The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (23 page)

Something changed in me that day.  I looked at this man who was supposed to be my father and saw him for what he truly was, pathetic and unworthy.  I didn’t get upset, I didn’t even get mad.  I became empowered.  I took action, something my mother was never strong enough to do.

I called my aunt and uncle, whom I admire and respect immensely, and asked them to pick me up.  I packed enough clothes to last a week.  With their support, I called my mother at work and informed her that I would not be returning home.  Eventually, after a few weeks, my father left and I returned home.  I’m still to this day not sure why he left.  I don’t know if my mother asked him to leave, or if he just got bored again.  It doesn’t matter.  I took control of my own life at that moment, and I decided that I would never become like my mother, weak and powerless. 

My last year in college, I came dangerously close to living a life I swore I would never allow.  David was someone I thought I could build a life with.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It happened slowly, so slowly that I didn’t even notice at the time, but I can see now how many similarities there are between David and my father.  To the outside world, David was fun-loving and an all-around nice guy, just like my father.  But behind closed doors, he became pensive, dark and brooding.  My moods started changing based on David’s moods.  I stopped making decisions and instead let his frame of mind dictate our activities. 

It was my mother who finally spoke up about it.  She shared with me something I didn’t know.  She never liked David, not one bit.  She didn’t trust him and she didn’t like the direction our relationship was headed.  But because of her self-doubt, she never told me, not until I voiced my own concerns first.  She knew I would come to my own conclusions eventually and was afraid that if she shared her fears, it would only propel me towards him rather than away.

Easter is only two days away.  I think talking it through with her will help clarify things for me.  It’s liberating knowing that I don’t have to make a decision right now.  I can feel relief wash over me and I am no longer weighed down with this heavy burden.

Time to head home.

I allow myself to think about the possibility of forgiving Evan.  I send him a text to thank him for the flowers and to ask for the one thing I need above all else.  Time.

J
ust like last Friday, it’s only Emmy and me working the lunch shift on the patio.  I’m stocking the reach-in cooler as Emmy arrives.  “Jette, you look so much better.  Did you and Evan work things out?” 

“No, Emmy, we didn’t.  He really hurt me and that’s not something I can just ignore.” 

“You’re crazy.  He is sooooo yummy.”  I can tell she’s fantasizing about Evan.  If I decide to take him back, that’s something I guess I’ll have to get used to.

Most of the schools are closed today for Good Friday, and the boardwalk is filled with families.  Season tickets for the boardwalk rides went on sale today at a discount price, bringing lots of customers to the boardwalk for lunch.  Since the majority of our guests are young mothers and small children, not many cocktails are being ordered today. 

“So, Emmy, any plans tonight?  Want to do something?”  I really don’t want to be alone tonight.

“Yeah, why don’t you come hang with us at Grant’s?  I’ll send Marcus a text.  We can get the whole gang together.”

“Actually, that sounds perfect.  I have some champagne cupcakes for Camilla to sample.  Mind if I bring them?”  I meant to call her yesterday, but things didn’t go exactly as planned.

“You know, if you’re serious about breaking up with Evan, I know someone else who would jump at the chance –“

“Emmy, please.  Not now.”

A young couple catches my eye as they wander out onto the patio.  They are a few years older than me, but not by many.  The wife is pregnant, very pregnant in fact.  She sits at a table looking out onto the ocean.  Her husband is doting on her and it’s adorable.  Once his wife is seated, he helps remove her sweater and puts his arm around the back of her chair.  Then, it happens.  He starts to caress her back, making tiny circles along her bare shoulders.  Memories of dinner with Evan flood my thoughts.  I can feel his hands on my shoulders, tracing the same tiny circles and making my heart beat faster. 

Emmy notices my melancholy.  “You miss him, don’t you?”  I nod my head.  “You could invite him, too.  The guys would be psyched if Big Mac showed up.”

“Emmy, please stop thinking about him as a football star.  Please?  He’s just my ex-boyfriend.  One that hurt me, a lot.” 

“You’re right.  I’m sorry.  But there was a whole month last year when his picture was splayed across my computer screen.”

“Excuse me?”

“Desktop wallpaper.  Right now every time I turn on my computer, Ian Somerhalder is there waiting for me, smiling.”

Two hours later our shift ends, and I’m making my way out to my car.  Waiting for me on my windshield is a flower.  It’s a single red rose wrapped in plastic – the kind you could buy at a gas station.  It doesn’t feel like something Evan would do.  I throw the car in drive and take off.  This time, no one follows me.

I come home and lock all the doors, check all the windows, and close the curtains.  I can’t call Evan.  He’ll come right over and I’m not ready for that.  Calling Auggie is a possibility, but suppose he’s with a client?  He would drop everything and come home, I know it.  Derek is off today.  It’s probably best if I give him a call and ask him to come pick me up.

“Hi Derek, it’s Jette.  Are you busy?”

“No, not at all.  What do you need?”

“Well, I was wondering if you could come over and pick me up.  I found something on my windshield, and I’m a little freaked out.  Do you mind?”

“I’m on my way.  I’ll be there in five minutes.  Sit tight.”  In less than five minutes, Derek is standing on my front porch.  Maddy starts barking like crazy.  I unlock the door and invite Derek in.  Maddy won’t stop barking.

“Derek, have a seat, I’m going to put the dog in Auggie’s room.  I’ll be right back.”  I grab a bowl of water and take Maddy by the collar.  Once I shut the door, she jumps onto Auggie’s bed and calms down.

