“Anything?” Angie asked as she handed me some money to pay for her coffee and I shushed it away as usual.
“Nope,” I replied, handing over the free coffee.
“Thank you. What a jerk.”
I shrugged. “It’s just weird that he’s the one avoiding me. I’m the one who’s mad. I’m the one who had to find out the hard way he spent hours at that bimbo’s house instead of at PT like he said he would be. And now he’s avoiding me?”
“I don’t get it either,” my best friend replied, taking a cup of coffee and scanning the store. “It’s slow today.”
I followed her gaze. “Yeah, must be that retail slow down after the holidays. Everyone’s shopped out. Should pick up again in a week or two, according to my parents.”
“They must love having you here to run the store. When was the last time they even came in here?”
“Hah. I have no idea. It’s just been me and the others. They’re basically retired. I don’t mind it though. It’s kind of like I’m inheriting it from them or something.”
She toasted me with her coffee. “You deserve it. You’ve done an awesome job with the place.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at her, but there was still a pang in my heart when I realized that Vince had been the reason this bookstore had really come alive for me again. I’d been happy enough to appreciate it, instead of ‘Zombie Sara’ as Angie affectionately refers to my ‘jilted bride dark stage’.
The front door opened, and I saw the familiar white Marine Corps cover before I saw the man who removed it from his head before he entered the store. It was Cooper. I put on a fake smile, thinking he would just come in for his coffee and leave. No sense being rude to him, he was just the messenger of the end of my relationship.
“Cooper.” I greeted him with a polite smile. “What can I get for you?”
He bowed his head. “Actually, I’m here to talk to you about Vince. Do you have a minute?”
Angie and I eyed each other warily, then Angie spoke up. “No, thanks, Boy Scout. Have a good day, now.”
Cooper’s eyes grew wide as he assessed my fierce protector. “Boy Scout?”
Angie shrugged. “I don’t know what you came here to say about that two-timing friend of yours, but you can save your breath. My girl here has had enough of this crap.”
“Okay, guard dog. Take it easy. I’m here to say my friend isn’t two-timing your friend, so do you think you could back off a bit?”
I narrowed my eyes at Cooper. “What are you talking about? You said he went to her house yesterday and he never came back. What am I supposed to believe he was doing there all that time?”
“He never made it to her house. She’d gotten in a bad car wreck and he followed the ambulance to the hospital and stayed there until she got out of surgery. He tried to text you about it, but his service at the hospital wasn’t good and it never sent. Then he called you, but you kept sending him to voicemail.”
My stomach flipped and burned with guilt over jumping to conclusions, but Angie wasn’t buying the excuse. “Why hasn’t he tried to tell her in person? How come he’s been avoiding her for the last three days?”
Cooper glared at Angie. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because he’s sick of ‘your girl here’ always thinking he’s a cheater just like her ex?”
I flinched, and Cooper held out a hand to me.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. But it’s true. He thinks he’s mad at you for being mad at him. And I think you’re both idiots. No offense. But I can’t watch him mope around anymore, so since he’s not going to suck up his pride and come talk to you, I figured I’d come explain. Now, will you go kiss and make up with him so he’s not such a... I don’t know...”
“Zombie?” Angie finished, a small smile playing at her lips as she looked him over.
“Yeah, that.”
I pulled into the winter festival, practically bouncing with nervous energy and impatience as the crowd moved slowly through the parking lot, ticket line, and even the aisles of the outdoor festival itself. It was absolutely packed to capacity. The only reason I was able to find the Marine Corps tent where Vince and his co-workers had set up a table display at the event was because of the giant inflatable Marine that stood next to it. The menacing cartoon of a drill instructor stood over a story high, letting everyone know the Marines were there and ready to welcome new recruits.
I approached the table and immediately saw him. He wore a tight black Marine Corps athletic shirt tucked into the pants of his cammies, and tan combat boots. As usual, the sleeves of his shirt pulled tight against his biceps. I watched as he jumped up onto the pull-up bar next to their table and pumped out a few pull-ups to show a high school-aged kid how to do them. Then, he stood back and let the kid have a turn, cheering him on. The kid looked no more than thirteen or fourteen, so he wouldn’t be old enough to join until Vince was back in the regular Marine Corps, but I liked that he still let the kid take a turn and gave him a lanyard as a prize for trying.
