Sweet Dreams (Sunset Dreams Series Book 1) (23 page)

Boy, I need to work out more.

I decide to walk to the corner café and get coffee to bring back for the both of us.

Us.

My stomach is doing flip flops, but my rational mind starts to make an appearance and now I have so many questions.

What happens now?

What about Amy?

Did last night mean the same thing to Jake as it did to me? We’ve always classified our relationship as friends.

He’s never even mentioned Amy and when I met her at his house, he didn’t offer any explanation of their relationship.

Was he caught up in the moment last night?

Oh God. Is he going to tell me it was a mistake?

No, no matter what happens it will never be a mistake for me.

I wanted him. I still do.

I love him. Oh God, I really do love him.

At the café, I pay for two double espressos and two rolls to go and make my way slowly back to the
pensione
. I might toss my cookies, I’m so nervous. I really want this. I want to be with Jake. Really be with him.

What is he going to say? Does he want to be with me or was it only one night for him? No, don’t think like that. Be positive.

Why has he never said anything about Amy? I have to ask him.

Walking slowly up the stairs to my room, feeling the burn in my thighs, cautiously I open the door. Jake sits on the bed, fully dressed in his jeans and T-shirt from last night and looks up at me as I walk in.

Placing his cup and roll on the dresser, I take a deep breath and say, “We need to talk.”

“We need to talk,” Jake says at the same exact moment and we smile at each other. Standing up, he walks over to me and places one hand on my cheek. “We do need to talk, but I need to go back to the house, change and make a few calls. Can I meet you back here in a couple of hours?”

“Okay.”

Jake leans down and kisses me softly on the head. “See you later.” He grabs his blazer, cup of coffee, and his roll and walks out the door, jogging down the steps, leaving me with my thoughts.

I wonder if he’s going to talk to Amy.

Who does he need to call?

Is he going to come back and say he had fun, but wants to be friends?

Is he going to say it was a mistake?

I feel like I may go crazy.

I need to get out.

Jake said he would be back in a couple of hours, so I decide to go for a walk and get some fresh air to gather my thoughts. Walking along the water, the ocean air attempts to calm my nerves, but I have never been so afraid in my entire life. I try to think positively. I fantasize about him coming back to declare he’s left Amy and loves me.

That is a possibility right?

After all the time we’ve known each other, I realize I have no idea if that is a possibility or not. He’s so guarded most of the time. He’s let me in little by little since we met, but I’m not sure how he feels about me. There were times that I felt like I wasn’t important to him at all. He left Maple Grove without saying goodbye; weeks between phone calls. Then he stops calling me completely.

Then there were other times, like our mornings together at Sweet Dreams. He came back and surprised me at the cottage, our late night phone calls were all wonderful, and our time here in Italy together has been amazing.

His possessive behavior at the wedding.

Dancing.

Last night.

I take a gulp of air and blow it out slowly through my mouth.

If he does feel the same way I feel about him, how is it going to work? There’s so much to think about. Where he lives, his career, where I live, my business. Our friends and family, the press.

First things first. We would make love again all night long, that is for sure.

What a night.

I never knew it could be that electric, that perfect. I smile as I remember how incredible he was last night, how many times my name fell from his lips and how every time he touched me, my body zinged with pleasure. The only thing that could have made last night any better would have been those three words coming out of Jake’s mouth. My insides start to warm up and thinking I should probably take a shower before Jake comes back, I make my way back toward the
pensione
.

As I pass the newsstand on the corner, I notice my favorite green eyes staring back at me from the cover of three different Italian tabloids. I almost keep walking, but my paranoia and curiosity get the best of me.

What if someone took pictures of him or us at the wedding last night and sold them?

I think it would be too soon for those to be printed already Jenna. You’re being ridiculous.

Walking over, I pick up the first magazine and flip through the pages until I come across a picture of Jake and Amy together in sunglasses trying to escape photographers. Frowning, I turn the page to find another picture of Jake and Amy at a bistro, talking to each other. Putting the magazine down I pick up another, finding pictures of Jake and Amy together on the beach; another on a speedboat, Amy looking amazing in a barely there bikini. Putting the magazine back on the shelf I grab the last one and find more of the same.

Clearly Italy is excited to have them here.

Leaving the magazine on the rack, I make my way back toward the
pensione
. Entering the courtyard, I glance over at our spot on the dance floor and walk slowly back up to my room and sit down on my bed to think.

What if Jake does leave Amy? What will the press do?