“Sorry about that.  She really doesn’t like men.”  There is one man she liked other than Auggie.

“That’s OK.  Go get ready.  I’ll be fine.  Mind if I turn on the television?”

I hand him the remote.  “Here you go.  There’s a six-pack in the fridge and some bottled water if you’re thirsty.  Help yourself.”

Quickly, I gather a change of clothes and hop into the shower.  I feel slightly uncomfortable showering with Derek in the next room, so I make it a quick shower.  When I exit the bathroom, I am completely dressed, but my hair’s in a towel.  I stick my head in the living room to check on Derek.

“Give me ten more minutes.  I have to dry my hair and put on some make up.  Do you need anything?”

“Nope, I’m good.  Take your time.”  He has a beer in his hand, but other than that, it doesn’t appear he’s moved since I left him to shower.  He’s sitting on my couch looking comfortable and at ease.  I head into my room to dry my hair. 

This is a glimpse of what my life would be like without Evan.  It’s a good life.  But I don’t want good.  I don’t want good enough.  I want amazing.

D
erek and I arrive at his house and the gang’s all here: Marcus and Camilla, Grant and Emmy, and now Derek and me.  I sit back to observe the easiness they all have around one another.  Emmy and Camilla are talking wedding plans and the boys are all talking about basketball.  Apparently it’s nearing the end of March Madness and the Jayhawks aren’t doing as well as Marcus had predicted.

Everyone is talking over and around one another until Emmy speaks up.  “Come on, girls.  Let’s go taste some wedding cupcakes.”  Emmy leads us back into the kitchen where we busy ourselves around the table.

Camilla has brought with her a pitcher of Pomegranate Margaritas and Emmy is holding three glasses.  While the girls prepare our drinks, I fish around the kitchen and find three small plates and some forks.  I serve our desserts and anxiously await their response.

“Oh my God, Jette, this is delicious!” Camilla announces.  I’m so relieved that she likes them.

“These are champagne flavored.  I can make some Prosecco flavored cupcakes instead if you want to try.”  We chat a little about various liquor flavors we could experiment with.  Emmy wants me to make a coconut and rum flavored cupcake, and Camilla decides she’d like to try a mojito cupcake.  It looks like I have a lot of experimental baking to do.  It will be good to keep busy.

“Jette, can I ask you about Evan McGuire?” Camilla asks.  I nod and she continues.  “What’s he like?  I mean, he’s so ... wow!  Is he like that in real life?”

“You know who he is, too, Camilla?  God, I feel like such an idiot.”

“Jette, you have to realize, I grew up with three brothers.  Every one of them plays football.  My younger brother, Mateo, still goes to UMD.  When they heard rumors of Evan being traded to the Sentinels, it’s all they’ve been talking about.”

“Really?  What do they say about him?  I only know one side of him.  That part of him, the public side, I really don’t know anything about.” 

“They idolize him.  He can’t do anything wrong in their eyes.  Part of it is because he’s really good.  He was in the running for the Heisman Trophy in college.  But part of it is his social life.  Are you sure you want me to go on?”

“Yeah, I think I need to hear this.”  I finish my margarita and Emmy pours me a refill.

“Well, he’s been photographed with some really beautiful and famous women.  He’s never with any of them for very long, though.  It’s like he’s living every man’s dream – football, fame, and fortune.”

“The man I know is completely different.  That guy sounds like a jerk.  The Evan I know is kind, caring, and ... perfect.”  The girls encourage me to go on, so I try to put our relationship into words.

“He’s romantic. I mean really romantic.  And thoughtful.  He gave me flowers three separate times already.  The first time he did, it came with a riddle for me to solve.  Did you know that different flowers have different meanings?  He can just send me a flower and I can read his intention behind the gift.  So far, I’ve gotten daisies which represent hope, a single tulip that means affection and caring, and hyacinths that ask for forgiveness.”

“Damn, Jette.  Do you have any idea how lucky you are?  He does sound perfect.  But is he, you know, good in bed?  A lot of these athletes take steroids.  It really screws with their, you know ...” Emmy holds up one finger, then slowly relaxes it until it’s limp in her hand.  We start giggling like school girls.

“Um, no.  That is most definitely
not
an issue here.”  I can feel myself blush with embarrassment, and with a little lust.

Emmy adds, “He’s not hard to look at, either.”

“No, he’s not.”  My mind wanders over his body, starting with his dimples, moving across his shoulders, and dwelling a little longer than I should on that sexy v-cut in his hips.  But there’s also something sexy about Evan when he’s completely dressed, all except for those damn bare feet.

“I don’t get it.  He’s hot, good in bed, a real romantic, and he sounds completely devoted to you.  Why aren’t you with him right now, this very minute?”  Now Camilla is sounding a lot like Emmy.

“He lied to me.  He told me his name was Evan Thomas.  I had no idea who he really was.  How can I ever really truly trust him?”

“Jette, put yourself in his position.  You find someone you’re crazy about and you get to start a relationship with a clean slate.”  Camilla finishes her margarita slowly, and then looks directly at me.  “I’m guessing that a lot of his relationships, if you can call them that, were purely based on fantasy.  Girls are drawn to him for either the fame or fortune.  You weren’t interested in either one.  You wanted
him
.  Besides, look what happened when you did find out.  You ran.”