Left Together (9 page)

***

One of
my biggest pet peeves is a girl crying over a guy who didn’t deserve her in the
first place. Whether it’s in real life, in books, or in movies doesn’t matter.
There were times I’d see a group of girls huddled around one of their friends
while she told them what some asshole did. I’d roll my eyes and bite my tongue
so I didn’t tell her how pathetic she looked. Or I’d get irritated over
characters in a book or movie. It’s all completely overkill if you ask me. I
get that disappointment sucks ass, but I’m used to people letting me down. It’s
a huge part of my life. This shit shouldn’t have bothered me the way it did.
It’s time to get the hell over it and move on. If Evan felt the need to go
screw some whore, I hope she was worth it. If Jake can’t forgive me for a
moment of weakness, he wasn’t a very good friend to begin with. Who needs
either of them if that’s how they’re going to be?

Yes.
I’m totally ignoring that this is just another stage in dealing with what
happened. It sure as hell beats feeling sorry for myself, so I’m going with it.

Today
is the hottest day of the summer so far. The weatherman on the news this
morning mentioned something about it being the beginning of a heat wave. We
live in the south and it’s July. What the hell do they expect? As my feet slip
into running shoes, I decide to check in with Jade. If I call her while she’s
at work, I won’t have to listen to her brother in the background begging to
talk to me. This time, I don’t wait for the messages to start filling the
screen before dialing the law firm’s number.

She
picks up on the second ring. “Spencer and Spencer.”                                          

“Hey,
Jade. It’s me.”

“Hi,
Kacie. How are you? Ready to come home yet?” my friend rambles.

“Not
yet, but soon.”

“You
sound better than the last time we talked.”

“I feel
better. I’m actually getting ready to go for a run.”

“That’s
a good sign.”

“Are
you okay?” I ask.

“I
just miss you, that’s all.”

“You
have Kyle to keep you company,” I tease.

She
sighs. “It’s not the same.”

“I’m
sorry for leaving, Jade. It’s just…”

“Kacie,
you don’t need to explain anything to me. I know this is how your crazy ass
deals with shit. Considering how many times Evan has stopped by and called, I
totally get why you left. If you were here, he’d be torturing you a hell of a
lot more.” I can hear her take a deep breath. “He looks like shit, if that
makes you feel any better.”

“Not
really,” I say, looking at my puffy eyes in the mirror. When I called two
nights ago, Jade told me how my father went to Skyline and, apparently,
threatened Evan. I guess Evan saw it as an excuse to change his mind about the
promises he made to me, but did he really have to jump in bed with someone else
so quickly? She also told me that my dad was at my house Sunday morning,
attempting to use the key he had. Good thing the locks were changed. “You
didn’t say anything to Evan about me going to the boat, did you?”

“No.
You asked me not to, so I won’t. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to claw his
fucking eyes out, though.” It would be a real shame. Those are some beautiful
eyes. “I am kind of glad he doesn’t know how upset you are. I think him not
knowing what’s going on with you is making it harder on him.” My intention
isn’t to make this harder on anyone. I’m just trying to make it easier for
myself. Is it possible he’s feeling guilty for what he did to me? I can’t think
about that.

“Listen,
Jade, it’s only getting hotter, so I’m going to go start my run. I just wanted
to let you know everything was okay.”

“I’m
glad. I really hope the next time you call, you tell me you’re on your way
home.”

“We’ll
see how it goes.” I roll my eyes, thankful she can’t see me.

The
second I step outside, I can feel the heat. It’s much hotter than the day I arrived.
Has it really been four days that I’ve been here? I tuck my phone into the
holder and strap it to my upper arm. The playlist I made for running has
already begun when my earphones reach my ears. After some stretching, I set out
down the main road. I’m not positive how long the road is, but I figure I’ll
just run to the front gate and back. If there aren’t too many people in the
pool, maybe I can sneak in a few laps. At least, that way, I’ll still be able
to get the exercise in without having heatstroke.

There
aren’t as many people out today as there were on Saturday. It is the middle of
the week, so they may be at work. Slow and steady, I make my way around the
bends in the road. With every stride, I feel more like the real me and less
like the moron who slept with her best friend to ignore her problems. I can’t
help but wonder how things will be between Jake and me when I go home. Will things
ever go back to the way they were? Only time will tell, I suppose. I’ve also
been contemplating some other stuff. Was it a good thing that my dad went to
talk to Evan? If he didn’t, how much longer would it have taken Evan to find
another reason to leave? The thought of him sleeping with other girls the
entire time we were together keeps trying to creep into my head, but that’s
somewhere I absolutely refuse to go. How could I have been so wrong about his
feelings? Maybe I wanted what I thought we had so damn bad, everything just
seemed perfect. Who knows?

