Captured Love (8 page)

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Jason sighed before returning to the main topic. “Ryan, it’s been a long time. You should at least try to get over it.” I took a deep breath and leaned back in the seat. “I just saw your sister. Actually, we even spoke. Two sentences, I guess, but still.”

“What? How come?”

“Apparently, she got a job at Alan’s office and he’s the sponsor of the Habit for Humanity site I’m working at. She came to talk to the supervisor.”

I could picture Jason pacing wherever he was. “How was it?”

“I’m not sure.” She had looked pissed, sad, but most of all, she wanted to stay away from me. “Bad, I think.”

“And how are you about this?”

“Bad.” A sad chuckle escaped my lips.

“Quite frankly, I never thought I would see her again. And it hurts.”

“Ah, man. Okay, you know what? I’m gonna call the guys and we’re gonna meet at 129/504

The Pub and drink some beers, play pool, throw some darts.”

Why did my friends care so much? I was a bad influence. They shouldn’t want to be with me. I sighed. “I appreciate the offer, but you don’t want my company right now.

Go ride with the guys, and we’ll go to The Pub tomorrow. Okay? Bye.”

I turned the cell phone off before Jason could say anything else.

I wasn’t good company right now. I wasn’t good company ever.

Chapter Seven

Jessica

I stared at the big flower bouquet on the dining table. Beautiful pink lilies and, among them, a bright red card in the shape of a heart. It was here when I arrived home from work. With a big smile, Mama told me the delivery guy brought it that morning.

I tried throwing them away, but Mama wouldn’t let me.

“Don’t you dare¸” she said. “Even if you don’t like this Gavin, I won’t let you throw away such beautiful flowers.” She tended to them as if Papa had given them to her on their anniversary. “Besides, he must really like you.”

But I didn’t like him. And it hurt me, the fact that I had unknowingly made him fall in love with me. If I had paid attention, I 131/504

would have noticed it and I would have put an end to our relationship much sooner.

After dinner, Mama made me promised I wouldn’t do anything to the flowers. Only after I agreed did she retire to her bedroom.

I slouched on the couch, my feet on the coffee table, and texted Kristin. I was past midnight, but I knew she was a night owl.

Me:
Gavin sent flowers.

Kristin:
Really? That’s cute.

Me:
No, not cute. That’s wrong. He’s
supposed to forget me.

Kristin:
But he’s in loooooove.

Me:
Keep that up and I won’t text you
for the rest of the summer.

Kristin:
Okay, okay, I’m done.

After a minute, she sent another text.

Kristin:
Did he send a card?

Me:
Yes. It says, “I miss you. Love,
Gavin.”

Kristin:
Aw, that’s cute.

Me:
Kristin!

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Kristin:
Okay, okay.

My phone’s screen change from the text app to Gavin’s picture and the ring of my phone filled the room.

Me:
He’s calling.

Kristin:
Then answer.

Me:
I don’t know what to say to him.

Kristin:
Just thank him for the flowers.

I could do that, right? I could be polite and thank him for the flowers. Nothing else.

If he tried talking about us, I could steer the topic back to safe waters.

Just as I made up my mind to answer, the ringing stopped.

I let out a long breath, part of me relieved and part of me feeling guilty for being so bitchy. Damn, it wasn’t my intention. If I had known how deep his feelings were …

Frustrated, I shot up, burst into the kitchen, grabbed a cracker packet and the jar of honey, and sat at the table. If I was going to 133/504

be irritated, better with lots of sugar in my veins.

I let some honey drip onto a cracker and took it to my mouth, but froze when I saw the back door open. It was late and the house was dark. Jesus, what if someone had broken in?

I scrambled to the porch and found Jason seated on the swing with Luna, looking at the stars.

“What are you doing up at this hour?” he asked.

After grabbing my honey and crackers from inside, I sat on one of the chairs around the wooden table. “What are you doing
here
at this hour? It’s Friday night. Aren’t you supposed to be out and about?” He shrugged. “I’m getting too old for that.”

I laughed. “Yeah, right.”

