Thank you @Adela1290 for this beautiful sunset.  I'm loving the bar codes as borders.

Chapter 22: Jake House

Mr and Mrs Dawson stood at the entrance of their picturesque cabin and I could feel how unexcited they were that Luke had brought me.

After all, I'm the girl that blurted out how I kissed Luke on the same day I was meant to be going on a date with Jake. 

The two brothers fought because of that, right before someone spray painted $1 hooker inside on my front door.

Not my finest moments.

Mrs Dawson greeted me with a light hug, and I remembered the last time I saw her.

It was on Dupont Avenue when she overheard Cearra say how Luke was perfect for erotic fantasies, how girls want to rip his clothes off and scream his name.

I really hope first impressions aren't as important as everyone says they are.

We walked inside the cabin, following Luke and his father who were already talking about basketball. Luke was carrying our duffel bags and said he would drop them off in our rooms.

Rooms with an 's'.  Looks like they don't want us sharing a double.

Meanwhile, I was infatuated by the view in front of me. The interior was enormous. Giant windows revealed a glorious view of the sparkling lake.

A plasma screen TV was nestled over a fireplace and cozy blankets draped over a large beige sofa. The wooden dining table was next to the windows with a patterned rug underneath.

"Millie," Mr Dawson greeted me, "It's nice to see you again. I hear you've been a frequent visitor to our house and particularly fond of my son's bedroom."

Oh wow, we're going there?

"H- have I?" My nerves were getting the better of me.

I was nervous in front of Mr Dawson. He wore a crisp, button-down shirt and his hair perfectly combed. He was handsome for an old guy, with features that he clearly passed down to his sons.

"I suppose it depends which son we're talking about," he added.

Someone help me. 

This man was determined to make me feel like an insect on his shoe.

"Luke got accepted into some mighty fine colleges," he moved subject as if this entire conversation was casual, "Have you heard? He's going places."

I nodded, "It's amazing news."

I'm sure he couldn't wait to see the last of me. In his mind, the further I am from Luke, the better. He couldn't wait for Luke's graduation.

"Luke's dream is to play for the Kentucky Wildcats," Mr Dawson said proudly, "Now he will."

That's not what Luke told me. He said his dad's dream was Kentucky, but that didn't mean it was his.

I faked a smile, not wanting to cause any interference in their family set up. I could just imagine the pressure Luke has been under his whole life.

I guess every family has their secrets.

Framed photos hung on walls around us. With a photogenic family like this, I could understand why. A photo that took pride of place was of Charlotte's high school graduation. The three of them were grinning beside the happy graduate.

No photo of Jake in sight.

Jake's voice sounded behind me, "Hey dad, maybe you can avoid freaking out our guest."

I turned in relief to see Jake and gave him a friendly hug. Jake was in a red and white sweater and his lighter was sticking out of his pocket. He must've been outside smoking.

"How are you?" I asked him, happy to see a friendly face.

Voices sounded upstairs followed by footsteps coming down the stairs. I recognized Luke's voice instantly, but I didn't know who the other person was.

Their feet came into view first and then I saw her. She had an incredible figure and a bright smile. Her hair was dyed a striking auburn color.

This must be Jake's guest.

Luke smiled down at me when he saw me. I smiled back and I couldn't stop my thoughts from wandering into an insecure place. He and this girl looked perfect together – worthy of being another photo in the Dawson family frames.

How could I ever fit in here?

"Millie, I don't think you've met Annika yet," Jake introduced us, "We met in New York, while I was auditioning at a record label."

"Oh hi," I greeted her, "Nice to meet you. My name's Millie."

I guess Jake just said that.

She greeted me back, "How d'you end up with these guys, Millie?"

I noted her foreign accent and made a mental note to ask later.

"We go to school together," I explained, "A more boring story than your record deal one."

Luke said it slowly in his deep, confident voice, "There was nothing boring about our summer."

"Sure, some magical camp that brought you both together," Jake rolled his eyes, having clearly heard some version of the story a few times now, "Now that we're all here, you guys up for a game?"

