From The Wreckage - Complete (72 page)

Jules is still thinking about the misery of only seeing West one day a week when she pulls up to her house a little before five p.m. Friday afternoon. Obviously watching from the front windows, the front door is yanked open as she’s pulling her weekend bag out of her backseat, and she finds Jase rushing out to greet her.

“Jules!”

“Hey, bud,” she calls back, facing him as he throws his arms around her waist. “Have you gotten taller?” she asks honestly, messing with his hair. He reaches her chest and she’s amazed at how much she misses while she is away at school.

“You haven’t been home in three months. Of course I’ve grown. Lost a tooth, too.” He smiles, showing her the new gap in his mouth.

“Dude, quit growing up.”

“I wish that worked,” her mother calls from the front steps, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “I tried it with you for years.”

Jase takes the small laundry bag she’s carrying from Jules’ hands and starts up the walk with Jules behind him. She stops at the bottom of the steps and looks up at her mom. This is the woman who laid with her night after night after the car wreck and let her cry on her chest over West. The woman who held her hand when she went to her first counseling appointment and cheered her on when she took her first steps in therapy after her fracture and breaks healed. Yet, looking at her now, the only thing she can see is the woman who knew the truth about West being sent away and never told her. The betrayal runs deep for Jules. She’s not sure how she will get past it, but she gives her a smile and speaks as if everything is fine. 

“Hey, mama.” 

They step into the house and Jules sniffs the familiar scent of her mom’s famous pot roast in the air. Her stomach growls on reflex and she excuses herself to put her stuff in her room. She pulls out her phone while upstairs and shoots a quick text to West, letting him know she made it to Tyler fine. He replies quickly with a heart.  

Jules joins her mom and Jase in the kitchen where they fill her in on all the local gossip while they wait for her father to get home from work.

“Did mom tell you I’m the fastest in my class?” Jase asks out of the blue. Obviously, the gossip over the town floozy isn’t enough to keep him entertained. She shakes her head and he excitedly explains.

“We have to run laps, right. Remember doing that? So, the other day Ms. Furman named who had the most laps in the class and said I did. Well, Nick got mad. He said it didn’t matter because he was still faster than me.”

Jules frowns, knowing this Nick kid to be a brat who always bosses Jase and the other boys around, but Jase just smiles at her.

“So, Ms. Furman heard him and decided to let us all race and I won. Twice!” he finishes and laughs evilly. Her mother shakes her head ruefully while Jules joins the laughter and gives Jase a high-five.

“Well, that’s not a sound I hear every day,” Jules father booms as he opens the garage door off the kitchen. “I could hear you all laughing from the garage.” He smiles, putting the computer bag he carries on the floor inside the door as he meets Jules’ eyes.

“College girl doesn’t give her dad a hug anymore?” he teases when Jules doesn’t get up as she usually would.

Reluctantly, she slides off the bar stool and meets her dad halfway, letting him hug her. Her father ruffles Jase’s hair and kisses her mom hello. A short while later, they all sit at the table for dinner, as if it’s a normal night.

“So, tell me about school. How are your classes?” her dad asks once they’ve passed the food and are eating.

“They’re fine.” 

“Good, can you elaborate?”

“Not really,” she replies smartly as she focuses on Jase. “Hey, Jase, when we’re done, why don’t we go outside and toss the ball around? I’ve been brushing up on my playing skills.” 

“You’ve been playing football at college? I thought all you got to do was study.” 

“Nah, I’ve got lots of friends who play football, you know that,” she says meaningfully, shooting a quick glance her dad’s way. “In fact, I have a signed jersey in my bag for you.”

Jase’s screech makes her ears ring as he jumps up from his seat. “Can I get it? Please?”

Jules smiles happily, telling him it’s in her bag. She can tell her parents are not happy without looking at them. Her mom’s fork is arrested halfway between her plate and her mouth; her dad’s is on his plate, having clattered against the porcelain the moment Jules referenced all of her football friends and she glares at him.

“Could that not have waited until after dinner, honey?” her mom finally asks when Jules keeps eating silently, looking at Jase’s empty seat.

“What? The jersey? It just occurred to me and I couldn’t help it. You know how I can’t keep secrets,” she murmurs, stuffing a bite of roast in her mouth. “Mmmm, this is really good, mom. As always.”

“This is awesome!” Jase yells as he comes back to the kitchen with the jersey pulled over his clothes. “And you got Austin’s number. That’s so cool Jules, thank you.” 

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.”