Thank
goodness the front gate comes into view because it’s definitely a little too
hot to be running. I’ll have to wake up earlier tomorrow to beat the heat.
Henry catches my eye from his position in the booth and waves. I take a stab at
a smile and wave back before crossing over to the other side of the street to
start the second half of my run. On my way back to the house, I stop in the
small store to see what they have. Actually, it’s more to cool off and catch my
breath. Just in case, there’s always money in the pouch that holds my phone to
my arm. I grab a large bottle of water out of the refrigerated case and, since
I just so happen to stroll down the candy aisle, I also pick up a chocolate
bar. It defeats the purpose of running, but I haven’t gone shopping yet. I’ve
been living off of a bag of pretzels and a jar of honey roasted peanuts for the
last few days. When I take my items to the counter, the lady immediately puts
down her magazine to ring me up.

“Hello,
dear,” she says, smiling. Ginny, according to her name tag, picks up the
scanner to scan my items. “It’s awfully hot to be running out there.”

“It
is, so I’m cutting it short. I didn’t want to skip another day, though,” I
respond politely. The revving of a motorcycle engine makes me look outside. I
see someone get off of the bike, but the edge of the window prevents me from
seeing who it is. I roll my eyes, thinking how unnecessary making all that racket
is. What an asshole.

“That’s
just Luke. Ignore him. He always has to make a dramatic entrance,” she tells
me. “When he first got his bike two months ago, I used to jump every time he
did that.” I smile at her. “Anything else I can get you?”

“That’s
it.” Ginny gives me my total.

After
paying, I say goodbye and brace myself to walk back outside. It doesn’t take
long to gulp down almost half the water. I tuck the bottle under my arm and
gently tear open the wrapper of my candy. The sound of laughter prevents me
from devouring it on the spot. When I turn toward the sound, all I see is a guy
sitting on the bench, chuckling to himself. He’s wearing black boots, ripped
jeans, and a gray t-shirt. Most of his left arm is covered in tattoos. His face
is clean-shaven with a handsome smile, green eyes, and sunglasses on top of his
blond, buzzed hair. Both of his ears contain a diamond stud. I look away,
thinking he’s crazy.

I walk
down the steps in front of me. “Please tell me you didn’t run all that way in
this weather just so you could eat a small piece of chocolate,” a voice says
from behind me. I turn back around to see he left his place on the bench to
follow me. He’s now leaning his ass on the railing, crossing his arms over his
chest. His lopsided smile would be attractive if I wasn’t so in love with
someone else’s.

My
cockiness won’t allow me to ignore his comment. “Well, I certainly didn’t run
all that way to stand here and chat with you,” I respond. Wait, how does he
know how far I ran? I’m wise enough to walk away.

“I’ve
never seen you around before.” I say nothing this time and take another bite of
the creamy milk chocolate while continuing down the sidewalk and around the
parked cars. “Are you visiting someone?” Really? Can’t this guy take a hint?
“It’s too damn hot to be running. How about I give you a ride to wherever it is
you’re going?”

“No
way in hell,” slips out of my mouth.

“Are
you scared?” Glancing over my shoulder, I see his smile has widened. Isn’t this
just wonderful? Do all cute guys have to be so damn arrogant? “I understand why
you would be, but I assure you, safety is
always
my number one concern.”

My
eyes roll so hard, I almost knock myself off balance. “Scared? No. Annoyed?
Very.” By this point, my candy is gone. I toss the wrapper in the garbage and
drink more of my water. It’s still pretty full, so I can’t get rid of it yet.
Since I’ve already decided to walk rather than run back to the house, it won’t
be a problem to carry.

“Annoyed?
I can work with that,” he remarks. “How about lunch? We can even take my car so
you don’t have to get on the bike.”

A
memory of the first time Evan took me to lunch sends an electric shock straight
to my soul. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself I’m over him. That
will never happen. Without realizing it, I had stopped walking and zoned out.
He’s now standing in front of me. Wasn’t he just behind me?

“Does
eating lunch offend you or something?”

“No.
It’s just the last guy who asked me to lunch broke my heart,” I say softly.

“He’s
an idiot,” he murmurs, looking down at me.

