Jar of Hearts (Glow sequel) (13 page)

“I'd like that,” Maria jumped from her chair with a smile and hugged Vanessa tightly. “I love you, Vanessa,” she squealed.

“I love you too!” they laughed. I had heard enough.

I walked around the wall. “I didn't know you swung that way, sis,” I smirked.

Vanessa looked at me, “You're such a pig,”

“Maria,” I smiled.

“Hey, Ethan,” she didn't look at me. She sat down in her chair and continued on the computer.

“Come on, Ethan. We have a magazine to look at,” Vanessa clapped her hands awfully excited. I kept my eyes on Maria as I walked by her desk. Maria didn't look up at me, not even once. I closed Vanessa's door behind me with a sigh. I plopped down into one of the leather chairs in front of her desk.

“Are you okay, Ethan?” Vanessa grabbed the magazine from the top of her desk and sat down in the chair next to me.

“No,” I shook my head. “I'm not,”

She placed her hand on my leg. “Just give her time,”

“Time? For what, Nessy?” I looked at her. “Time for her to move on to Marc? Yeah, I was around the corner listening. I know she got flowers from the asshole. I was behind the damn flower guy the whole way up here,” I stared back down to the carpet.

“She doesn't like him, I know she doesn't,” she said quietly. “Did you see the look on her face when I read the card? She wasn't the slightest phased by it,”

“Please,” I huffed.

“I think she went out with Marc as a tool to forget about you for a moment. Think about what she would go through if she were alone. You know?”

“All I have is time to think about her, and yes it drives me crazy. But I deal with it, because I have feelings for her,” I traced my finger down an indent in the arm of the chair. “it's only a normal thing to do, you know?”

“Maria is not normal. Neither am I,” she snorted. “You would not believe the things I went to just to try and forget Ben. I was... ridiculous,” her last words was drawn out from her lips, she then gasped. “You raped his pride...” she whispered.

I laughed. “Who raped what, now?”

“You!” she jumped from her chair.

“Whoa, I didn't rape anyone,” I sat up straight in my chair, a bit uncomfortable by her accusation.

She shook her head. “No,” she sat back down and looked at me. “Do you remember what you said to me when I was going through my issues with Ben?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Nope, I don't,”

“You told me to stop being so stubborn, and that I raped Ben's pride,” she said as though I should know where this is going.

“Okay,” I urged her to go on.

“You are being stubborn and are raping yourself of your own pride,” she scooted her chair closer to me. “If you love her, don't let her go. You know how to handle this, Ethan. You are the one who helped me realize that I truly am in love with Ben. No one else but you,” she smiled.

“Do you really think that I would let her go that easily?” I smirked. “You know me better than that,”

“What's the plan?” she sat closer, much anticipation on her face.

I grabbed the magazine from her hands and quickly opened it to my centerfold. I tapped my fingertip on the page which started the interview, then stood from my chair.

“Happy reading, sis,” I smiled ruffling my fingertips in her hair, she smacked my hand away staring at the first page. I walked to her office door as she intently read the interview. I let myself out.

I didn't look at Maria as I walked out the office door. I swiftly walked by. “Later, Maria,” I felt her eyes on me as I went to turn the corner and walk down the hall towards the elevators.

“Bye... Ethan,” she said hesitantly. It sounded like she was expecting me to talk to her and was shocked to see me walk by without trying to do so. I was unsure as to if she had read my interview. If she had, and confessing my love for her to millions of people around the world didn't trigger a spark, then maybe she doesn't have feelings for me like I had hoped. For now, I am keeping my fingers crossed and am praying that the love God's are on my side. As of right now, It's becoming damn near impossible to live without her.

Chapter Nine

Maria

              I stared at the empty space that was filled with Ethan's presence less than ten seconds ago. I could still smell his cologne and my ears were still ringing with the echo from his voice telling me goodbye. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. I missed him like crazy, and wished he would have taken a second to talk to me. It is extremely clear that he wants nothing to do with me.

“I see you got the roses,” Marc's deep voice made me jump out of my Ethan induced cologne trance.

“I did,” I smiled, standing from my chair to greet him with a hug. “I needed those, thank you,”

Last night at dinner, I tried not to think about Ethan, but it was so damn hard. Marc was relentlessly asking me what was wrong and that if anything we were friends first. I finally broke the barrier and told him about Ethan and me, the argument that Vanessa and I had after getting caught in the living room with his hands down my pants which earned a hearty laugh from Marc.

