Definitely not. Even though he loves his wife more than anything, he’s still salty about the way Candace walked out of our lives without ever looking back.
As I stare at the weathered cream-colored brick building with a worn wooden sign hanging over the door, I’m kind of wishing I would have given them the opportunity to change my mind. This is the last place I want to be. And yet, I can’t bring myself to turn the key in the ignition and drive away. I’m stuck.
Frozen in place.
Instead of exiting the vehicle, I grab my cell from the seat next to me and hit the contact at the top of my list. A few seconds later, the phone rings.
And rings.
Just as I’m about to hit disconnect, a breathless voice comes over the line. “Hello?”
I clear all of the emotion that has welled up in my throat and try to keep my tone deceivingly light. “Hey.”
“Hi, sweetie.” Her voice warms as if she’s pleased that I called. “How are you?”
“Good.” That’s a lie, but I can’t bring myself to tell Jenna the truth even though it sits perched at the tip of my tongue, waiting to burst free.
There’s a pause. I can almost hear the wheels turning in her head. That little frown she gets when she’s attempting to figure out the truth. Looks like calling her was just as lousy of an idea as agreeing to meet up with Candace. I’m on a real roll today.
“Are you sure?” she questions carefully. “You sound strange. Like there’s something on your mind you want to talk about.”
That’s the thing about Jenna, she’s always been perceptive—especially where I’m concerned. I might not be her own flesh and blood, but she’s highly attuned to my feelings and moods. Sometimes more than what I’m comfortable with.
Instead of coming clean, I force out a chuckle. “Nah, it’s all good. I had a little time to kill between classes and thought I’d check-in and see how everything’s going. It’s been a couple of days since we’ve talked.”
“You’re so sweet.” Some of her concern falls away. “You’re lucky that you caught me when the kids are at music.”
Right. I forgot that she’s in the middle of her workday.
“Oh, sorry. Should I let you go?” Jenna is probably knee-deep grading papers and doesn’t have time for my bullshit.
“Of course not,” she says with a laugh. It’s a soft, tinkling sound that washes over me, immediately settling something deep inside. “You know that I love talking to you—even if it’s only for a few minutes. I know you don’t live far, but I’m looking forward to you moving back and working for your father. Then you can pop home any time you want. Or we can grab lunch.”
That does sound nice. I’ve enjoyed my years at Wesley, but it’s getting old if you can believe that. I’m ready to graduate and move on. I know some people don’t feel that way. They want to cling to the party lifestyle. A few of my teammates actually toyed with the idea of coming back for a fifth year. Until their parents put the kibosh on that.
“So, what do you have going on for the rest of the day?”
I blink back to the present and stare at the coffee house in front of me. “Oh, you know. Class. Practice.” I gulp. “I’ll probably hit the library later and study for a test.”
“Sounds like college,” she says with a laugh.
Yup.
When I remain silent, she asks, “Are you sure nothing is bothering you?”
“It’s all good.” I feel like crap for lying to her. If there’s one person I try to keep it real with, it’s Jenna. She’s never judged me for anything. Not that she didn’t hold my feet to the fire when I screwed up, but she was always there, no matter what.
Clearly, I can’t say that about everyone.
I squeeze my eyes closed, allowing the sound of her soft, melodic voice to comfort me. There are two women who hold importance in my life, and this is one of them. Alyssa is the other. It wasn’t until she left the summer of our junior year that I realized how spectacularly I fucked up our relationship.
It’s almost as if Jenna can sense the direction of my thoughts. “We really enjoyed meeting Alyssa last week.” There’s a pause. “Any chance we’ll be seeing more of her?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “I hope so.”
“Good. I’ll talk to your father, and we’ll set something up soon.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I glance at the digital clock on the dash and realize that it’s ten minutes past the appointed time Candace and I agreed to meet up. “I should probably get moving.”
“All right. I’m glad you called. Love you.”
A thick lump settles in the middle of my throat as I parrot the sentiment back to her, meaning every single word. “Love you, too.”