When the kid walked away, our eyes met through the crowd. His jaw tightened and his lips went from the smile he’d worn for the kid to a thin, grim line. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked every bit as fierce as the giant inflatable Marine that towered over me. I’d really hurt him. It didn’t occur to me even once that if Vince was innocent of any wrongdoing, he might be offended that I’d accused him of it, yet again. Trust was huge. And I’d broken his by not trusting him not to hurt me after last time.
“Sara?” A voice from behind me said, making me jump.
“Oh, hey, Ellie. Spencer.” I smiled broadly at them. Despite my situation, these two and their ‘just friends’ routine were my favorite kids who hung around Vince’s office. And subsequently, my store. “How are you guys?”
“Good, ready for our last semester to start so it can end.”
“Senioritis?” I asked with a laugh.
“Definitely.” They both said, grinning at each other.
Spencer craned his neck to the Marines table and eyed the pull-up bar. “I’m gonna do some pull-ups and show off.”
Ellie rolled her eyes at me and followed him. She stood by and watched him lift his tall frame onto the bar and pull his chin over the top of it repeatedly. Why he didn’t see those stars in her eyes was beyond me. I wondered how long it would take the two of them to figure it all out.
I looked over at Vince again, and swallowed when I found him already staring at me. I tilted my head at him, silently pleading with him to come and talk to me. I didn’t want to approach the table and make a scene if he turned me down. So, I waited, my eyes locked on his. Finally, he told one of his co-workers that he’d be right back and headed my direction.
“Hey,” I greeted him, guilt making my eyes water even though we hadn’t even had a chance to talk yet. “I heard about Erika.”
He looked away, hands on his hips. “You would’ve heard about her that night if you’d picked up the phone.”
“I know.”
He stared at me, almost as if he was surprised that I wasn’t arguing with him. He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again.
“I’m sorry I thought something was going on between you guys. I shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I touched his arm, and though he didn’t flinch away from me, I could see the muscle in his neck twitch like he wanted to. “Vince? Talk to me.”
His eyes were cold as he gazed down at me. “We’ve only known each other for a short time. I don’t blame you for not knowing me well enough to know I wouldn’t hurt you.”
I pushed his arm lightly. “That’s not true, I do know you.”
“Hah.” He pointed a finger at me, this time his eyes held fire instead of ice. “Exactly. That’s why I’m so mad. I know you know me better than that. I wouldn’t do that to you. Not after everything you’ve been through, and besides that, it’s not who I am. When are you going to understand that and stop running away from me?”
; “Now. Always. I know I’m a work in progress, I get that. But I love you, and I know you love me. I just got scared because I was promised forever once already and look what happened.”
Vince placed a hand on either side of my face. “We don’t talk about him a lot, I know. Just how you felt about it or how it still affects you. But answer me this. When he looked you in the eyes and promised you that he’d be with you forever, did it look like this?”
I gulped as he took one of my hands and put it on his chest.
“Did you feel that promise coming from him the way it’s pouring out of me right now?”
I shook my head, feeling his heart pounding beneath my palm.
“Exactly. I’m telling you that I want to spend forever with you. Do you believe me?”
“Yes.”
And this time, when he sealed his mouth over mine, I really did believe him. As the crowded festival kept on raging around us, as he kissed me until I was ready to collapse into his arms, I knew that I’d been wrong to ever doubt him. Vince was my forever, and I was grateful for every heartbreaking moment that led to that realization.
Will Spencer and Ellie realize they might be more than friends? If you loved Forever with You, continue reading in the San Diego Marines series with Back to You!
The first chapter is available for free at the following link:
www.jessmastorakos.com/back-to-you
Contents
1. Sara
2. Vince
3. Sara
4. Vince
5. Sara
6. Vince
7. Sara
8. Vince
9. Sara
10. Vince
11. Sara
12. Vince
13. Sara
Forever With You Page 8
