I wrapped my arm around Jared’s waist unable to respond to his statement. Comparing me to Olivia was like comparing apples and oranges.
“Thank you for the pick-me-up. I needed this today,” I said.
“I don’t think I was the one who gave you the pick-me-up, but you’re very welcome.”
Once I was settled inside his car, Jared slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. I felt my phone buzz in my purse and had to force myself to not laugh at the fact that I didn’t hear it over the sound of his car. I pulled my phone from my purse figuring it was Drew calling to tell me it was later. I looked at the screen and my whole body froze.
I felt sick to my stomach. Bile began to rise in my throat and I feared what I had eaten was about to come up as I read the name on the screen.
Incoming call: Nate Fuller
Chapter Seven
Jared rested his arm over the back of my seat, twisting his body to look through the back window, as he pulled out of the parking place. Our eyes met, and his smile disappeared, mirroring the expression that I was positive I wore.
I couldn’t think, let alone move. All the joy I had gained during my impromptu lunch with Drew and Jared had disintegrated. Nausea washed over me, filling my mouth with warm, metallic pools of liquid.
“McKenzie, are you okay?” Jared’s voice dripped with concern. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Nate,” I muttered, fighting through the lump in my throat.
“On the phone?”
I nodded, tears swelling in my eyes, as I held out my phone for Jared to see. Jared tilted his head in my direction, just long enough to look at the screen before pulling out onto the street.
My phone chirped indicating there was a voicemail for me to listen to. At the sound of the tone, I jumped, dropping the phone into my lap. It was silly for me to act this way. I knew Nate wasn’t going to hurt me. If anything, he only wanted an attempt to win me back, but I was afraid of giving in to him. I couldn’t live unhappy any longer.
Jared took my hand, and rested it on the shifter underneath his. “You might feel better if you talk to him,” he suggested.
Saliva slid down my throat with each breath I took. It was all I could do to keep my lunch from coming back up.
“I know I should to talk to him. I’m just not ready.”
“No one’s rushing you, hon. Take things on your own timeframe.”
I nodded, gripping Jared’s hand; the leather of the shifter dug into the side of my hand. “I know. I feel so lost.”
“Of course you do.” Jared twisted our hands, linking his fingers between mine. He turned his head, a faint smile pulled the corners of his lips, and his golden eyes were full of compassion. “But trust me. It’ll get better.”
“How do you know?”
There was a long pause. He turned his attention back to the road, his tongue darted out over his lips as he contemplated his words. “Because you have me to make sure of it,” he finally said with confidence.
I smiled, my tired head falling against the headrest. “Thank you.”
Jared released my hand to shift gears. With my hand free, I placed it over the phone lying lazily in my lap.
“There’s the smile I love so much.” He winked at me. “Now, stop worrying, and stop feeling guilty,” he added.
My head jerked to the side. Jared didn’t look at me, but his smirk spoke volumes. “I know you all too well, McKenzie Evans. You feel that if you stuck it out longer, if you tried harder, if you didn’t nag him, yada, yada, ya, then things would have magically corrected themselves. But you’re wrong. They’d only get worse. Nate made choices too. He still is. You both have to come to grips with what you plan to do next.”
A deep sigh expelled from my chest. I rubbed my thumb across the face of my phone. “How can you be so certain?”
“What have you been doing these past couple of months? You’ve been there. You’ve faced this nightmare head on, even through ragging depression, and what has he done?”
I knew it was a rhetorical question, but I answered anyway. “He’s been MIA.”
“Exactly. Now it’s time for you to think about you. If you and Nate are meant to be, you’ll find each other again.”
“Like the old saying, ‘if you love something, set it free. If it returns, it’s yours forever, if it doesn’t, it wasn’t yours to begin with,’” I murmured.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Jared replied.
Swallowing my fear, I swiped the face of my phone, turning it on. It buzzed to life in my hand, blinking a reminder that I had a message. Mechanically, I hit the button, bringing the message to life. My heart sank further in my chest at the sound of Nate’s voice.
“Hey McKenzie, it’s me again. I’m sure you’re avoiding my calls, and I don’t blame you. Look, I wanted to let you know I’m heading to California for a few weeks. There’s a pharmaceutical conference in Ontario that Henry thinks I should attend. I hope this gives you the time you need. I love –”
Disgusted, I tore the phone away from my ear, deleting the message without finishing the playback. “He couldn’t even stay a day,” I hissed, my sorrow turning to anger.
Jared glanced over at me, keeping one eye on the road. “I beg your pardon?”
“Nate’s leaving for California,” I spat. “After me just telling him that I couldn’t handle being alone anymore. He’s up and leaving again, instead of staying here to fight for me.”
Defeated, I dropped my phone back into my purse. No more tears were available to be shed. He had made my decision for me. I wasn’t worth fighting for.
“I’m sorry, McKenzie. I really am,” Jared consoled me.
“It is what it is,” I muttered.
That’s when I realized I had secretly hoped Nate would come in and sweep me off my feet. Somehow, I had disillusioned myself into thinking that my leaving him would have triggered something inside him that would make him want to save us. Instead, his job was more important than keeping me.
