“What the hell, Lainie? You think you can go away for six months with no contact, then come back and we’ll just pick up where we left off?” I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from grabbing her and hugging her. God, she looked great!
“I’m sorry, Jax. I didn’t do it to hurt you.” She looked at me with real pain in her eyes as she fiddled with her locket.
That made me want to snatch her hand and bring it up to my face just to feel her fingers against my skin again. I was glad to see that a little piece of the Lainie I fell in love with all those years ago still remained. “It did hurt. But, you know what hurt the most?” I asked as I started pacing the length of the room. “That I wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough to keep you near me, wasn’t enough to help you work through everything that happened.” I stopped and stared out the one-way glass. “That’s what tore my heart out.” I turned and looked at her, almost giving in at the sight of her eyes full of tears. “I need to get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I stormed out. Lainie’s eyes followed me, but I didn’t turn around.
I got in my Mustang and just sat there. Walking out of that room was the hardest thing I’d ever done. As I rested my forehead on the steering wheel, willing the hurt and anger back enough so I could drive home, my phone buzzed with a new email. It was from Lainie, and I almost deleted it without looking at it. Instead, I turned the phone off and threw it on the seat.
My apartment was dark and dingy. There hadn’t been time in my life for happiness or light during the past six months, and it showed. I plopped my tired body onto the couch with a beer and picked up the TV remote, sure I’d never sleep now that I was so keyed up.
Crap. What a way to wake up. The TV was blaring with another infomercial trying to sell me some junk I didn’t need. If the clock radio were right, I’d actually slept through the night for the first time in six months. The bags under my eyes might improve some more with coffee and a shower, but they didn’t look quite as bad as usual. Amazing what eight hours of sleep will do. When my phone dinged with a text notification, I glanced at it. There were five messages from Matt. Obviously, he wasn’t happy about my reaction to Lainie’s visit yesterday. I picked up my phone and texted back, “Call u tomorrow.”
The only email was the one from Lainie, and it just sat there daring me to open it. Instead, I resisted and opted for music as I grabbed earbuds and headed out the door for my morning run. Settling into a rhythm, I let the music wash over me. After two miles I turned around and headed back as “Then” by Brad Paisley came on. The song reminded me of Lainie, and I pushed myself faster, trying to outrun the memories that crowded my mind.
The exercise had accomplished one thing—I was out of breath. As I sat on the steps to my house, I groaned, gave in, and opened the email.
Dear Jax,
Please understand that I didn’t do it to hurt you. Maybe this will help you understand.
The email had an attachment labeled Becoming Visible. It would take forever to open a file that large. I closed it and headed into the house. After breakfast I pulled out my laptop and went to Lainie’s email, staring at the attachment. The opening line on the first page:
“This book is dedicated to Jax, the hero of my story. Love you forever...”
This was our story, the story that began back in high school. The raw emotion on the pages pulled me in, and I continued reading until I had finished the entire file. It took me a few minutes to gather my thoughts, but as I looked at the bottom corner of the laptop, I couldn’t believe that it was already six o’clock. I’d been reading all day. Stiff and sore, I groaned as I stood. I’d been sitting hunched over my computer for the past seven hours without a break. When my phone beeped, I picked it up and noticed that there were five more texts from Matt. I was so engrossed in Lainie’s book that I never heard the notifications.
Sending Matt a text, I told him I’d be there in half an hour and not to mention it to Lainie. I got up to change and realized I never made it to the shower after my run this morning. After cleaning myself up, I threw on some shorts and a shirt. Time was ticking, so I skipped the shave and headed for the door, taking my keys and wallet as I shoved my feet into flip flops. The heat of the day radiated off the blacktop as I put the top down on my Mustang; the weather was perfect for a ride in the convertible.
When I arrived at Matt and Liz’s, I parked around the corner and called Matt. I told him about reading Becoming Visible today, and that I needed to talk to Lainie. He told me she was swimming laps in the pool. Perfect. I left the car where it was and walked to the front door, slipping inside without making any noise. Matt and Liz were waiting for me in the living room. Liz pulled me into a hug and whispered, “Go put a smile back on her face, Jax.”
“I hope she can forgive me for my reaction yesterday. I didn’t do it to hurt her. Is she still out in the pool?”
“Yes,” Matt answered. “She’s still swimming laps.”
Walking through the house to the French doors off the family room, I stood there for a moment and just watched her gliding through the water like she was born to it. I opened the door and stepped outside, quietly closing it behind me. The shadows in the back corner closest to the house helped to hide my presence. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lainie’s number. When she climbed out of the pool and approached the lounge chair, I noticed a tattoo on her left ankle just above the scars. I swallowed hard—I could read it from here. There was a heart with the word “Jax” over it.
Lainie
The swim was invigorating, but my phone rang, so I climbed out of the pool. My hand shook as I reached to pick it up and saw that it was Jax.
“Jax?” I said in a timid voice.
