I arrived home to an empty apartment. I got in the shower without a second thought to where the boys were. I begrudgingly primped. As much as I wanted to be annoyed at Jacob and blame him for the unusual care I took to look good, I knew I was doing this to myself. Jacob would probably not even notice a difference or, worse, use my effort as a reason to mock me. Still, the 'oh shit' voice that seemed to take hold of me when Jacob was near was driving my action. As the afternoon slipped into evening, I became annoyed that Matt and Joey were missing.

"Where are you?" I texted Matt.

"Hanging out with Jess and Michael." He typed back almost immediately, which was a sure sign that they weren't playing a video game.

"What? I wanted to come with you!" I let out an audible grunt at the turn of events, which was only compounded when my phone rang.

"I don't want to hear it," I answered.

"You don't want to hear it. Why the hell would you want to hang out with Jess and Michael?" Joey's voice was filled with agitation.

"Jacob said you all were practicing, and I wanted to hear you play." It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Jacob said?" He stuttered over the words.

"Oh, hey man, we went into Red Wall today; probably should've told you," Jess offered in the background.

"You've been seeing Jacob?" Joey growled into the phone.

"No, he just came into the store with Michael and Jess. While there, he mentioned you all were playing. He said you were really good." I was again annoyed with myself. I didn't need to explain whom I was speaking with to Joey.

"Well, you missed us," Joey managed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I guess I did." I said nothing else; I just ended the call.

My phone lit up a moment later with a simple "sorry" from Matt.

I gazed at it for a long moment, willing my rational side to win, but it was futile. I knew where this was headed before I even unlocked my phone.

"Hey, I guess I can't make it tonight. The boys left before I got home. Maybe next time." A mixture of satisfaction and panic swirled in me as I watched the text bubbles blink.

"What is your address?"

I expected the reaction from Jacob. I could've just sent my address to start, but I wanted to confirm that he'd fall into my plans as much as I'd fall into his. I texted him my address and waited.

"A car will be there in two minutes." Jacob wasn't a pleasantries texter, but he was accurate.

As Rigby rose ahead of my Uber, I texted Jacob that I was there.

"I can stay until you get inside," the driver offered as he skeptically surveyed the house before him.

"No, it's okay. My friends live here," I absently spoke as I did one last check in my self-camera view.

"Are you sure? It looks pretty deserted."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks again."

I was about to ring the bell when Jacob opened the door.

"Hello," he offered. His expression already appeared to be hiding a joke.

"Hello, Jacob." I tried to hold my tone even. Despite my preparation, 'oh shit" still rattled through my brain.

Wordlessly, he shifted to the side to allow me to enter. As I passed through the doorway, I felt his hand on the small of my back, ushering me inside.

"Your friends are in the basement," he offered in a low murmur.

Without thought, I sighed at my annoyance at Joey and the inevitable argument that would ensue.

"Are you not here to see them?" There was an edge to his question, as though he knew that seeing them play was not the only reason that drew me to this place.

"I am, I just..." I didn't know how to finish my thought.

"Would you like to sit for a moment?" He offered as we paused in the living room.

"Yeah, actually, I would."

We settled on the couch closer to each other than was necessary. His proximity fed a beast inside me, a wild, uncontrollable animal that I had never noticed within me.

"I am sorry about your last visit." He spoke in a low tone, barely above a whisper, and kept his eyes trained on the drink in his hand.

"Are you?"

"I never apologize unless I mean it." A wave of frustration at my questioning him twitched in his muscles.

"Why did you say all those things?" I prodded.

"I wanted to see the reaction."

"You wanted to see Joey mad?"

"No, I wanted to see your reaction," he clarified.

"My reaction?"

"People are very dull. They nearly always do what I expect of them. When someone does not, it is much more... stimulating."

"Are you saying I stimulate you?" I stared at the side of his face and caught a brief twitch of his eyes towards me before adding, "ew."

"I expected you to chase after him, but you stayed to..." He paused to select his word choice carefully before settling on "quarrel with me."

"You talk weird."

An expression crossed his lips; part smile, part pain.

"It must be from some fancy New York private school," I offered to diffuse the tension of my poking.

"Must be," he murmured before sipping his drink again.

The simple answer inflamed the creature in me further. "You're frustrating and rude. I hate that you aren't looking at me when you talk to me and that you seem to treat me like some toy."

"I am not treating you like a toy." As he spoke, he set his eyes straight into mine, and I immediately wished he wasn't fixing them on me. It was like staring at an oncoming train; I knew it was speeding toward me, threatening my life. Nevertheless, I couldn't look away.

"You aren't?" My words creaked.

"I am trying to understand you, your motivation."

"Well, that's your problem. I'm completely unmotivated currently," I offered.

"That is untrue." He lifted his glass to his lips without wavering his gaze.

"What motivates me, then?"

"I do not know; I just told you that."

"Right. You aren't treating me like a toy, and yet somehow I feel like your own personal Rubix Cube."

"My personal..." he lifted a lone eyebrow at me, sending a searing surge coursing through me.

