He
moved the microphone from his lips and took her hand in his.

     
“It’s okay. It’s just you and me.” He said
softly and pulled her closer to him. She swallowed and brought the microphone
to her lips. She sighed and then glanced at the teleprompter. Her voice
catching slightly as she sang the first verse.

     
“You
let all the girls go, Makes you feel good don’t it”

Jake
let his eyes will her to continue. He secretly hoped she would understand the
hidden meaning behind the words she sang. He watched her read the words on the
screen, cementing them in her memory before she turned her eyes back to his.

     
Cara followed the words displayed on the
screen, and realized she was singing to Jake about a man who had let the girls
come in and out of his life but they never got to see the real him. Behind the
façade, behind the Broadway show, there was a man there begging to be seen and
asking
her
to be the one who saw him.

     
He grinned widely as she sang the verse,
belting it out beautifully. She squeezed his hand and he felt like she squeezed
his heart. He watched her mesmerized.
 
She closed her eyes and tapped her foot to the beat of the music as she
hit the note right on key. When the crowd started to hoot and holler she opened
her eyes and grinned at him. He draped his arm around her shoulders and lifted
his microphone and in unison they sang the final verse. The words they sang, a
promise to climb those walls together and if they fell, they would fall as one.

     
Jake leaned over and pressed his lips to
Cara’s forehead. She looked up at him from under her lashes and smiled at him.
Applause rang out throughout the bar. He glanced down at the table, they were
occupying to see Sam, Luke and Nick standing up and clapping their hands.

     
“Well, that was some acclamation if I ever
heard one.” Luke said, clapping his hands, staring up at the stage.

     
“That was beautiful! Oh my God, I had no
idea they could sing that well.” Sam said as she brushed the few tears that had
fallen down her face. “I mean I’ve seen them dance together. They think they’re
J.Lo and Pitbull after a few drinks.” Nick handed her a few napkins. “Thanks.”

     
Luke nodded in agreement with his sister.
“What do they call it? When they get in a circle and have the people crowding
around them?” Sam threw her back and laughed at her brother, watching as he
ogled some girl who passed him by.
     
“They battle one another.” She said
half laughing, half crying. They looked back at the stage when Jake spoke
again.

     
“Thanks you guys have been great, we’ll be
back.” He kissed Cara’s hand and jumped off the stage. He held his arms out,
and she jumped into them, helping her off the stage.

     
Jake had felt Sam’s arms envelope him from
behind. “Jake! That was so fucking good.” She smiled over his shoulder at Cara.
“And you Miss. Thing, Completely blew me away.”

     
Cara laughed, but then she covered her
mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe we just did that.” She looked at Jake,
grinning widely. “Thank you.”

     
He stepped out of his sister’s hold and
walked into Cara’s arms. He hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground for
a moment. “You’re my beautiful.” He whispered into her hair.

     
As the night progressed, Jake made it on
that stage at least three more times. He stumbled into the men’s room, one hand
covering his eye. He was having a great time, the music was great, and the
karaoke was fun. Only one problem, in the middle of dancing with Cara, he lost
a contact. One eye down, and blind as a bat, he hoped he’d be able to find his
dick to take a piss. There were two guys standing at the urinals, with their
backs towards Jake. Jake shrugged and decided to flush his eye out at the sink,
while he waited his turn.

     
“Did you see that Cara girl dancing?”
Asked one asshole to another. Jake’s antenna’s shot up at the mention of Cara,
and shut the water off. How did they know her name? Oh, that’s right asshole.
You introduced her to the entire bar.

     
“Now, that’s a nice piece of ass. Wouldn’t
mind, getting a piece of that.” Said asshole number two.

     
Oh really? Jake turned to the two
schmucks, having a pissing contest. He stalked over to them, one eye shut.
Before asshole number one could reply, Jake grabbed them both by the back of
their heads, and slammed their faces into the walls of the urinals.

     
“What the fuck?” Asshole number one said
as he grabbed his nose, that was gushing blood. They both turned around to face
Jake. That’s when Jake grabbed their heads again and banged them into each
other’s. Both assholes fell to the floor. No one talked shit about his Cara and
got away with it. Cracking his knuckles, he turned and strode out of the
bathroom.

     
When he walked out of the bathroom, he
spotted Cara, waiting outside in the hallway for him. He smiled at her. “Come
on, we got to go.”

     
“Why?” She asked, and he grabbed her hand.
“We’re having such a good time. I don’t want to leave yet.”

     
“Oh trust me, we have to.” He covered his
eye with his free hand and hurried back towards their table.