I felt completely empty inside, numb all over. Raw. Powerless.
“McKenzie, are you sure you’re okay?” Jared asked as he pulled into his parking spot in front of the school. He cut the engine and turned to me. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I responded.
“You’re not fine. Maybe you should go home. Take the rest of the day off. You have a light afternoon. I’m sure everyone would understand.”
“No. I’m fine.” I threw open the car door, marching up to the school. Jared followed close behind me, continuing to try and persuade me to go home. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
For the rest of the day, I threw myself back into work, trying to fill the void in my soul. I could feel Jared’s watchful eyes constantly checking on me between students. I plastered a fake smile on my face, hoping it would make him feel better.
Five o’clock rolled around too quickly for me. I dreaded the idea of going back to Olivia’s place. She had all day to develop a slew of questions. With an arsenal in place, I knew there would be no rest for me tonight.
My eyes blinked at the heavy sun, hanging low in the sky, as I exited the schoolhouse. A cool breeze drifted through the trees, spreading the thick aroma of salt water through the air. The atmosphere felt dense, almost stifling. Rain was in the air, and it made me feel even more tired than I already did.
I reached my car, placing my hand on the door handle. Looking up at the oversized sun, devouring the sky, I heard the rustle of footsteps fall behind me. I glanced around to see Jared making his way toward me.
“I just wanted to check on you before we left,” he said.
“Thanks, Jared, but I’m okay.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, casting his eyes to the ground. “Look, I was going to tell you if you didn’t want to stay with the hellhound, you’re more than welcome to come spend a few days at my place.”
His tender offer struck a chord in my heart. I shifted my weight sli
ghtly, unsure what to say. Standing in the sunlight, he looked so nervous and innocent, that I couldn’t help but walk over to him, and press my lips to his cheek. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be okay at Olivia’s. She’d have a conniption fit if I bailed.”
Jared nodded, producing a smile that failed to reach his eyes. He was genuinely disappointed at my denial of his offer.
“I understand. Promise you’ll call me if you need me.”
“I promise. Thank you for always being there for me. You’re a great friend.”
He cupped the side of my face, holding me still for a brief moment. The look in his eyes pained me. It was as if his heart were broken too.
“I’ll always be here for you, McKenzie. Always.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead, and then released me from his grasp. Turning on a dime, he marched off toward his car, leaving me standing alone in the parking lot.
Stunned, I turned back to my car, getting inside. With a turn of the key, the tiny engine purred to life. Running on nothing but steam, I made a pit stop to the liquor store on my way to Olivia’s condominium. If I was going to endure torture from my friend, I’d need something to dull the pain.
My first instinct was to grab a bottle of Moscato. While wine was a good comfort, it wasn’t the medicine I needed to take care of the ache. Instead, I found a bottle of Jose Cuervo. Nothing could cure the pain of a broken heart like a good bottle of tequila.
Wrapped in a brown paper sack, my new companion joined me on my trek to my temporary abode. For the first time since I moved to Florida, I wished for the damn snowbirds to block my path, lengthening my time to get to Olivia’s condo. I wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as I could.
“Where are all the tourists when I need them,” I whined, snarling my nose.
My speakers bounced from beat of the music. The constant rhythm of the drumbeat pounded so loud that it erased any coherent thought from my head. The bottle of alcohol was enjoying the beat as well. Its paper sack shook with each thump of the bass.
Upon reaching the high-rise condominium, I turned the music down, and parked in the same guest parking space that I had from the night before.
The parking garage was dimly lit, forcing my pupils to dilate with the change of lighting. As I clambered out of my car, making sure to get everything, including my bottle of tequila, I noticed a nice Range Rover parked in the spot beside me. The dark black tint faded into the black pearl finish of the SUV. Drool painted my lips as I admired the vehicle of my dreams.
“Now, that’s a sweet ride,” I muttered as I passed it.
The elevators were only a few feet away. The sound of my shoes clicking against the concrete echoed around me as I made my way toward the elevator. No one was waiting at the doors, so I pressed the up button to bring the lift down to me. While waiting, I tapped my foot to the beat of the music still playing in my head.
“Impatient, are we?” a sultry voice broke through my internal music. I whipped around to see Drew standing behind me. A huge smile danced over his lips. Basking in the soft glow of the underground light, I caught a glimmer in his soft blue eyes. They crinkled around the edges as his smile widened, revealing his prominent dimples.
“Did I scare you?” he asked.
“Well, of course you did. I’m a woman alone in a dark parking garage. You’re lucky I didn’t mace your ass.”
Drew’s laughter warmed my heart. The raw void I had been feeling disappeared at the sound of his laugh. “I would’ve loved to see you try.”
“That’s what pepper spray is for, Andy. So you wouldn’t see.”
A smirk appeared on his shapely lips as I called him ‘Andy’. “You would’ve had to extract it from your purse first, which means dropping the bottle in your other hand,” he stated, eyeing the masked bottle of tequila. “But you see, I’m behind you, so all I would’ve done is grabbed you.”
My eyes drifted down his body. He was without his suit jacket and tie. His rock-hard arms silhouetted through the contours of his shirt. The thought of them wrapped around me sent heat down my spine.
