by Vi Carter
“Layla.” The warning this time was different from only a few moments ago on the beach. It was strong, yet gentle.
“You hear me?” Jared’s eyes gleamed again like he was fighting back the tears and that made me pause.
“Yeah, I do. Are you okay?” I asked, and it broke the spell. He released me and looked away briefly. When his eyes returned to mine, they no longer gleamed.
“Come on, let me take you home.” He opened the car, but I stood there and watched him open his own door. Our eyes collided once again over the roof.
“Get in Layla,” he said before disappearing into the vehicle. I got in but couldn’t help when something niggled at me. For a moment he had looked so broken, and it was a look I used to see him wear when he thought no one was watching. But he was only a kid then. I had never really questioned it. But now seeing it in his eyes made my stomach tighten. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he reversed out of the spot, his arm over my headrest as he looked out the back window.
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked still reversing.
“I’m not sure. You just looked so sad a moment ago.” Sad wasn’t the correct word. Brown eyes focused on mine now, as his hand shifted the stick into the gear.
“I hate to see you cry.” Even as he said it, his voice held a note of something else.
A lie?
“Why do I feel like there’s something you aren’t telling me?” I asked, and he looked at the road with a laugh that didn’t sound real. It came out more bitter than anything.
“Like what?” he asked as he put his foot down way too quickly, jerking me forward. His arm shot out to keep me from hitting the dash.
“Put on your seatbelt.” He spoke now through gritted teeth. He was like four seasons at once this night. I couldn’t figure him out. The snap of my seatbelt had him pulling his arm away from me.
“Like how you're all emotional tonight.” Emotional wasn’t the right word, but I didn’t know how to explain this.
“Yeah, well, Layla. I just broke up with my girlfriend tonight. So…” My stomach tightened with knots, and I sank back into the chair.
Oh.
That explained his behavior. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
His jaw twitched before he spoke. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, and I begged to differ, but I decided to leave it alone. Guilt ate at me. Had I caused this? As I looked out the window, I noticed most of the houses were dark. Only one or two had lights on behind curtains. It took us another five minutes of torturous silence before Jared pulled up to my house. The porch light was left on. Bless Carl’s and Evelyn’s heart.
My shoes sat on the floor, and I unclipped the belt while pulling them on. Sitting back, I grabbed my bag while reaching for the door.
“Our break-up didn’t have anything to do with you.” I sat back and looked at Jared, my mouth slightly ajar. His words were reflecting my thoughts. But I just nodded, and Jared let out a heavy breath.
“I don’t want you thinking it’s your fault.” His hands clutched the steering wheel tightly. My suspicions were rising.
“Okay… Is someone going to say it’s my fault?” I questioned slowly. Jared’s gaze flickered to mine before he observed me. I wanted to squirm in my seat from the heaviness of his stare.
“Yes. Alex blames you.” My face lit on fire. Oh God, had she noticed how I looked at him? I felt sick, my stomach was queasy.
“Layla, but that’s not true.” Jared tried to reassure me. But of course, he saw me as a friend and thought that’s how I saw him. But Alex could see it.
“What did she say?” I whispered, not wanting to know but needing to know. This time Jared looked away.
“Stupid stuff that made no sense.” He shook his head and released the steering wheel. “Look, I’m shattered. We can talk more tomorrow.”
I swallowed the fear that was clawing its way up my throat. Had I caused this? Was Jared too embarrassed to tell me what Alex said? I nodded and opened the door, one foot on the road when Jared’s hand circled my wrist. The heat of his hands warmed the coldest parts inside me and my eyes burned. I squeezed my eyes before looking at him with a forced smile.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” I said. He studied me, his eyes burning a pathway along my face.
“Goodnight.” One word, but it made my stomach fill with lead.
“Night, Jared.” He released my wrist, and I got out quickly. Closing the door, I made it up the drive. His car didn’t pull off until I was safely inside.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I woke up Sunday morning to a message from Jared.
I’m sorry for being a dick last night. Was out of order. Can I make it up to you?
I smiled now at his words. He was always so kind to me. Even after so much time away from each other, and now his breakup with Alex, he was still nice to me. Thinking of him having no girlfriend gave me way more joy than it should have.
Sure, what do you want to do? I typed back quickly, before making my way downstairs.