He had asked me, “How do you feel about him?”

I froze, opening my mouth only to shut it again as I wasn't ready to say it aloud. It scared me to death just thinking about being in love with Ethan. I was barely able to come to terms with it inside. I have never been in love before and it is completely unfamiliar territory to me.

He said, “Look... love means absolutely nothing until someone comes along and gives it a meaning. Truthfully, Maria, you aren't living until you can learn to let love boomerang. Let love out, and in return let it come back to you,”

“It scares me,” I huffed.

“That's the thing about love, Maria. It'll scare the shit out of you one day, and then the next when the scary part is over you're happier than you have ever been. Then, you try to figure out why you were even scared in the first place,” 

He had made sense, a lot actually. Who would have thought that Mr. Sexy Pants was a freaking love guru. The rest of the night was a daze. After dinner we went and had a few drinks. I was quiet most of the time letting his words sink in with every so often he would place a friendly kiss on my cheek letting me know he was still there. He was sweet to send me flowers to help me feel a little bit better about the situation with Ethan. He had offered to go with me to the rehearsal dinner and be my date to the wedding... as friends so I wouldn't go alone. I happily accepted his offer.

“Need a date for lunch?” he winked.

“Absolutely,” I smiled. “Just let me tell Vanessa that I am going to lunch a little early,”

I stepped into Vanessa's office to find her crying at her desk, intently staring at a magazine. She quickly wiped her eyes with a smile on her face. “Sorry, ugh... stupid eyes are deceiving,” she laughed.

“Are you alright?” I asked from the doorway. “Did something happen?”

“Oh,” she waved her hand, then closed the magazine. “No, what's up?”

“I was hoping to step out to lunch early,” I smiled. “Marc wanted to take me out,”

She stared at me for a moment. “Yeah,” she nodded. “I'll probably be gone when you get back. Ben and I are heading to my moms early and I need to take care of a few things,”

Remembering that her grandparents are in town for a surprise and staying with her mom, I asked, “Does your mom know you are stopping by?” In case I needed to intervene.

Vanessa furrowed her brows. “Yeah,”

“Well, okay then. Have a good time and if I don't see you when I get back, I will see you at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow,” I went to walk out the door.

“Maria!” she said as I went to close the door.

“Yeah?” 

“No fast food,” she winked. “The dress you are wearing for the wedding won't allow an extra half inch,”

I laughed, “Got it,” then shut the door behind me.

I grabbed my purse from under my desk and just as we were about to leave, to my dismay, Ben came around the corner looking gayishly chipper in his black suit and gray tie.

“Where might you be running off to so early?” he looked between Marc and me skeptically. He stared Marc down as though he just slapped his grandma.

“Take it easy killer,” I patted his chest. “Lunch with a friend,”

Ben smiled. “Well, then have fun,” he held his pinky up in Marc's face, earning a very confused look.

I laughed, grabbing his pinky and putting his hand down. “No, Benjamin. He's not Pencil Dick,”

“You're lucky,” he pointed a finger at him. “I almost felt bad for you,”

“What?” Marc looked at me then back to Ben.

“Just ignore him,” I shoved Ben towards Vanessa's office. “Go,” I pushed him to the door with a heave. “Bye, Ben,” I turned to Marc after Ben closed the door behind him. Marc was still undoubtedly confused. “He is suffering from P.M.S.”

Marc laughed aloud. “P.M.S huh?”

“Yeah, Pre-Marital Stress,” I laughed with him.

~

I paced my hotel room waiting another fifteen minutes before I was supposed to meet Marc downstairs. He was picking me up to take me to the rehearsal dinner. I was extremely nervous, my brain erratically racing a trillion miles per second. I was anxious to see Ethan. Would he be there by himself? Would he have a date? I jumped at the sound of a knock at the door.

I opened it expecting it to be Marc a few minutes early but to my surprise it was a delivery guy with a yellow manilla envelope.

“Miss. Anderson?” he asked.

I nodded, then held my hand out for the package. “For me?”

“Yes, if you would please sign here,” he handed me an electronic pad and I signed for the package.

“Thank you, have a nice evening,” he handed me the heavy package with my name and address on it, there was no return information on it.

“Thank you,” I shut the door walking towards the bed to sit down only to stop when I got a text.

I'm here. Marc

“Damn it,” He was early. I quickly shoved the envelope in my purse then headed downstairs.

