All That Remains (27 page)

Jase pulls the jersey away from his body and flashes it in front of her dad as she goes on about the signatures. Her dad’s face goes a little pale as he looks at proof that, if nothing else, Jules now keeps in contact with one Rutledge.

“You know Stuart sent me a signed hat, but this is way cooler than that.” He sits back down to eat and her mother tells him to take the shirt off so it doesn’t get dirty, but Jules barely hears that. All she hears is how Stuart sent a signed hat.

Not bothering to ask to be excused, she pushes away from the table and walks out to the back porch. The click of the door opening and closing doesn’t surprise her at all and she whirls around on her dad, wanting to get the first words in.

“Why would Stuart send Jase a hat? I mean, he liked Jase alright when we were together, but he barely talked to him. He wouldn’t do it out of the kindness of his heart, dad.”

“Juliet…”

“Why!”

“There is no need to shout at me, young lady. Since it bothers you so much, I’ll tell you. I told you last year I used to talk with his dad about games. I called Stuart to wish him good luck when the season started. He’s a hell of a player, Jules, and he still asks about you, you know.”

She almost chokes on her ire at that comment. “I’m sorry, he still asks? So you talk to him a lot?”

He must realize he’s made a mistake in bringing it up and he softens his tone. “A few times, not a lot. He’s a good young man, with a lot of promise.”

“Oh my God,” She moans, running her hands through her hair angrily. “As opposed to West?”

“What the -”

“I mean, that’s what you’re saying here, right, daddy?” she laughs and walks past her father and into the kitchen where Jase and her mom are sitting still.

Her mom looks at her angry face and tells Jase to go upstairs. Jules stands there and nods to Jase as he leaves the kitchen.

“Why don’t you tell me what West Rutledge has to do with me talking to Stuart?” her father asks calmly once they hear Jase’s door close upstairs.

Jules laughs in disbelief at her father’s obtuseness. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

She stands angrily behind her chair, her fingers gripping the back until her knuckles are white, and she watches her father.

“Wouldn’t find out what, honey?”

“Really, mother?” she spits the words out in complete disgust, and her mom winces.

“She doesn’t know,” her dad says softly, his hands going into his pockets.

“I don’t know what? What are you two talking about?”

Jules feels relief rush through her knowing her mother didn’t lie to her all this time.

“Priceless, daddy. I’m amazed that you’ve kept in touch with my ex-boyfriend for over a year. The one I clearly didn’t love and was over, but you sent the man I loved and
needed
away. What a touching display of love you have for your only daughter.”

“Juliet Marie Blacklin, do not speak to your father that way. Your father loves you.”

“I’m not sure I want that kind of love, momma,” she says dismissively, spinning on her foot to leave.

“Don’t you walk away!” her father shouts. “You don’t understand the ins and outs of it all. What did his brother tell you?”

“His brother?”

“Obviously you talk to Austin, since you gave Jase his jersey. It makes sense you would know him, but -”

“But nothing, daddy. I didn’t get my information from Austin. I got it from West.”

Her mother presses her hand to her chest as her face exhibits shock at hearing West’s name, but it’s her father’s demeanor that is truly interesting. His eyes go wide and his mouth opens and closes as he works to say something.

“Don’t tell me you really thought we’d never talk? Did you think I could love someone that much and then let him go without a word? Without closure?” Her eyes tear up as she looks at her father’s face and her mother steps to her side, putting a hand on her arm.

“
He
went to West’s father,” she tells her mother saying ‘he’ like it’s a dirty word. She rounds on her father as her mother’s face falls. “You went to him, without my knowledge, and you convinced him to send West away. You convinced him West needed help. You made West think he was to blame for everything. EVERYTHING!” She screams, stepping back from her mom and standing in front of her father. “I am the one who ran away that night. I lied to West, told him you guys were fine. I begged him to tell me where he was. He wasn’t to blame that night.”

“Jules, you had changed so much. You were moody and you came home smelling of alcohol more than once. You never behaved that way with Stuart.”