His head tilted and his eyes narrowed at me. “You just laughed.”

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I closed my mouth and spread honey on a cracker. “And? I can’t laugh?”

“Well, I’ve been home for a week and you’ve been avoiding me. We’ve barely exchanged a few words.”

“Let’s say I’m kinda tired of avoiding everyone.”

He scratched under Luna’s ear while she snored loudly. “So tell me about your life in Cleveland.”

“It’s boring really.”

He smiled and, even in the dark, I could see the shine of his eyes. “I want to know about my little sister. Please, tell me.” Mad or not, he was still my big brother and I did miss talking to him.

I sighed. “I’m going into my third year of architecture, and I’m pretty happy about it.”

“In Cleveland?”

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“Yes. I didn’t want to leave grandma alone. She’s getting old, you know.” I licked a smidgen of honey from my finger.

“I remember your fascination with architecture. You always had your sketchpad with you, always drawing the people and places around you. Do you still sketch?”

“Yup.” However, I had stopped drawing people a long time ago. Almost four years to be exact. But he didn’t need to know that.

“You do know architecture isn’t in its best shape right now, right? Getting a well-paying job will be hard.”

“I know, but I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” When we were kids, Rachel, Sophie, Faith, and I played dolls all the time, but the truth was, they played dolls while I sat beside them, drawing the dolls’

houses, complete with façade and floor plan.

“I’m glad you like it that much.” A grin spread over his lips. “I saw the flowers.” I 136/504

groaned. “So, you have a boyfriend there.

Want to tell me about him?”

“Nope. I really don’t want to talk about that.” I spread honey over another cracker.

“Tell me about you. I know you’re studying biology at the University of South Carolina.

Why didn’t you go away?”

He looked up at the stars, and I thought he wouldn’t answer. “The truth is that I couldn’t do that to Mom. She already suffered too much when you left. I didn’t want to add to that. Then when Dad became ill, I knew I had made the right decision. I’ll stay here with her.”

That was surprising. Jason had been nothing short of selfish when he was younger. He had changed, and apparently, my absence had triggered it. Once more, I realized I wasn’t a factor in this family. They had their routine and their lives and their purposes, all without me.

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I finished eating and stood. I was picking up the crackers and the honey, when I heard the sound of a car and loud music approaching. Luna jumped from the seat and went to the fence to bark at the car.

I glanced at Jason and found him watching me with big eyes.

Slowly, I turned to the street and saw as a black Mustang reduced speed. The music turned down, but the car didn’t stop. It drove by and away.

“Sorry, I thought you would be asleep.

He was coming by to talk.” Jason stood, his cell phone in his hand. “I’m gonna call him and meet him outside.”

I remained frozen to the spot. I couldn’t escape him. Every place I went, even in my house, he was there.

At least I hadn’t been sent to the Habitat for Humanity site again. However, it still boggled my mind. Ryan wasn’t one to volunteer for a charity. What was he doing there?

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Jason descended the porch steps and started around the house, but he stopped and turned to me. “He was pretty messed up, you know, about what he did to you. If he could take it back, he would. And after what Dad did to you at the Main Square … I had to hold him back. Luke, Ethan, and I had to hold him actually, because I wasn’t strong enough. He would have killed Dad if I let him. I wanted to kill Dad too, but, well, not in the literal sense. My way of protesting was not to speak him for over a year. It would have lasted longer, if he hadn’t started to feel ill. Anyway—” He glanced at his phone. “—I thought you should know.”

Jason disappeared down the path beside the house, leaving me stunned on the porch.

***

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I turned down the volume and parked my car on the next block. Through the rear-view mirror, I glanced at the house on the corner. If Jason didn’t come in one minute, I would leave.

Shit. How was I supposed to know she would be up and outside at this hour?

Well, thinking back, she had been outside plenty of times at this hour. Even later.