Evelyn was waiting in the kitchen, with a plate of toast on the table. I went straight for the coffee, my head complaining about the alcohol I had drunk last night. She didn’t say anything until I sat down. Instead, she buttered a slice of toast, and cut it into triangles before passing the plate over to me.
“I know we haven’t put down any ground rules. But I think we should.” A flush crept across my cheeks, and Evelyn immediately waved her hand at me.
“I’m not getting on to you, sweetheart. It’s just that I worry.” I took a bite out of my toast to give myself something to do.
“No, I get it.”
Carl arrived in the kitchen then, with a grey suit on, his face freshly shaven. He was leaving on another business trip. He kissed me on the head before moving quickly through the kitchen, gathering up his travel mug, keys, and phone.
“Fun night?” he asked while looking for something else, most likely his wallet, that he always left in the woven basket on the hall table.
“Yeah,” I answered as Evelyn watched me, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
“It’s in the basket in the hall,” I told Carl who finally looked up at me, his eyes lighting up.
“You’re right.” He gave me another kiss on the head before kissing Evelyn softly on the cheek. “I’ll see you girls tomorrow night,” he said before leaving.
I chewed on the toast as Evelyn drank her coffee. “I think we should limit ourselves to three drinks.” I nodded immediately. I wasn’t someone for drinking anyway so I wouldn’t be repeating last night again.
“How do you know I had more than three?” I asked, and Evelyn grinned.
“Have you looked in the mirror? And I was your age once.” I hadn’t looked in the mirror, but I obviously looked terrible. I was about to comment on the age thing, but the door rang. Evelyn got up to get it, and I wondered what Carl had forgotten this time. He was always leaving something behind.
I could hear the front door close. “What did he forget?” I called. I looked towards the door, expecting Evelyn and Carl to walk in. And there was Jared, with a grin on his face.
“Jared. What… Why are you here?” I asked.
Evelyn came in behind him, her eyes wide as she stared at me over his shoulder. Humiliation stained my cheeks as Jared’s grin widened. He sat down beside Evelyn’s chair.
“Don’t be so rude,” Evelyn told me, and my jaw dropped.
“Tea or Coffee?” she asked Jared, who was enjoying this far too much.
“Tea, please. Thank you, Mrs. Reid.”
Evelyn was just about to pour his tea but paused. With a smile on her face, she said, “Call me Evelyn.”
Thank you, Evelyn.” Jared’s voice was as smooth as butter. He faced me and smiled, and his dimples showed. My heart lifted.
“Every time you see me, you make me feel so unwanted.” His teasing tone had a chuckle coming from Evelyn. I was trying to take in that Jared was sitting beside me in my kitchen as Evelyn made him tea. Then I
remembered I was in my bed clothes, and after Evelyn’s statement, I more than likely looked like someone who had a hangover.
“You keep arriving unannounced,” I said in my defense.
“You never answer your phone.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He had a point, I had left it upstairs, but still.
“Here sweetie,” Evelyn said, as she placed the mug in front of Jared. My mouth was slightly ajar again. Evelyn sat down with a raised eyebrow at me. I knew that look she was giving me. It was to mind my P’s and Q’s.
“So…” I said to Jared, whose eyes lit up with glee at my discomfort.
“So…” He said before taking a sip of the tea, dragging out my torture. “I’m here to take you out.” My face heated, thankfully Jared now focused on Evelyn. It gave me a second to try to gather myself. Instead, my eyes roamed over him. His grey t-shirt fit him snugly. Tanned arms rested on the table. My eyes followed the curve of his neck, across his sharp cheekbones.
“This tea is great,” he told Evelyn, making me look up to find her watching me. Her eyes flickered back to Jared.
“You’re welcome. So where are you thinking of going?” The question wasn’t asked with the recent joking nature that she had taken since Jared arrived, now she sounded like a mother. What had changed?
Was it because she caught me looking at him?
“To Shirsberry,” He said before looking at me. “There’s a garden exhibit at the Shirsberry Town Center. Thought you might like it.” My heart swelled in my chest, he was always so considerate. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. When I glanced at Evelyn, she was hiding a smile behind her mug.
“Yeah, sounds great,” I told Jared, and he let out a little breath like I might say no.
“Whenever you’re ready.” He was always ready to protect, and I wondered if today because of last night. Did he feel guilty over Kieran? Because that would be Jared. He was here because he cared about me, because I was his friend. Right now, I wanted to hug him. Jared tipped his head to the side.