His stare suffocated my senses. I needed a moment. I lifted my hand to his face and pushed it away. I'm not sure if I was more shocked that I mustered the courage of the motion or that he let me push his face away from me.

"You're intense," I feebly explained.

"I've been called worse; frustrating, rude..." He let his voice trail off as he downed the last of his drink. "Have you made your decision yet?" He said with a casual sigh as he sat back deep into the couch.

"What decision?" Had he asked me to make a decision?

"Your decision on me?" He focused his gaze again on me before adding, "friend or foe?"

"I don't make that decision; you do."

"I am not a good guy." A softening to his eyes made him look young, lost.

"Do you want to be a good man?" Suddenly he was the Rubix Cube.

"Unlike most, I only want for a select few things." The enigma replaced the lost boy.

"You speak in riddles; it's..."

"I believe you already noted it as frustrating and rude." A stifled smile covered his face.

"Are you teasing me, Jacob Rigby?"

"I wouldn't dare," as he spoke, a hand slipped to my jeans-covered knee and squeezed it. "We should go downstairs before you miss the entire rehearsal."

He lifted himself from the couch and extended a hand to me, noting my hesitation.

"Are you hesitating because you don't want to arrive with me?" His words came out shyly as though my answer could inflict actual physical pain.

I suddenly felt the immense need to protect him from whatever hurt he was expecting. I never wanted to see that fear on his face again.

"No." I grasped his hand and let him pull me to his side.

Before I could stop him, he let our hands fall apart as he absently picked up his empty glass.

"Refill before we head down?" I asked.

"You can go without me." He hardened his words again as though he didn't believe me when I refused his earlier assertion.

"I'll wait." I crossed my arms to remind him just how stubborn I was.

Jacob eyed me for a moment. Again, his mind was digesting my unexpected behavior. Then, without a word, he spun on his heel to the kitchen. I watched him pour his drink before he paused.

"Would you care for a drink?" He let his voice rise above his typical murmur to reach me.

"No, but thank you for asking."

He slightly nodded as he returned to my side. As he neared, I sensed his intention to let his hand fall to the small of my back, but I had other plans. I extended a hand to him. He slightly faltered as his eyes twitched to my outstretched offering, stiffly accepting my gesture. I let our knotted fingers fall between us with a slight swing as we made our way towards the stairs. His gaze lingered on me as his mind worked through the moment, at my decision to hold his hand and intention to arrive holding his hand, but as we passed down the long hallway of doors, his hand softened in mine as a comfortable warmth spread through me.

The clattering of the security door announced our arrival at the makeshift club. Four pairs of eyes darted to us, but one pair immediately fell to our clasped hands.

"Hey," Matt said with his patented goofy grin. "You made it!"

"Yeah, Uber," I shrugged. "Don't let us bother you. I wanted to hear you play."

Jacob dropped my hand as we settled on the couch, but I reached for it again as soon as we nestled in. He let me entwine our hands as they sat atop his knee. Joey's eyes bored into the knot from the stage.

"Your friend is a bit distracted." Jacob dipped his face close to me as he spoke. His lips were so near my ear that the slight wisp of breath that carried them tickled a few errant hairs. "He typically plays better."

I turned my face to him. He was just inches away from my face, and his proximity pulled a playful giggle from my lips that caused an unstifled smile to cross his face. It calmed the wild beast that had been snarling earlier. I let my face dip and shifted so I could lean deep into his side and returned my attention to the stage.

Joey's lack of focus on playing wasn't lost on the others. They sounded fine, but the number of glances they threw in his direction clarified that it wasn't his normal playing level. Jess grew frustrated first.

"Jacob, would you want to play a song or two?" Jess' game plan was to replace the weak link.

"You play?" Childish excitement filled my tone, pulling a small laugh from Jacob.

"No," he definitively said to Jess before turning to me and adding, "and no."

"Oh, he plays," Jess griped.

"I have the knowledge and ability, but rarely muster the action," Jacob corrected.

"Riddles," I teased.

"I don't think I could have been much clearer." He unsuccessfully tried to stifle his smile, so it again appeared as more of a tipping wince.

"I want to hear you play." I maintained my gaze as I realized I had the same ability to entice him that he had me.

"No," he apologetically whispered, but he added, "at least not tonight." It pulled me to him, his words, his scotch-scented breath. It lost me in his eyes.

"It's time to go," Joey snarled as he jumped down from the riser of the stage.

"What? Jess and I are in the middle of a game of Techmo Bowl," Matt argued, utterly unaware of the situation transpiring.

Joey's eyes bore into me as I resolved my steely gaze on him. Jacob slipped his hand from mine and stiffened beneath my weight on him.

"It's fine. Matt and I will catch an Uber later," I replied.

There was a moment when I thought Joey would argue; I thought he'd drag me out of there as though he were a parent that caught their teen drinking. But then he just charged out without another word.

"Well, I guess rehearsal is over," Jess sighed. "Living room?" He shot at Matt.

"Yep. I'm going to crush you," Matt taunted.

Jacob pulled himself from the couch. I expected him to pause and extend a hand to me, but he didn't. He didn't even glance back at me. He just followed Jess and Matt back into the house.