**

I don't know why I accepted to play a game. Everyone knows I'm not the best at games. But it was a good excuse to get out of the house. 

We walked past the cars parked outside the cabin and took a right turn. The lake was in clear view from here. It was calm today, a perfect backdrop for our game.

A volleyball net was set up with very faint markers of the boundaries. I saw a trampoline further out, and I imagined they use it to jump into the lake. This lake house seemed ideal for family memories.

"Everyone knows how to play volleyball right?" Jake asked, walking towards a shed where he went to collect a ball.

The shed was small and wooden. It had a basketball hoop drilled against the wood.

"Millie?" Luke asked.

"What? Yes, I know how to play! You just hit the ball over the net."

"OK, you'll be a pro then."

The sarcasm was real. 

Annika tried to hide her smile.

"Teams of two!" Jake called out, returning with a ball in his hand, "Annika and me versus Luke and Millie."

"Can we switch up teams?" Luke asked, moving out of the way just in time to avoid my playful punch.

Annika joined Jake on their side of the net and asked, "Aren't they dating?"

"Yeah," Jake said, "My brother's ultra-competitive and she sucks at sport. This is going to be good."

"You set them up," Annika realized.

"They're mismatched," Jake shrugged, "That's not my fault."

**

"Millie, it's not that hard. You just hit the ball," Luke explained for the fifth time.

"Easy for you to say!" I replied and served.

The ball dropped three feet from me.

"Over the net!"

"OK you can say it in as many ways as you want, but it's not easy!" I exclaimed back at him.

The ball slowly dribbled to the other side of the court while we were busy arguing.

Jake crouched and picked it up. He got into position and warned us that he was about to serve. Luke and I were still arguing when the ball came flying over the net.

Luke reacted by reflex. He stopped mid-argument to catch the ball with his right hand. 

The second he caught the ball, he smacked it back in a slam dunk that hit Jake hard in his chest.

The sound of the smack echoed.

I cringed for Jake.

"HEY!" Jake yelled, rubbing his chest where a bruise would later be.

"Broke a nail?" Luke taunted.

"You don't need to attack people with the ball," Jake criticized.

"Cool off," Luke told him, "We weren't ready."

Sometimes, we forget we're playing against an athlete. Luke worked out every day like his career depended on it. Because it sorta did.

"I told you," Jake turned to Annika with a sly grin on his face.

"I don't know what you thought this would do," Annika replied, "Because all I see is a lot of sexual attraction brewing between the two of them."

"You know what," Jake dropped the ball, "Let's take a break!"

"Nah," Luke smirked, letting the ball roll towards him before picking it up, "Your serve, smoker."

**

Mr Dawson had laid the table for dinner. They were serving spinach stuffed chicken breast, roast potatoes and a side of roasted broccoli and grilled halloumi. Red wine was poured into some glasses, which he offered us as well.

I hesitated.

The view of the sunset was incredible in front of us. We ate dinner as the sun's rays cast red, orange and yellow light over the dinner table. The sound of fire crackled in the fire place behind us.

"I live in New York now," Annika answered Mrs Dawson's question, "I come from Joburg, so I am not used to the cold."

That explains her accent. Annika came from South Africa.

"Johannesburg is such a lovely place," Mrs Dawson said, "My husband and I went there for our honeymoon. We stayed in-"

"Westcliff," Jake snorted, "He takes all his wives there."

The glare Mr Dawson shot his son was cold enough to freeze water.

Jake's mother was Mr Dawson's first wife, before he cheated on her with the now new Mrs Dawson.

"Your father made some dessert, but I think we'll leave you with it," Mrs Dawson said, standing up, "You kids probably don't want us hanging around."

She removed herself from the conversation along with her glass of red wine. 

Her husband spoke to her in hushed tones and I imagine she was telling him not to argue with Jake in front of guests. Together, they went upstairs.

Annika sat back, putting a hand over her stomach, "The food was lekker."

