Home to You by Taylor Sullivan

lighter than I had in days. When I was only a few feet from the house, Jake walked out of the gate and waved. My foot caught on something on the sidewalk, and all of a sudden I flew through the air landing on hands and knees.  
    “Holy shit, Katie! Are you okay?”  
    In a second, Jake was at my side, pulling me into his arms and carrying me into the house through the entrance from the garage. “What happened?” His voice was rough with concern, but all I could think about was the feel of his warm breath on my neck.  
    “I tripped.” I rolled my eyes, as heat swept up my cheeks. He was making a fuss over nothing, and all I wanted was for him to put me down so I didn’t embarrass myself further.  
    But he didn’t. He continued into the kitchen and sat me on the counter.  
    My heart skipped a beat when he began to run his hands over my legs, inspecting them for damage. His touch was gentle, and I was suddenly very grateful I’d remembered to shave.  
    “Well, it doesn’t look like anything’s broken.” He flicked on the faucet as he began rummaging through a cabinet.  
    “You don’t have to do this, Jake,” I said, wishing there was a drawer big enough so I could climb inside and never come out.  
    A smile lurked at the corner of his mouth as he pulled the first aid kit from the top shelf. “You always were accident prone.”  
    Only with you around.  
    He moistened a paper towel under the cool water, rested one hand on my bare thigh, then ran the damp cloth over my skinned knees. Goosebumps covered everywhere he touched, and my breath hitched in my throat.
    “Does that hurt?” He looked up at me through thick lashes, and I shook my head.
    “Just a little,” I lied. But I knew my reaction had nothing to do with pain.
    “Do you remember that time Dave and I tied the skateboard to the back of my bike?” A lazy smile tugged at his mouth, and he brushed his thumb over my knee to remove some lingering debris.  
    I inhaled sharply as my nerves began to protest. “How could I possibly forget?”  
    “Sorry,” he said with a wince, and I began to recall holding on for dear life as Dave pulled me at rapid speed down the middle of the street. No helmet, no protection. Kids.    
    “We were so lucky you didn’t get seriously hurt.” His eyes flashed to mine, and I swallowed.  
    He stood right in front of me, and my bare leg brushed against his jeans. He grabbed a tube of ointment out of the kit, applied a dab to his finger, then smoothed it over my roughened flesh.
    I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by his closeness.
    “I’m almost done,” he said softly, but all I could think about was how clueless he was. How could he not see how much he affected me? Everyone else could. Why couldn’t he?
    I opened my eyes again when I felt the first bandage hit my knee. “Do you really expect me to walk around like this?” I asked, inspecting the large brown swatch with my fingers.  
    “You can take it off later.” His blue eyes sparkled, and I couldn’t help but smile. That was the Jake I knew. The Jake I’d missed every day for the past three years.
    Just as he placed the last bandage, Grace appeared in the doorway.
    “What’s going on?” Her voice was calm, but she shifted her eyes from me to Jake, and I couldn’t help feeling as guilty as the time Mom caught me in the closet playing doctor with little Billy Pratt.  
    “Just a couple of skinned-up knees,” Jake replied. But the way she looked at us made me think she didn’t buy it.  
    Just then the back door opened, and I gingerly climbed down from the counter to see John.
    “I’m going to run to the store to get more beer, you guys need anything?” He was looking at us oddly, and I knew he could feel it too. The tension in the room was as thick as my grandma’s split pea soup.
    “Can I come with you?” I asked, needing to remove myself from this simmering pot.
    “Of course,” he replied, and I didn’t hesitate before grabbing my