My Book Boyfriend: Jack Caputo

MBB is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread reader---check out the intro post here
I must admit, when I first started Everneath, I was a little iffy about Jack--I mean the guy was super nice and all, but I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between him and Nikki.... but then, as I got closer to the end, the more I started liking him. He's such a sweetheart!

Jack Caputo

• Rich shaggy brown hair, chocolate eyes
• has 1 eyebrow piercing
• football player
• has an older brother, who he sometimes takes care of
• has a tattoo that means "ever yours"

    
"You were eleven," he said. "I was twlve. I remember Joey Velasquez talking about the pretty new girl in the neighborhood. Actually, his exact words were 'the hot chick.' But I didn't think a thing a bout it until I saw you at the baseball field. We were having practice at the park and your family showed up for a picnic. You had so much dark hair, and it was hiding your face. Remember?"

     I nodded. "I know what you're trying to do."

     He ignored me. "I had to see if Joey was right, about the hot chick part, and I kept trying to get a good look at your face, but you never looked over our way. I hit home run after home run trying to get your attention, but you couldn't be bothered with my record-shattering, superhuman performance."
      I smiled, and breathed in slowly. I'd heard this story so many times before. The familarity of it enveloped me with warmth.

     "So what did you do?" I asked, fully aware of the answer.
     "I did the only thing I could think of. I went up to bat, lined my feet up in the direction of your head, and swung away."
     "Hitting the foulest foul ball anyone had ever see," I continued the story.

    
I felt him chuckle next to me. "Yep. I figured in order to return the ball, you'd have to get really close to me, because..." He waited for me to fill in the blank.

     "Because someone made the mistake of assuming I would throw like a girl," I said softly.

     He pressed his lips against my head before he went on. "Which, of course, was stupid of me to think. You stood right where you were and chucked the ball farther than I'd ever seen a girl, or even any guy, chuck it."

     "It was all those years of Bonnet Ball my parents forced on me."
     "The entire team went nuts. You gave a little tiny shrug, like it was no big deal, and sat back down with your family. Completely ignoring me again. So my plan totally backfired. Not only did you get the attenion of every boy on the field--which was not my intention--but I got reamed by the coach, who couldn't understand why I suddenly decided to stand perpemdicular to home plate."


"You haven't moved on?"
He chuckled. "I have a lifetime of memories made up of chestnut wars and poker games and midnight excursions and Christmas Dances...It's all you. It's only ever been you. I love you." The last part seemed to escape his lips unintentionally, and afterward he closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, as if he had a suddent headache. "I've gotta not say that out loud."