“Wow, thanks for that super sweet compliment.” I know how miserable I look. I’ve been crying for two days, to the point my entire body aches like I’ve been run over by a speedboat. “Still the charmer, I see.”
“Hayden, come on...”
“Look,” I begin. “I appreciate you stopping and checking on me, but I’m fine. I just need a few days away from Green Bay.”
He’s quiet for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between mine, but eventually he clears his throat.
“Okay,” he sighs, and I could hug him for not pushing for more when I know it’s what he really wants to do. “You need some help getting your stuff inside?”
“No, I’m good, but thank you.”
“Hayden...” He reaches out, his fingertips grazing my arm, and I bite my lip to keep it from quivering.
“Jesse, please,” I plead, my voice barely a whisper. “Just go.”
“All right.” He lifts his palms and takes a couple backward steps toward his truck. “You know how to get a hold of me if you need me. You know my address, right?”
I nod and will him to move faster, because the dam of tears is about to break and I refuse to lose my shit in front of him.
“I won’t tell Jett you’re here. That’s your call,” he adds, and all I can do is nod again. Thankfully, he leaves it at that, gets into the truck, and is gone in seconds.
And I fall apart.
I literally have no idea how I’m going to do any of this. I have no idea if I should tell him about the letter or keep it to myself. Or, worse, if I’m completely out of my mind to wonder if there’s still a chance he might still feel the same way about us.
What if he did only offer out of obligation? And if that’s the case, am I setting myself up to get hurt all over again? Blowing smoke isn’t Jesse’s style, but doing the right thing is.
Regardless of what happens, I had to come here. Since our life with Lane is over like one pissed-off flip of the Monopoly board, I had no choice. Cole Creek is Jett’s second home and coming here is the only way I know how to keep his heartbreak to a minimum.
Even if it means shattering my own heart in the process.
JESSE
She wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.
I pull up to the Weston’s cabin, kill the engine, and stare out the windshield.
I’d noticed the puffy eyes and the red nose right away, and the suitcase and car full of shit weren’t hard to miss, either. But it was the naked, pink line running around the second finger on her left hand that stood out the most.
Holy shit.
What in the hell happened? And why? Is it a break or something more? Taking a ring off sure as hell seems a lot more long term.
I’d wanted to prod her for details, but the wound is obviously too fresh. She wouldn’t look me in the eye, her hands trembled like she’d drank a pot of coffee, and her normally short but neat fingernails were chewed to the skin.
Didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was holding it together by a single strand of that gorgeous blonde hair, and I got the distinct feeling that me showing up only made it worse.
Which begs the question that’s been rolling around in my head for a week now…
Am I the problem?
Or is that just wishful thinking? Because I sure as fuck want to beat my chest like a gorilla right now thinking that might be the case.
I don’t want to cause more problems for her—I never did—but not a single day has gone by that I haven’t wanted that girl for myself. Especially knowing that what we have now is a hell of a lot stronger than what we had four years ago.
Hayden and I work as co-parents. We work as friends, despite the history between us. We work as two people who respect each other and, dare I say, care about each other, too, when this whole thing could have so easily gone the other way.
She could have read that letter and pulled back. We could have ended up hating each other, but Hayden never once let her feelings—or lack of them—make things awkward between us when she knew the truth.
She put our son first then and she’s still doing it now, and her determination to make him her number one priority no matter what blows my mind.
She didn’t have to come here. And, if what I suspect is true, and her split from Lane has something to do with me, then being here can’t be easy.
And that gives me hope.
So I’ll bide my time. Just like I did those first couple of summers. And if Hayden wants me, she’ll have to be the one to make the move.
But I’ll do what I can to make sure she knows I’m around. That I’ve always been around.
And I’ll be patient while her heart heals, too, because when I get my chance with her again, there’s no way in hell I’ll let her slip away a second time.
Chapter 15
HAYDEN
What kind of chocolate pairs best with Moscato? White, milk, or dark? And is white really even chocolate?
“Of course, it is.” Also, having to choose just one is bullshit. I’m newly single and there’s no reason I can’t have it all, since no one’s going to complain about the size of my ass.
With that in mind, I grab a bag of each and toss them into the cart next to my peanut butter, flour, sugar, cocoa, eggs, and a hodgepodge of other baking ingredients. I stop again just a couple of feet down the aisle to consider the cake mixes, as well, except, I think I’d rather have pie...
“Personally, I’d make the cake from scratch. I have a super easy peanut butter chocolate cake recipe if you want it.”
Startling at the interruption, I glance up to find a bright-eyed blonde, with a basketful of ice cream and candles hanging from her arm. She’s vaguely familiar, but the solid ten minutes of foreplay I’ve just had with these baked goods has clouded my head.
She smiles kindly. “Hayden, right?”
Um… “Yes, and I feel like I should know you, too, but...” I’ve got nothing.
“Amelia. Jesse’s sister.”
“Oh, my gosh, of course. I’m so sorry. I’m a little preoccupied.” I offer an apologetic smile as her gaze shifts to my cart. Her eyes twinkle, and I cringe and possibly even die a little inside knowing what she sees. Besides all of the baking stuff, there are two boxes of wine and a bottle of pineapple rum.
“And preparing for a good time from the looks of it,” she says with a knowing smirk, and I let out a relieved sigh.
“Something like that.”
“So, are you here for the party?” she asks, shifting her basket from one arm to the other.
“The party?”
“Jett’s party. Tomorrow.”
Uh... “No?”
Her cheery expression falls. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“Jesse?”
She nods.
“No, but I guess I wouldn’t have expected him to.” He and his family have always had their own birthday parties for Jett up here, just like I have them back home.
“I guess I assumed he would have at least mentioned it, considering you invited him to yours.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s such a moron sometimes.”