I will be the fling he had in Italy that ruined their relationship. Would the paparazzi start stalking me?

Sitting on my bed, I take out my phone and chastise myself for giving in to my paranoia as I bring up a popular celebrity website. One of the top stories is about Jake in Italy and I click the link. What I see and read next makes my heart stop.

“
Jacob Walker and Amy Warren caught vacationing in Italy, where Jacob has proposed! Sources say the two were enjoying the time alone together when Jacob decided to pop the question. This was the romantic getaway he was waiting for to make it official.”

There’s a photo of Amy and Jake on the speedboat, like in the Italian tabloids, only this time Jake is on one knee in front of Amy as he hands her something. Amy holds her hand to her mouth smiling. I check two other websites and they’re both running the same headlines.

“
Jacob and Amy Engaged!”

Flashing back to a phone call I had with Jake, I remember hearing her voice on the other end of the line.

The celebrity gossip news on TV speculated about a ring and an engagement.

There were magazine photos showing them kissing on the red carpet.

Meeting her at Jake’s house…

The text message on Jake’s phone…

This is what Amy was telling her mom.

This is what the text message was about.

They’re engaged.

The chunks rise up in my throat and barely make it to the bathroom before I heave everything in my stomach out into the toilet.

No, no!

It can’t be.

Engaged?

When there’s nothing left to throw up, I continue to dry heave as tears run down my face.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

According to the website, the picture was taken three days ago, right before we ran into each other.

Lying down on the cool tile floor, I squeeze my eyes shut as tight as I can as my heart shatters into a million pieces.

He’s going to tell me it was a mistake. That we can still be friends, but he’s engaged to someone else.

I won’t be able to take it.

I don’t want to hear it.

I don’t want to see the look on his face when he admits I was a last fling before he gets married.

After crying for over an hour, I’m resolved not to let him see me like this. Knowing what I have to do, I get up and wash my face with cold water. I throw all of my clothes into my suitcase and gather everything else into my carry-on bag and purse. Grabbing my bags, I lock the door to the room behind me and hurry downstairs to check out.

Gino comes up behind me as I walk toward the front desk and asks, “
Signorina Jen, dove va?
”

“Sorry, Gino, I have an emergency back home and I have to leave right away. Can you call a taxi to take me to the train station please?”

“
Si, si
. Is everything okay?”

“It will be, I just need to get home.” I hand him my credit card and he quickly processes my bill.

“
Capito
. I will go find taxi now.” Gino runs outside to look for a taxi and comes back quickly, telling me one is outside waiting.

“
Grazie,
Gino.” I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t worry, bella, everything will be good again.”

A tear slides down my cheek as I climb into the taxi and give Gino a sad wave as we drive away.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Dreams are like paper, they tear so easily. Gilda Radner

A
rriving at the train station, I buy a ticket to Rome. Once I’m on the train I take my phone out of my bag and see I have ten missed calls, all from Jake. Trembling, I dial my voicemail.

“Jen, what happened? Are you all right? Call me.” I delete it.

“Where are you?” Delete.

“What is going on? Why did you leave? Gino said there was an emergency. Please call me.” Delete.

Tears run down my face at the sound of his voice. I decide to delete the rest of the messages without listening to them. Putting my head back on the chair behind me, my exhaustion catches up with me and I fall asleep. I dream of Jake down on one knee in front of Amy proposing over and over as I stand there watching helplessly. I wake up gasping.

When I get to the airport in Rome, I find a flight to New York with a seat available leaving in three hours and buy the ticket. Turning my phone back on I call my dad.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Daddy, it’s me.”

“Hi, baby. What time is it?”

“Oh sorry did I wake you?” He sounds sleepy. It must be the middle of the night there.

“It’s fine, is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, everything’s fine. I’m coming home and I wanted to see, if it’s all right with you and Nina, if I come and stay for a couple of days.” I try to keep my voice as steady as possible. I don’t want him to worry.

“Of course, but I thought you were going to be there at least another two weeks.”

“I was, but I got homesick.”

“Okay… What time does your flight arrive?”

“I’m not sure. I get to New York tomorrow at nine in the morning. I’ll call you from there and let you know.”

“Are you sure everything’s all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Just ready to come home. I miss you guys.”

“We miss you too. Call me from New York and let me know when your flight gets into SFO and I’ll pick you up.”

“Thanks, Daddy. Go back to sleep. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too, baby. See you soon.”

Hanging up, I turn off my phone again and it stays off until my plane touches down in New York the next morning.