He paused for a moment, staring at me. Locked in his gaze, my heart went wild. I wasn’t sure if it needed to pick up pace or reduce its speed. In the end, it decided that rumbling loudly against my chest so that Drew was certain to hear it was the best way to humiliate me.
His lips twitched and curled as he continued to stare upon me. The softness in his eyes, hardened, and his jaw was set tight. He shook his head as if to clear it.
“I would’ve had you,” he confessed.
I gulped down air and nodded. “I agree. You would’ve, because I’m not dropping the bottle.”
His laughter echoed through the parking garage. The soft crinkles around his eyes reappeared as his smile returned. The elevator doors opened with a loud ding. Drew extended his arm, holding the doors for me. I walked in and propped myself against the back wall. Once inside, he pressed the button to Olivia’s floor.
The doors closed and elevator began to move. Every part of me felt on fire. The muskiness of his cologne mixed with the scent of mint toothpaste, and lemon shampoo left me feeling almost as intoxicated as my little buddy in the bag would.
Facing me, his eyes searched mine. “Celebrating tonight?” he asked, pointing to the bottle.
“More like drowning the memories,” I answered.
“That doesn’t make them go away. Not really.”
“It will for tonight.” I gripped the bottle tighter.
“What about tomorrow night and the next?” He placed his large hand on my shoulder. I shivered softly as fire bore through my body.
“I’ll deal with them as they come,” I whispered, avoiding his eyes.
“Please, promise you’ll call me if you need help,” he pleaded. “I know you have friends in Olivia and Jared, but sometimes it helps to talk to someone not so close to the situation.”
“Says the divorce attorney,” I muttered with a chuckle.
He grimaced. “Says someone who’s been where you are.”
My eyes shot up to meet his. Could he truly have understood how I felt? Had he been left alone to deal with the pain of losing everything he loved? Anything was possible.
“Thanks, Drew. I’ll call you if I need to,” I promised.
The elevator opened to the fourteenth floor. Drew moved aside for me to pass. We walked up to the door together. I used the key Olivia had left for me to open the door.
“Liv, I’m home,” I called out.
She came bouncing in wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Drew behind me.
“Drew, what the hell?” she screeched as she darted off to her bedroom.
I looked up at the man behind me and laughed. “She had no clue you were coming, did she?”
Drew cocked his head, staring after Liv. “No. I thought I’d surprise you both tonight by taking you to dinner. Nothing fancy. Just friends enjoying each other’s company. Was I wrong in that?”
I ushered him into the condo and dropped my belongings by the door. “Only when it involves seeing Liv the way you just did. Hell, the woman used to wear makeup to bed when we were in college just to keep the guys in the hall from ever seeing her without it.”
Drew’s forehead wrinkled in frustration as he sat down on the couch. “That explains a lot.”
“I’m sure it does, but that’s Liv for ya,” I stated with a shrug.
Drew rolled his eyes and extended his arms over the top of the couch.
“What did you have in mind for dinner?” I asked.
“Something simple. You need comfort food if you plan on downing that bottle of tequila.”
I looked down at the covered bottle. It was impossible for anyone to know what I was carrying. “Lucky guess,” I said.
Drew smirked, tapping the side of his head. “Experience.”
“But you don’t drink. At least you didn’t the other night,” I stated.
“I don’t d
rink anymore. There was a time that I would’ve probably mugged you for that bottle in the parking garage,” he replied with a solemn chuckle.
My stomach growled, displaying my hunger for the world. “Sounds like you’re hungry,” he teased.
I covered my face, hiding my blush. “Apparently. How does Crispers sound to you? I’ve been craving their fried pickles.”
“Fried pickles? That sounds nasty!” Drew exclaimed.
I gasped. “They’re wonderful. We’re going to Crispers then. You have to try them.”
“I’ll try them just for you,” he stated with a wink.
That feeling of having known Drew for years engulfed me again. How was it that I could fall into a comfort zone with a man I barely knew, I wondered.
“Do you mind if I change? It might be a little while for Liv to get ready, and I really want out of these dress clothes.”
“Of course not. Go right ahead. I envy you. I’d love to get out of this monkey suit.”
I laughed. “Well, the monkey suit looks good on you.”
“As do the dress clothes on you.”
Heat rose in my face setting my cheeks aflame. I stepped backward toward the hall. “Um, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” he called out, as I disappeared down the hall.
I ran into the guest room, riffling through my bag on the floor. I pulled out a pair of jeans and my favorite yellow V-neck sweater. “I really need to get the rest of my clothes,” I grumbled.
Once changed, I laced up my brown Skechers and glanced at my reflection in the mirror. There was nothing impressive about my ensemble, but I was comfortable, and that was all that mattered to me.
Rebounding back down the hall, I passed Olivia’s room, only to hear her still rummaging around like a mad woman. Just as I predicted, she’d be in there awhile.
As I reentered the living area, I found Drew exactly where I had left him. His head leaned back on the sofa and his arms were still outstretched. He had placed his feet on the coffee table in front of him. I caught myself staring at the beauty of the man before me. I cleared my throat to let him know I was in the room.
The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) Page 9