The
sadness is a little harder to shake off than it should be, but I pretend to manage.
“Whatever. His loss.”

“Nice
attitude.” He grins at me. “I thought girls cried for days over that shit.” I
shrug. “So lunch is a bust. How about dinner? There’s this place a few miles
down the road. They don’t have chocolate bars on the menu, but I’m sure you
could find something else to eat that’s sugary and unhealthy.”

“No,
thank you.” I’m done talking to this guy. He stands aside for me to pass.

“I’m
Luke, by the way.”

“I
didn’t ask,” I call out. He doesn’t follow this time or try to talk to me
anymore. The motorcycle starts again and before I make it out of the parking
lot, it’s speeding past me. Good riddance.

I
cross the street to where the pool is. Surprisingly, no one is here. I unlatch
the gate and go in. It’s too tempting not to slip off my shoes and lower my
legs in. I place my socks and shoes next to the pool and sit down on the edge. The
water is warm, yet refreshing. It feels good to dip my arms in and rinse the
sweat off. There’s just something so comforting about watching the way the
ripples roll along the surface of the water every time I move. My eyes follow
the small waves until they crash into the wall on the opposite side of the
pool. Thoughts of home run through my head. It isn’t possible to hide here
forever, no matter how appealing it sounds. There’s a lot of work I still need
to finish before the new school year starts in a little over a month.
Just a
few more days
.

A
little bit later, I’m cutting across the last circle of the complex. I’ve
decided to take a shower, find a store to get some food before I starve to
death, and take my laptop down to the pool to work on some things. A nice,
peaceful, quiet afternoon to relax and think of anything except why I’m here.
As I pass by the brown house, I hear Addison’s neighbor calling my name. When I
look up to say hello, the same black, brand new motorcycle I had seen at the
convenience store is parked in Debbie’s driveway. What’s worse is the guy who
owns it is standing right beside her, a smug look on his face. Son. Of. A.
Bitch.   

Kacie

Without
being too obvious, I’m standing in the middle of the road, trying to come up
with an excuse not to go over there. Nothing comes to mind that isn’t
completely rude. Damn it. The sound of birds chirping echoes around me as I
stroll over to where Debbie and Luke are waiting. Stupid, happy birds. The
closer I get to them, the bigger Luke’s smile becomes. Subsequently, the urge
to punch him in the face also increases. Weird. Debbie opens her trunk and
starts to pull out plastic bags. She must have just returned from the store and
Luke came out to help carry the stuff inside. What a gentleman.

“Good
morning,” Debbie says. “How have your first few days in Hilton Head been? I
haven’t seen you since you got here.” Is she asking to be polite, or did
Addison tell her a little more than she should have?

“Everything
is great. I’ve been busy trying to get some work done. There aren’t nearly as
many distractions here as there are at home. It’s a good thing I came.”

Luke
reaches over to take the bags she’s holding. Debbie smiles. “Oh, Kacie. This is
my son, Luke.” Her son? Fabulous.

“We
met this morning down at the store,” I admit.

He
chuckles. “Kacie runs so she can eat chocolate,” he jokes. He’s very fortunate
his mother is standing here.

“Luke!”
she snaps at him. He’s unaffected by her reprimand, though. “I’m sorry my son
was so rude.”

“I
never let anyone’s arrogance bother me,” I say with a smile. “It was nice to
see you again, Debbie.” I back away from them, purposely only making eye
contact with her.

“Have
a nice day, dear.” Luckily, she doesn’t offer to have me over for a meal this
time. I wouldn’t have been able to lie so well with Luke glaring at me like
that.

Feeling
more comfortable from across the street, I happen to glance over to see Luke
still standing next to his mother’s car. Unfortunately, he catches me as I go
to close the door. He’s no longer wearing his smug look. My anger subsides but,
somehow, the door still slams shut.

In the
foyer, I kick off my shoes and unstrap my phone from my arm. No one has tried
to contact me the whole time I was out for my run, which is a relief. Before
switching it off, I use one of the apps to find the closest grocery store.
Looking at the map, it doesn’t appear too difficult to get to but, just in
case, I jot down the address to put into the GPS. You never know with me.

A cool
shower and another handful of peanuts later, I’m more than ready to find the
store, and maybe even some place that serves french fries. I lock up, then head
down the walkway and toward the driveway. One good thing about being on my own
is how often I get to drive my car. With my attention focused on typing in the
address on the screen, and the background noise of the top lowering on the car,
the shadow of someone standing at the passenger door scares the shit out of me.