“My best friend was killed by a damn tornado! I lost my school. I almost died! I had nightmares every single night. You think West is to blame for all that, too? West is the only reason I got through those months. The only one. And then you ripped him away from me.”

Her father’s face drains of color with every point Jules makes.

“Is this true Jim?” her mother asks, her voice full of hurt and accusation. “How could you do that to your daughter?”

“I thought I was protecting her.”

“You know what? I could actually, someday, possibly accept that as truth. Except for one thing, dad. You lied to me. You lied to me for months. You could have fixed it all and told me the truth, but instead you swept it under the rug and hoped you’d never have to address it again.” She shakes her head and looks at her mother. “I’m going to my room for the night.”

Her parents spend the night fighting while Jules spends the night playing with Jase.

* * *

After spending the early part of the day at Jase’s baseball game and then at lunch, they get ready and Jules takes Jase trick-or-treating Saturday night. When they return to the house, Jules tells him she is taking what she calls ‘a customary five-percent babysitting fee’ out of his candy. Jase protests how he didn’t need her to babysit, telling her she should pay him instead for allowing her to trail along. In the end, she gets her cut as they sit on the floor and sort through the large pile.

The time spent with Jase helps alleviate the anger she has worked up throughout the day. Her phone rang off the hook all afternoon with updates from Mindy on West’s first play-off game, each call making Jules angry that she’d skipped such a huge moment for him to come home and fight with her parents. Her dad tried to approach her twice and she’d rebuffed his advances. Her mother attempted to have a conversation, as well, but there was nothing she could say to help the situation.

It’s nearly eleven Saturday night when she walks into the living room and sits on the chair in the corner without a word. Her mom is reading a book and her dad is watching sports highlights. Upon her taking a seat, he mutes the television and waits.

“West and I are back together.” They sit there with blank faces and she continues on. “I know you have to know he’s playing ball again, and I imagine you know he won his playoff game today. I came here, instead of watching a huge moment in his life. I won’t do that again. I want to make that clear. I love him, and you either support us or you don’t. That’s up to you, but I want you to know he comes first in my life now.”

Her dad sits forward on the edge of his chair. “Honey, you are nineteen years old.”

“We were nineteen when we met,” her mother says quietly, and Jules gives her a small grateful smile as she sets her book down and sits up.

“Sure, but we didn’t have the baggage -”

Jules stands up, putting her foot down on the conversation. “I’m not arguing this with you, daddy. What you did to me and to West is unforgivable. I’m struck with the thought that had it been Stuart, you’d have hugged him and consoled him that night, instead of giving him the cold shoulder and then blaming him for everything. I wanted you to know where I stand. I’m leaving around six in the morning.” She walks to her mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek before stepping back and looking at them both. “I’m dying to get back to my boyfriend and congratulate him on his success.”

The next morning, she is surprised when her mother walks into the kitchen as she’s filling a coffee mug to go.

“You didn’t have to get up to say good-bye.”

“Of course I did, darling.” She hugs Jules tightly. “Please tell West I am sorry for what your father did. Tell him I am proud of him.”

“Thank you, momma, I will. He loves me so much. You know that, right?”

“Oh, baby, I know he does. I knew it last year; I saw it on his face every time he looked at you. Your daddy will come around. He’s being stubborn. Drive carefully. I love you, baby girl. Even though you’re not a baby anymore.”

“I will, and I’ll always be your little girl.” She smiles at her mom, hugging her once more. “I love you, too.”

Jules wants to ask her mom why she didn’t step in last year when West left, why she didn’t talk to him or his father and make sure they knew he wasn’t to blame. She wants to ask her, but she doesn’t. The truth doesn’t matter so much anymore. Her parents know where she stands and West is waiting back at school for her to come home. Everything is as it should be now.

* * *

Three hours later, Jules strips off her jeans grabs one of his tee shirts and climbs into West’s bed with a deep sigh of peace.

“Mmmm, hey, baby,” he groans, bringing her into his side as she wiggles under the covers.

