Part 9 (2/2)
”Please, Jack. Maybe I will believe you and maybe I will forgive you, but ...”
”But, what?”
I swallowed and faced my truth. ”What if I still don't want to be a part of your life? I have plans and direction and ... and ... for the first time I can see a future. My future.” I paused, struggling to find the right words. ”I'm scared you'll swallow me whole.”
My admission sliced into the air between us like a guillotine.
”Well.” His brow creased and his throat bobbed. His eyes looked desolate. ”That's a different story, isn't it?”
I was physically and emotionally drained from my day and from kicking Jack out of my truck ... and my life ... again. As soon as I got to my bed, I went down like a sack of cement.
I came to with bright sunlight filtering through my window. Casting a fumbling hand out, I grasped my phone off the nightstand to see it was about ten. I was due at the Grill within an hour. I'd also missed another call from Jazz.
Images and emotions from the night before filtered into my mind, wreaking havoc with the sense of peace I should have had after sleeping nine hours straight. Jack's revelation that he hadn't been with any of those girls floored me. But I wasn't sure whether to believe him or if it truly made a difference.
I trudged downstairs to put the coffee on, then came back upstairs to shower. My hair was looking surprisingly pretty with the highlights the salon had put in yesterday. I tied it up out of the way and showered and changed for work. Trying to keep my thoughts from straying to Jack was almost impossible. I felt weird and down about the way things were between us. I'd asked him to stay away, and he hadn't. I wasn't necessarily mad at him for it. It was disquieting to discover I was actually relieved to know he'd ignored my request. But now I'd shut him out again. Part of me felt justified. I knew all my reasons for doing so. Then the other part of me, a deep down in my heart part of me, felt heavy and conflicted.
There was a mad lunch rush at the Grill. Residents wouldn't admit it, but I knew they were hoping to catch their own sighting of Devon and Jack. It left me on edge and hara.s.sed. I knew they probably wouldn't saunter back in, but the mere possibility they could, brought my anxiety level to defcon five.
At three o'clock, when Jazz walked in all tanned, her blonde hair tousled in messy air-dried waves, I was so relieved to see her, I didn't even question that she was still supposed to be in Florida. I launched myself at her and hugged her hard.
”Dang, give a lobster a break.” She laughed and winced.
”Oh, man, sorry,” I said as I noticed the skin on her back was flaming hot under my fingers.
”Fell asleep by the pool yesterday, and stupid Brandon just let me burn.” She turned around and showed me her back.
”Ow.” I flinched in sympathy at the crimson sight. ”So he's stupid Brandon now? And what are you doing here?” It suddenly occurred to me to ask.
She turned back around and sighed as I led her to a seat at the bar. ”Yeah, well. I needed a break. And Florida's even hotter than here. Brandon's so sweet most of the time, and he's got the prettiest face, but seriously, he just doesn't think sometimes, ya know? And don't get me started on his decision-making. I'm all modern woman, but I'm craving me some alpha-male right now.” She rolled her eyes. ”Being with him is like taking care of a child!”
I poured her an Arnold Palmer with sweet and laughed. ”And yet, you're the one with the sunburn?”
Jazz stuck out her tongue at me. ”Why's it so busy in here? Don't tell me our celebrity has been parading around town?”
”How did you guess? He and Devon were here last night causing an uproar, handing out autographs, becoming slap-you-on-the-back best friends with Paulie. It was weird and nauseating.”
Jazz choked on her tea, her eyes wide. ”Wow, he seriously came out in public?” Then her brow furrowed. ”While you were working? How was he toward you? My G.o.d, were you okay?”
And that's why I loved Jazz. She just knew me the way only a best friend could. She knew my comfort levels and exactly what to ask.
”Is that why you sent me that text saying you were traumatized? I tried to call you back by the way.”
”I know. And no, I sent that before I even got here to face that. I was traumatized from failed dress shopping and weird beauty appointment experiences in Savannah after a lunch with Colt where he basically ended our non-relations.h.i.+p.”
Jazz's eyes widened again, and her mouth wrapped around her straw.
I snorted. ”If I'd known how actually traumatizing the rest of the evening was going to be, I wouldn't have blown through that word so flippantly. Oh and your friend Ashley was here, promising s.e.xual favors to Jack as she practically licked his ear.” She probably did actually lick it. G.o.d. I shuddered.
”Holy s.h.i.+t,” Jazz hissed. ”That girl's an STD waiting to happen, if it hasn't already. Trust me. Tell me nothing happened there.” Jazz grabbed my hand and squeezed.
”No, thank G.o.d.”
”But, he was obviously behaving like an a.s.s right in front of you. I need to hear everything from the beginning.”
Jazz waited with me until the end of my s.h.i.+ft, and then we made our way to my house. I scrounged out a tin of Mrs. Weaton's leftover pecan pie and warmed it on two plates in the microwave.
”G.o.d, boys can be so dumb sometimes,” Jazz offered as I described everything that had taken place since our middle of the night phone call where I'd told her Jack was back. ”If he wasn't doing anything with those girls in England, why did he re-create that whole scene by hanging out with Ashley and her friends?”
”I know, right?” I shook my head and added more ice cream to my pie. ”Do you think he really didn't sleep with anyone since he last saw me?” I asked Jazz.
”d.a.m.n, maybe.”
”But there's tons he could have done without having to do the ... actual deed,” I muttered morosely, thinking of Ashley's offer to him last night.
”True,” said Jazz, and then her eyes went round, her mouth stretching wide and downturned in a parody of worry. ”My G.o.d, maybe you have a magic vajayjay, and you've ... ruined him,” she whispered the last part in mock horror.
I choked on my mouthful.
Jazz went on dramatically, ”Like, forever. Goodness, the poor guy must be desperate. Can you imagine?”
Jazz could hardly make it through the last word of her sentence because we both got a fit of giggles.
”Or maybe he just developed erectile dysfunction.”
”In which case you probably don't want him anyway.”
The back screen door banged, interrupting our mirth. ”It's nothing to laugh at girls.” Joey's voice came from behind us, making us jump. ”It's a real medical condition. And it sure is good to know that you all don't grow up much while I'm away.”
”Joey!” I leapt up to hug him. ”What are you doing home?”
”Thought I'd surprise my best girl,” he said, putting his duffle bag down and catching me. He looked handsome in jeans and a blue b.u.t.ton down. Brown leather cowboy boots peaked out at his ankles. His blond hair was longer and s.h.a.ggier than usual.
”And make sure I wasn't jumping into Jack's arms?”
”And that.” He hugged me back. ”Jazz,” he acknowledged her over my head. ”Anyway, I just have studying to do for the next few days, but I can do it here as well as there.”
”Jazz just got back from Florida with Brandon,” I added for her sake.
”Hey, Joey,” Jazz chirped breezily and cleared her throat. ”Well, we were just discussing Jack, so since he has that 'medical condition,' Keri Ann is probably safe.”
”And how might you all know that he has this condition?” Joey asked.
”We're surmising. Despite all evidence to the contrary, apparently he's been celibate since the last time he saw your sister.”
Joey snorted with disbelief. ”Yeah, right.”
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