“Wow,” Marc smiled, gazing from my legs then back to my eyes. I could say the same about him in his black suit and tie, his brown hair was done perfectly.

“Do I look alright?” I asked nervously, spinning in a circle showing off my black strapless dress that went to the tops of my knees. It hugged my frame perfectly allowing a little cleavage. I flat ironed my hair for the first time in years and was surprised as it has grown to my nearly my waist and finished my make up with smoky eyes. I was hoping not to look way over the top.

“You look absolutely gorgeous, Maria,” he placed a kiss on my cheek and held his arm out for mine, his green eyes glowed interest. Exactly the reaction I was going for.

“Thank you,” I weaved my arm through his and let him lead the way out to his car.

We were nearly to Vanessa and Ethan's parents house when I started a full blown panic attack. My heart was racing, and I was sweating profusely. I felt as though I was going to throw up, and my legs felt weak.

“Just breathe,” Marc rubbed my back soothingly as I was trying to breath deep in the passenger seat, waving my hands in front of me then frantically pushed the buttons rolling the windows down. If I didn't care about my hair, I would stick my head out the window as though I were a dog along for the ride.

“Do you get like this every time you know that you are going to see him?” he laughed with a hand still on my back.

“No,” I said breathless. “Well, yes... just without hyperventilating,” I smirked.

“I can't say that I blame your panic attack,” 

“Why do you say that?” I asked, taking a deep breath and suddenly calming down.

“I saw the-”

My phone cut off his words. I dug it out from my purse, behind the manilla envelope and answered it.

“Vanessa, I'm almost there,” I answered.

“Thank God,” she sighed. “I am going crazy without you here,”

“Is everything okay?” I asked as I was barely hanging on myself.

“Yeah, well...” she paused. “Ethan has been drinking all afternoon,”

“Who is that?” I heard Ethan slur in the background. “Is it Maria, Nessy?”

“Is he asking for me?” I think I heard him right.

“No, Ethan,” she lied to him. I heard her heels clicking across the floor and then a door shutting behind her. “Yes, he has been asking for you for the last hour, and I don't think I have ever seen him this upset,” she said quietly.

I looked over at Marc. “Um, Vanessa?”

“What?” she sounded discouraged at my tone.

“Marc is with me,” I clenched my teeth.

“Oh, no...” she gasped. “No, no, no, Maria,” she sighed.

“What do I do?” I closed my eyes. “He is with me as a friend. That is all we are is friends, Vanessa,”

“He isn't going to understand that,” she spat. “Especially in the state he is in!”

“Pull over,” I put my hand to the phone and gestured him to the side of the road. “None of this is my fault, Vanessa. He made his choice to not have me in his life anymore,”

“What?” I heard her heels clicking as I was sure she was walking farther away from the house. “What are you talking about?”

“I told him that you were right, and he needed to make a choice,” I took a deep breath trying to keep from crying. “He left me,”

“Did you get the package I sent to you this morning?” she sighed.

“It was you who sent it to me?” I smiled.

“Did you open it, Maria?” she asked intently.

“No, not yet and-” I was cut off by Ethan yelling in the background.

“Nessy!”

“Ethan, what are you doing outside?” she asked him with a heavy sigh. “Where's Ben?”

“He's messing with the neighbors dog,” he laughed aloud.

“Oh, God...” she groaned. “I have to go. Just hurry,”

“He has my air-soft gun,” I heard Ethan warn her as she hung up the phone.

I waved my hand. “Okay, go” I shook my head. I had a feeling this dinner was going to be nothing short of an insanity trip.

~

When we walked into Vanessa and Ethan's parents house, it was utter chaos. Obviously, Vanessa knew now that her grandparents were there as her mother and grandma were arguing about the unimportance of corns while her father and grandpa were arguing over who's Bass fish was bigger back in 1985. There were three children running around the house back and forth screaming with chocolate across their faces. I walked through the house with Marc at my heels to the back door to find Ethan a complete drunkard, laughing at Vanessa and Ethan as they argued over shooting the neighbors dog with Ethan's air-soft gun. I gave Marc an apologetic smile and stepped outside.

“It only stings for a second,”  Ben shrugged.

“Benjamin, I don't care if it only stings for a point zero one second,” she shook her head, blonde hair flailing over her bare shoulders. “It's animal cruelty!” Ethan was looking back and forth between both of them.

“It's not going to kill it for shit sakes,” Ben laughed.

“This is an absurd argument,” she growled, stomping her heel into the grass.