“Jesus
Christ!” I shout. “What the hell is
wrong
with you?” He finds my
reaction hysterical. I’m so glad I am keeping him amused today.

“It’s
not my fault you can’t play with your fancy car and know what’s going on around
you at the same time.” The jerk winks.

I
sigh. “What do you want, Luke? I’m trying to leave.”

“I see
that,” he mocks me again. Why the hell is he leaning on my car? “Want company?”

“No,”
I answer shortly.

“Kacie,
stop being so damn stubborn. You have no idea where you’re going.”

“I
made it all the way here from Tampa in my
fancy
car. I’m pretty sure she
can lead me to a store.”

“Fine.”
He pushes off of my car door. “Don’t call me when you get lost.” I wait until
he’s halfway home before pulling out. His pouting has no effect on me.
Hopefully, that’ll make him stay the hell away.

Not
only is finding the store a piece of cake, there also happens to be a place to
grab something for lunch in the same shopping center. Who needs a guy? I order
a grilled chicken salad, an iced tea and, because I have no willpower
whatsoever, a large order of fries. Strictly for the sake of being alone, I sit
at a table all the way in the corner of the restaurant. Resisting the urge to
start shoveling food in sucks when you’re starving. I take my time cutting up
the chicken and lettuce into bite-sized chunks. As the first forkful is about
to enter my mouth, someone falls into the chair on the opposite side of the
table. My eyes immediately shift to the intruder.

“You’ve
got
to be fucking kidding me!” I screech when Luke comes into my line of
vision.

“I see
now how we got off on the wrong foot,” he starts. “That might have been my
fault.”

“Might
have been?” I reply sarcastically.

Luke
smiles. “If
you
want to take the blame…” A nasty look gets thrown his
way. “Okay, okay,” he surrenders. “I’m sorry for laughing at you about the
candy. It’s just funny to me how someone who looks as good as you would stop in
the middle of exercising to grab chocolate.”

“If
you must know, smartass, today was the first time I did that. It was more
because, over the last few days, my diet has consisted of only pretzels and
peanuts. I was desperate to break the monotony,” I confess before finally
getting the first bite into my mouth.

“Why
have you only been eating pretzels and peanuts?” he asks curiously.

“Those
were the only two things in the house.” This salad just may be the best thing I
ever tasted. Seriously. Luke reaches for my fries and I smack the back of his
hand. “Don’t…touch,” I grumble.

“Damn
woman!” He shakes his hand. “You really haven’t left the house since Saturday?”

“Is
there a reason you’re sitting here annoying the shit out of me? Don’t you have
anything better to do?”

“Give
me a fry and I’ll tell you,” Luke says. I stop chewing what’s in my mouth,
contemplating how much I really care about what he has to do. I suppose if it
will keep him from asking about me, I’ll let him talk. Picking through the
basket, I pull out the smallest one I can find and hand it over. He eats it in
one bite. “Monday morning, Addison called. My mom wasn’t home, so I answered.
She was really worried about you. I told her I’d check on you and get back to
her, so I went over and knocked on the door. When you didn’t answer, I texted
Addison to see if she wanted me to use the key we have to go in. She told me
no. You were dealing with shit and to let you be for the moment.”

“I
never heard knocking,” I say, trying to think back. Addie didn’t say anything
about someone else having a key.

“It’s
none of my business, but I’m sorry for whatever happened with the dude who sent
you running. I’m sure the dumb bastard is sitting at home, kicking himself for
letting you go.” Luke earns another fry for that one. He smiles. “Addison asked
me to make sure you have a good time while you’re here. What do you like to
do?”

“Do
you always drop everything in your life for whatever Addison tells you to do?”

He
shrugs. “Addie was there for me when I needed a friend, so if she asks for a
favor, yes.”

I
slide the order of fries in the middle of us. “I’m actually much better today.
You don’t have to babysit me. Thanks anyway.”

“Do
you want to talk about it?” I look over at him like he’s crazy. “Talking about
shit makes girls feel better, right? Maybe an outsider’s neutral opinion will
help.”

“I’m
not like that, but thanks for the offer.” He nods once. “What’s up with you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.
Do you work? Go to school? Play with motorcycles all day? Wait around for
Addison Morgan to call and ask for favors?”

“I
keep busy.” I have no right to push him to talk since I didn’t offer anything,
either. Luke is looking out of the window in deep thought. A minute or two
passes before he stands up. “I have to run. You know where to find me if you
change your mind and want that babysitter.” He’s gone quicker than he appeared.
That was a tad shady.

