She purses her lips together. “Yeah, maybe… So, what about when you went home? Was it better then?”
“No, just a different kind of weird.”
“What do you mean?”
I explain to her how the apartment was so unlike me and my personality and all my things were tucked away in boxes in the closet and she scowls.
“What are you talking about? Your place is full of pictures and little trinkets from all the places you’ve travelled.”
I stare at her, trying to piece together what she’s saying. “No… there was nothing. It was like the whole place was devoid of life… Why would Gavin put everything away?”
“Maybe he didn’t,” she answers with a shrug. “Or maybe he thought he was helping.”
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” I whisper as I take a bite of my sandwich. She brushes it off as a smile stretches across her face.
“We can figure all that out later. Tell me all about Moose.”
I scrunch my nose up. “Why does everyone keep calling him that?”
“You haven’t heard the story?” Amusement shines in her eyes and I shake my head. What kind of story ends with Sawyer earning the nickname ‘Moose’? “Oh, Lord. Okay, the way I heard it, Sawyer was dating this girl who was cray cray, right?”
I nod, Sawyer’s words about always picking the wrong woman coming back to me.
“Anyway, he realized that this chick was off her rocker and broke things off with her. Well, this bitch got it in her head that she was going to kidnap him to get him back.”
My eyes widen and I cough as I choke on my food for a second. “What?”
“Right? So anyway, she showed up to a party at the clubhouse and when Sawyer went upstairs to go to bed or something, she cornered him in the hallway and shot him with a tranquilizer dart. Apparently, as he was passing out, he started moaning like an animal and the boys dubbed him “Moose”.”
“Poor Sawyer,” I muse, scowling at my sandwich and she sucks in a breath.
“Oh my God, you really like this guy, don’t you?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks as I meet her eyes and nod. “You have no idea how much.”
“Wait. What happened between Miami and here? Tell me everything.”
“It was instant, Mer,” I tell her, my mind drifting back to seeing him in the diner parking lot as I shake my head. “Like from the moment I laid eyes on him, there was something there but at first, it was easy to push away. Then, we shared a hotel room and when we woke up the next morning, I was in his arms and God, I don’t even know…”
“Jett… I’ve never seen you like this about a guy.”
I arch a brow. “Not even with Gavin?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you were in love with Gavin and I think you were truly happy but it wasn’t this look you’ve got in your eyes right now. What happened after the hotel?”
“We spent the day together driving to Baton Rouge and we talked… about everything. Once the conversation started, it didn’t stop and for lunch we stopped at this restaurant but the waitress was so rude that we left and he made a picnic in the back of his truck.”
“Stop it!” she squeals. “That is so cute.”
I nod. “I know. Like how am I supposed to not like him when he’s doing stuff like that?”
“Did anything else happen?”
I tell her about how he wouldn’t let me stay at the sketchy hotel and how he showed me the note from his ex when we got to the house.
“Thank God, he didn’t let you stay at some gross motel. Why would you even suggest that?”
I shrug. “I only have nine hundred dollars unless I take more out of the ATM but if Gavin’s looking for me, that will tip him off.”
“Oh, Gavin’s looking for you. I’ve gotten at least three calls a day since you left and he’s losing his mind.”
“Shit,” I whisper, my chest feeling tight as I set my sandwich down. “I really hate that I’m hurting him.”
“I mean, you did break up with him, right?”
I nod. “Yeah. In my note I told him I needed to go and I wanted him to move on and find happiness. I also left my ring there.”
“I feel like you left a pretty clear message. If he can’t accept it, that’s on him.” She takes a bite of her food. “Besides, the look on your face when you talk about Sawyer… it’s everything.”
“It’s crazy, though. Right?” I ask, my cheeks burning. “I mean, I met the man two days ago.”
She shrugs. “If I came to you and told you about this new man I met but the whole time, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face and my eyes were shining and you’d never seen me happier, would you think it was weird?”
“I suppose not.”
“You wouldn’t,” she urges. “In fact, I think you would encourage me to go after it so that’s what I’m doing. I think the biggest question is does Sawyer feel the same way about you?”
My teeth sink into my lip. “I think so. He told me he really wants to explore the things he’s feeling and he kissed me last night.”
“He kissed you and you’re just now telling me?” she shrieks and my eyes widen as I glance over my shoulder to see if anyone heard her. A few people are milling around near the conference table but they don’t look our way.
“Will you keep your voice down?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, shaking her head. “But this is huge news. How was it? Sexy? Sweet? Steamy?”
I shake my head. “Life changing.”
“Giiirrll,” she drawls breathlessly as she falls back into her chair. “Life changing?”
“Yep.” I nod and she stares at me for a second before laughing and shaking her head. I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“I was just thinking that maybe all of this happened for a reason. Like as awful as it is that you got in the accident and your dad died and you lost your memory, maybe there was a purpose in it.”
I smile. “My mom would be thrilled to hear you telling me that the universe brought me here for a reason.”
“I mean it,” she says with a laugh. “I really think this all happened for a reason and with the way you’re feeling now, can you really disagree?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I can’t.”
“So I take it you’re going to continue staying with Sawyer?”
I nod. “Yeah, for the time being.”
“Well, just remember that you can always come crash at my place but I’m secretly hoping you and Sawyer fall in love, get married, and have cute little babies.”
“Noted.” I laugh. “What about you? How’s Andrew?”
Her face falls, pain springing into her eyes. “Oh, God, you don’t remember, do you?”
“What? What happened?” Back in college, Mercedes and her boyfriend, Andrew, were inseparable - the ultimate power couple - and I always assumed that they’d get married some day and have gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed babies.
“Andrew,” she says, his name sounding like a curse as it leaves her lips. “Dropped me like a bad habit as soon as he was picked up by the NFL.”