“Shhh, sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?” he asks sleepily, kissing the top of her head. His hand skims across her hip, causing her skin to break out in goose bumps.

“It’s only nine. I missed you.” Jules kisses his neck. “Now sleep.”

Thirty-Two

Jules

The days start to fly by as the air finally turns cooler. To Jules’ surprise, her mother calls her and asks where West’s next play-off game is, saying that she and Jase want to show up to cheer him on. Jules doesn’t ask about her father, and tries to pretend it doesn’t hurt that he won’t be there, but it does. West’s team wins the South West Division Championship, all but, securing him a spot on A&M’s roster next season.

Even with the regular season now complete, West and Jules stick to their weekend only dating rule as West continues to have daily football practices. Freemont has one last game to play, either a bowl game or the National Championship, they just have to wait two weeks for final rankings of all the other teams.

“Do you have a sec?” Cassie asks the day before Thanksgiving while Jules is studying alone in her room.

“Of course.”

“I wanted to tell you, I’m sorry about the library.” She sits on the edge of Jules’ bed and smiles hopefully at Jules.

Up until now, both Austin and Cassie have avoided talking to Jules about their strange confrontation that night on the ball field. Austin told her Cassie isn’t studying at the library anymore, but he didn’t elaborate what had happened between them previously. She looks at Cassie sitting before her now and decides to let her two friends confide in her when they are ready.

“It’s fine. I’m sorry I pushed you,” she says, sending her a smile.

Cassie looks down at the hem of her shirt and tugs at a loose string. “He’s not a bad guy, is he?” she half-states and half-asks the question.

The desire to prod her suite mate for information plagues her. “Not at all. I mean, he’s not a saint by any means, but he’s a great guy. He’s super smart, too. I was shocked when I figured that out.”

Cassie smiles at that. “Imagine that, a jock with brains.”

“Right?”

The girls share a light laugh before Cassie gets up to pack.

“Jess mentioned you are going to Tyler with her for Thanksgiving. She’s going to give you a tour of our old stomping grounds.” Jules teases, trying to keep the mood light whenever she talks about Cassie’s mother, Gwen.

“Yeah, apparently Gwen decided to take a little cruise with her boyfriend instead of having me come home.” She waves her hand dismissively, letting Jules know she is fine with the end results.

The situation with Cassie and her mother makes Jules reconsider her own weekend plans. After some heavy thinking, she calls home to tell her mom she’s planning to celebrate the holiday with West and his family instead of coming home. West begs her to reconsider, arguing the need to forgive her father, but she stands firm.

* * *

On Thanksgiving day she is surprised when she is helping Mindy set the table at the house and her mother and brother walk into the house, followed by her dad.

She eyes West, who looks guilty, as Mindy whisks her mother and brother into the kitchen and Jules hears Carson asking Jase to play corn hole in the back yard.

“What are you doing here?” Jules asks her dad as she goes back to setting the silverware.

“I came to apologize. To both of you, Jules,” he says sincerely.

Jules laughs angrily, displeased at the surprise entrance of her family. “Oh really? Good luck,” she replies sarcastically, setting a spoon down with a little extra force.

West rounds the table and stills her hands, sending her an encouraging glance, “Baby, just listen to him, for me. Please?”

Jules takes a deep breath and turns, crossing her arms over her middle as she faces her father for the first time in weeks.

“Honey, I know now I didn’t handle things the right way. You have to understand where I’m coming from, as your father. Forget all of the issues you were having by that point and my worry about your behavior, and consider that night. You ran out after you were told no, you went to a party where you and West both drank, and then you got into a car. I know what happened after that wasn’t West’s fault. But, back then, I couldn’t think clearly. I walked into that ER in the middle of the night to find West covered in your blood and being told they were doing everything they could to save you.” His voice cracks slightly and the blood rushes to Jules’ face as her eyes water.

“It was the second time in only a few months where I thought I’d lost you and I was angry. I couldn’t be angry at God, so I got angry at West. I know it was wrong, but when I saw you… I flipped, sweetheart.”