"Both of them like to cook," Jake shrugged, referring to his dad and stepmom.

"Is it?" she replied in surprise.

I didn't understand South African slang, but I liked the sound of it.

We cleared up dinner and set the washing machine on. The evening was getting late, and me taking a test this morning felt like a distant memory. Annika suggested watching a movie and was picking one to stream on the plasma screen.

I saw the chocolate pudding Mr Dawson had baked in a cast iron skillet and brought it to the coffee table in front of the TV. Luke had a similar mind and brought the red wine over.

Jake was by the freezer and pulled something out. He threw it across the room to Luke who caught it smoothly.

My curiosity got the best of me and I watched Luke scoop ice cream out of the tub. 

"I'd offer you some," he smirked, "But you hate vanilla."

"Drama queen," I mocked him, "I don't hate vanilla. My favorite is birthday cake."

"That's the difference between a trend and a classic," he teased, putting a spoonful into his mouth.

He looked so playful and mischievous that I felt my heart melt like his ice cream. 

His bland vanilla flavored ice cream.

Jake joined us on the couch, sitting next to Annika. We all got our dessert and Luke dropped one charitable scoop of ice cream from his bowl onto my chocolate pudding. He didn't have much of a sweet tooth, except for ice cream.

We nestled onto the couch, pulling the soft blankets over us. The crackling of the fire was the only sound we heard in this silent night, out here in the middle of the forest.

"So you met Jake at an audition?" I asked Annika, while we waited for the movie to start.

"Sort of. They made us go in separately, but I wasn't kept long," she answered, glancing at him, "I'm nowhere near as good a singer as Jake. I do more modeling than singing actually."

"You're good," Jake said, adjusting the speakers for our movie, "Your voice is comfortable at a lower register, like an Alanis Morisette."

"Eish no way. She can really belt," Annika sighed and then pointed at a black case in the corner of the room, "Is that your guitar? You should play the song you auditioned with."

"They've heard it," Jake said.

I blushed. There's only one song I've heard Jake sing and it had a lot to do with me.

Annika didn't know the backstory and shoved her blanket aside. "It was about some girl he liked in his English class."

She got up and walked over to the gig-bag. She unzipped it and pulled out his acoustic guitar.

"Oh no, no," we all insisted.

"Then play us something else, if you've all heard that song a hundred times," she insisted, bringing it over to Jake, "Seriously, it's incredible listening to you play."

I wouldn't say I've heard it a hundred times. Once was enough.

"Why are you smiling?" I whispered to Luke.

His arm draped around my shoulder. "His chances of getting laid are ab-"

I elbowed him. I didn't need to hear that.

We watched Luke and Annika interact. She was still insisting he sing, having brought the guitar up to him. He reluctantly agreed and then looked for his guitar pick.

Luke pulled up his phone while we waited for John Mayer. 

Jake played a couple chords to tune the guitar ever so slightly. "I think I'll play Enrique. The song's called Wish I was your lover."

Wish I was your lover? Was he serious? Did he want Luke to kill him?

"You'll have a broken guitar by the second verse," Luke commented, not even looking up from his phone.

Luke was lying back on the couch with one arm resting loosely over me. I couldn't see his blue eyes since he was looking down. 

I was 101% sure he was on the ESPN app.

"He will?" Annika asked, confused.

A lot of these references were going over her head tonight.

"It was a joke," Jake sighed, putting the strap over his shoulder and getting ready to play, "Everyone's so uptight in this house."

Annika clapped away the bad energy and exclaimed, "OK everyone, get comfortable! Let's hear it for Jake Dawson!"

He was about to sing. And if it's anything like last time... 

I'm holding onto Luke.

A/N: These next couple chapters are gonna be fuuunnn.

I went extra descriptive in this chapter.  Something about the coziness of this cabin made me write more and more about it.

Please vote for this chapter!! It was so long, my finger hurts ;)

Oh, and a random question, do you have any good Netflix show recs?