I
finish my lunch in silence, but my mind keeps spinning. Not only did Luke avoid
answering me, he got all weird and took off. Was it something I said? He barely
ate any fries. A guy who doesn’t devour fries when given the chance?
Interesting. I suppose we all have our secrets. Addison would probably tell me
what’s up with him, but I’ll respect his privacy the same way he did mine.

The
rest of the afternoon flies by without any other surprise visits from Luke. My
trip to the grocery store is uneventful. Having fresh fruit available feels
like a luxury. Once I put away the few things I bought, I literally sneak out
to the pool. I peer out of three windows, checking to see if Luke’s bike is
around before stepping foot outside. Swimming makes me a little homesick. I
miss my pool and being able to look out to see my garden. There’s a man and his
granddaughter playing in the shallow end. Hearing the little girl laugh reminds
me of the work I have left to do. My classroom is pretty much ready for the
first day of school, except for a few minor things. Between what I had from
student teaching and what the other first grade teacher from Shining Stars
shared with me, my lesson plans are well on their way. There are still some
things I need to look over before a meeting with Dr. Kelly, which is at the end
of next week.

Walking
back to the house is a bit trickier than leaving because there is no way for me
to spy before going down the street. The black motorcycle is parked in its
spot, but there’s no sign of Luke.

I spend
the early part of the evening sorting through my email and trying to stay awake
while reading policies and procedures. When my eyes threaten to close for the
rest of the night, I shut down my laptop and take a beer out to the deck. At
first, I lean on the railing overlooking the water. It’s much calmer than the
bay behind my house. No boats to watch. No best friends coming over to make you
laugh. No daisies to remind me of Gram and all the wonderful times we had
together. No swing to sit on as the sun goes down and the stars come out.
That’s when I realize that it’s time to go home. This is not where I belong.

Content
with my decision to leave after breakfast tomorrow morning, I settle into the chair
to wait for the stars. There’s probably something to watch on TV, but I’d
rather relax where it’s quiet. My mind begins to drift to thoughts of Evan. We’re
bound to run into each other again. What will I say? How do I act? Do I ever
bring up what I heard on the boat? However, the bigger problem is Jake. How do
you avoid the guy next door who visits your house as part of his daily routine?
Will he still come over? What if he doesn’t? Torturing myself isn’t doing any
good. Shit happens in life. I have to suck it up and learn to deal with it.

My
beer is empty, so I drag myself inside to get another one. As I open the
refrigerator, I hear knocking at the front door. That can only be one person.
At least he didn’t scare me this time. I open up the door and Luke holds out
his phone.

“For
you,” he says.

Opening
the door wider, I take it from him as he comes in. “Hello?”

“Hey,
Kacie,” Noah says. “How are you?”

“Much
better, thanks.”

“Are
you only saying that so I don’t worry?”

“No.
Actually, I decided to come home tomorrow,” I inform him.

“Really?”
He sounds surprised.

“Yeah.
I’m going to leave after breakfast. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m back in
Tampa. Maybe I’ll even turn my phone back on.”

“You
just made my bad day a hell of a lot better.” I hear him relax. “Do you want to
stay with Addie and me for a bit? You don’t have to rush home.”

“I’ll
come visit this weekend if you’ll be around, but I need to sleep in my own
bed.”

“I
understand. Be careful driving and don’t forget to call when you get in.”

“Thanks
for being on my side, even if I’m the one who messed up.”

“From
now on, you can always count on me to be on your side. I wasn’t always there
when I should have been. I didn’t open my mouth when I had the chance. I never
stopped shit from happening to you. I’m so sorry.”

“Noah,
don’t apologize.”

“We’ll
talk about it when I see you. Please thank Luke for walking over there. Don’t
stay up so late that you are too tired to drive.”

“Okay.
Good night.”

“Good
night.”

I give
Luke back his phone. “Noah says thank you.”

He
nods. “So you’re going home?”

“I
can’t hide out here forever.”

“I
guess not.” Luke shoves his phone into his pocket. “My friend is having a party
tonight. Want to come?”

“I’m
going to just hang out here so I can go to bed early. It’s a long drive to
Tampa.”

“Addison
is going to be pissed when she hears I wasn’t very good at keeping you
entertained.”

I let
out a small laugh. “How about you stay and have a beer before you go to the
party? Then I’ll be able to tell her you did your job.”