Jessica and I had been together for only a month, but it was an intense month. We got together almost every night. Some nights, I would sneak into her bedroom and we would talk while she sketched me, or we would cuddle and watch a quiet movie on her TV. The highlight was the end of the night, when we kissed until we fell asleep in each other’s arms. Other nights, she would sneak out and we would go for a ride, either in my car or on my street bike. We only took the car if it was raining or cold, otherwise the bike was the first option. I loved how she 140/504

hopped behind me, how she squeezed my hips with her thighs, wound her arms around my waist, and rested her head on my shoulder.

Better than that was when I let her drive. Then I could press my body to hers, touch her waist, her belly, her legs, smell the delicious wild rose scent of her skin and her hair. I got hard every single time she was in front.

One night, she was driving along a deserted highway, going fast. Her hair whipped back in my face. After a long sniff, I pushed it aside and admired the smooth skin of her long neck. I leaned into her, brushing my lips on her delicious skin while one of my hands cupped her breast, and the other slid around her inner thigh.

Surprised, or overcome by the sensa-tions, she gasped and jerked the bike to the side. For a moment, she lost control and the bike skidded. I reached forward, making her 141/504

lean over the gas tank, and grabbed the handles. I was able to steady the bike, but I decided it was time for a break.

“Sorry,” she whispered, turning around over the side. “It was your fault though.” I chuckled. “No, it wasn’t. Prove it.” She scooted closer and wounded her legs around my waist. “Let me show you what happened.” Slowly, she slid her hand around my neck and brushed her warm lips on my skin. I hissed. “There was more.” She nipped at the soft spot between my neck and shoulder while snaking her hands down my body until she cupped my erection. I stilled, afraid that if I moved, I would wake up from this magnificent dream.

A knock on my car window shook me from my memory. Jason stood on the sidewalk beside my car with Luna on a leash.

Shit, I had been out of it for how long? I dragged a hand over my face and unlocked the doors.

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“Hey,” Jason said, sliding into his car.

He left the door open, so Luna could stay near him.

“Couldn’t you have texted me that she was out with you?” I asked.

Jason patted Luna’s head and shrugged.

“This town isn’t that big. You two can’t avoid each other for the next two and half months.”

A knot pressed down on my eyebrows.

“Two and half months?”

“Yeah, she’s staying for the entire summer.” Jason stared at him. “Why, did you think she was moving back?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what I thought.

My life hadn’t been easy these past four years, but things had gotten a whole lot more complicated.

“I think she has a boyfriend up there,” Jason said. A bucket of ice water poured over my head. That was how that sentence hit me.

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I was shocked. Not that Jessica wouldn’t have a boyfriend. She was too pretty to be single, but by the jealousy and anger that rose within me. “She got flowers and a heart-shaped card today.”

“Good for her,” I said through gritted teeth.

Jason pointed to the clock on the dashboard. “What about your curfew?”

“I drove by Mike’s house. His car was in the driveway and all the lights were off. I guess I won’t be caught tonight.” Jason shook his head. “You’re playing with the law, man. Don’t do that.” Jason got out of the car and leaned over the door. “Just go home before he decides it’s time to check on you.”

“I’m tired of this shit,” I muttered, gripping the wheel with too much force.

“I know, man, I know. But it’s only four more months. Only four. That’s nothing 144/504

compared to what you went through already.”

I had been through hell and back, and even though Jason, Luke, and Ethan knew all about it, they hadn’t lived it. They would never understand.

“You’re right,” I said, just so the conversation would end. I was tired of arguing. I glanced at the house behind us. “I hope she doesn’t give you shit for meeting me here.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Jason smiled, but it wasn’t his truest grin. “She was giving me the silent treatment until a few minutes ago. A little shit here and there won’t make a difference.”

“That sounds like her.” This time, I smiled as a few fond memories flooded my mind. She had irritated me senseless, but she had also been the best thing that ever happened to me. And I blew it.

“Ryan, hm.” Jason ran a hand over Luna’s shiny coat. “I know you don’t want to 145/504

hear this now, but be careful. I know I keep saying this town is too small, but if you can, stay away from her. She is my sister and I love her, but look how she affects you.” He gestured to me. “Look at the mess you got yourself into because of her. You don’t want that to happen again.”