All he said was that we needed to talk. “Just tell me when and where, I’ll be there,” I said as I reminded myself to breathe. When I heard him say, “Right here, right now.” I scanned the yard trying to find him. He stepped out of the shadows, but I couldn’t read his facial expression at first. When he got closer, I couldn’t believe my eyes; the anger was gone, and all I saw was love.
“Jax!” I cried as I rushed to him, and he grabbed me and pulled me close. “I… I was a-f-r-a-i-d you h-a-t-e-d me for leaving the way I did,” I sobbed as the words came out broken and slurred.
He put his index finger up to my lips. “Shhh, I could never hate you. You are my world, Lainie,” he said. “My ego took over yesterday. When I realized you had left in the middle of the night, I convinced myself it was because I wasn’t enough for you. I felt that I wasn’t smart enough, or I didn’t love you enough to keep you.”
“Oh, God. I never meant for you to think that. I’m so sorry I put you through that, Jax.” I buried my face in his shirt and just held him tight. “I’ll never leave you again.”
“Hey, look at me,” he said as he pulled my chin up. “I’m never letting you go.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I can’t go through life without you, sweetheart.”
When the French doors opened, Mom and Matt joined us by the pool. Jax held my hands and got down on one knee. I knew what was coming next, but I couldn’t breathe. His hands started to shake, and it made me feel better that he was nervous too.
“Lainie,” he started. “I loved you in high school; the shy girl who hid behind her glasses and her hair…and then I lost her. Then, I loved the Lainie who was Dr. Elizabeth Parker, strong enough to fight off two of Keith’s thugs until I could get there. I almost lost her to some strawberry extract and my fear of needles, and then I did lose her after she sacrificed herself to save me. But now standing before me is the best Lainie of all. The Lainie who is a combination of the best of all of the others. She’s strong, smart, and is still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She risked everything, including me, to find herself. I love you, Lainie; all of you. Will you marry me?”
I looked at him through tear-filled eyes. “Yes,” I whispered as I nodded. I cleared my throat and said it louder. “Yes.”
He stood and pulled me to him, kiss
ing me until my toes tingled. “Let’s do this as soon as possible. How about tomorrow?” he asked as Mom and Matt come closer. “I don’t have a traditional ring for you, but I have this,” he said as he pulled a ring off his right hand. “I never had a chance to give this to you in high school,” he said as he held up his class ring. He put it into my hand, and I got an idea. I took off my locket and put the ring on the chain with it. Jax took the necklace out of my hands and said, “Let me.” as he grinned from ear to ear. “I never gave this to anyone else. I was saving it for you.”
One week later
Lainie
We walked out of the courthouse as husband and wife. We had exchanged plain gold bands, no fancy diamonds for us. I wore an off-white knee-length dress, and the only accessories were Dad’s locket and Jax’s ring on a chain that hung close to my heart. Jax wore a dark suit and tie. It was a small wedding. Brent and Jordan stood up with us as Mom and Matt looked on. We kept it simple and had decided to spend our money on a party tonight with family and friends.
I heard the click of a camera, but all I could think about was Jax, my husband. Our future stretched out in front of us—a house, maybe even kids. It was hard to believe all this happened because Jax blew off a geometry test all those years ago. The time had come to embrace our future as man and wife. We strolled towards the car hand in hand, ready to begin our new life together.
About the Author
L.A. Remenicky writes love stories with a twist. A forty-something wife and mother of three fur kids, she works as a payroll professional by day and writes out the stories in her head by night.
An avid reader all her life, she finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and has never looked back. When she’s not typing away on her latest tale with music playing in the background, she can usually be found spending time with her family and friends.
You can follow L.A. at these locations:
Website/Blog: http://www.laremenicky.com
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7191202.L_A_Remenicky
Other works by L.A. Remenicky
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/laremenicky
Saving Cassie (Fairfield Corners Book 1) - Everyone has secrets. Sometimes secrets can get you killed. After ten years in the big city, Cassie Holt is moving back to her hometown to take over the bookstore left to her by her beloved Gram, vowing to live her life alone. To her best friend, Sheriff James Marsten, Cassie seems to be the same girl that left Fairfield Corners to go to college but Cassie has secrets and one of those secrets could get her killed. When one of her secrets becomes a threat to her life, James turns to his new deputy to help him keep Cassie safe. Deputy Logan Miller has been burned by love and is not looking to get involved with anyone anytime soon. When he is thrown into close quarters with Cassie, the sparks begin to fly and he begins to see through the walls Cassie has built around her heart. As the threat gets closer, can Logan protect Cassie and protect his heart? (Mature Adult, 18+)
Ragan’s Song (Fairfield Corners Book 2) - It only took one look into his eyes for Ragan to know she was in trouble. Adam Bricklin has heard the melody in his head for years, the melody that told him if a decision was right or wrong. When he met Ragan Newlin, the song told him she was the one. Devastated when circumstances tore them apart, it has taken three years for him to finally move past the heartbreak. With a new girlfriend, a new album in the works, and his daughter doing well in school, things are looking bright; until the day Ragan returned to Fairfield Corners bearing secrets that could change their lives forever. (Mature, 18+)
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