“You okay?” My cheeks burned at his questions. I was staring at him. My eyes flickered to Evelyn, and I got up before my hair caught fire with how hot my face felt. Yeah, she was amused by my embarrassment. The corner of her eyes where crinkly from smiling.
“Yep. I’ll go get ready.” I didn’t look at either as I left the room.
The blue sundress really made my already large blue eyes pop. It was my favorite and one I kept for special occasions. But I rarely got to wear it. Only that one time when Evelyn’s sister’s son was being deployed, and we had to attend the ‘final meal.’ That’s what Carl called it once we had gotten out of the house. I had hidden the grin, but his wink had told me he had seen it. It was the most depressing meal I had ever attended, and I had so many shitty dinners with Bert and Ronnie that I didn’t think anything could be worse. I was wrong.
Evelyn’s sister, Rose, looked nearly identical to Evelyn and spent the meal either sobbing onto her fork that she would fill with food, and get it into her mouth and then cry, while it sat locked between her lips. It wasn’t until her husband comforted her that she removed the fork and chewed her food slowly and loudly. The son, I can’t even remember his name–Warren I think? – had eaten his food mechanically, and every once in a while, he would glance over at us and apologize before patting his mother’s hand.
My fingers ran down the buttons on the full length of the dress. Giving myself one final look in the mirror I flipped my hair back over my shoulders.
Evelyn kept Jared entertained while they waited for me. She and Jared chatted easily. Once I opened the door, my stomach flipped as Jared grinned. It spread across his face, and his dimples appeared. I stopped at the door trying to calm myself.
“You should maybe grab a jacket.” Evelyn’s voice snapped my attention from Jared to her. Her eyes said so much more. Maybe grab some common sense while I was at it. I got my jacket and bag off the hook in the hall as I talked to myself. I needed to pull myself together. When I returned, I was more composed and smiled at Evelyn.
“I shouldn’t be too late,” I told her.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The scent of peanut butter in Jared’s jeep had me raising a brow at him. His laugh had a silly grin growing on my face.
“I made sandwiches,” he confessed, before starting the jeep and pulling away from my house. I was shaking my head, grinning, but my heart was all over the place.
“You made peanut butter sandwiches again,” I said, and this time when Jared glanced at me he wasn’t smiling, and my stomach fluttered.
“Just in case you were hungry.” He focused on the road now, his cheeks slightly tinged with red.
He still amazed me. I glanced at the window before looking back at him. An overwhelming feeling to reach out and touch his hand had me stuffing mine between my legs. My knees bobbled, and I looked out the window.
You can do this.
I focused on all the houses we passed, Needing to relax, I closed my eyes and tried not to think of the person beside me. It felt as if he were watching me. Glancing over at him, I could see he was focused on the road, but my stare got his attention, and now he looked at me.
“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.” He said this after a moment.
I was making this seem like I was ungrateful when really, the stupid sandwich was making my heart hammer. “No. I want it,” I said, and when I smiled, his dimples appeared.
“I knew you couldn’t resist a peanut butter sandwich. If I ever wanted to kidnap you, all I would have to do is leave a trail of them from your door all the way to my jeep,” he said, and I laughed.
“You wouldn’t need to do that. I’d come without the sandwich.” His answer was a big smile, which had me smiling too. Our gazes connected, and I saw a look on Jared’s face that I recognized. Happiness.
Jared pulled over and stopped in a parking lot overlooking the beach. It was the same strip we were at last night. He reached into the backseat, the smell of him feeding my lungs. He was so close that I had to look out the window before I did something crazy, like sniff him.
Once he sat back, he opened the bag and took out the sandwich and a bottle of water. Handing it to me, he smiled. I unwrapped the tinfoil, thinking how he had taken the time to make this sandwich, wrap it for me and put it in the bag. A lump formed in my throat.
“Thank you,” I told him, and when I looked up my stomach fluttered.
“What’s wrong?” His own sandwich sat in his hand, the bottle of water between his legs.
“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just so nice.”
Relief swept over Jared’s face. As an afterthought, he smirked and took a bite of his sandwich. “I’m a nice guy,” he said, the cockiness in his voice had me snorting a laugh.
I opened my sandwich, telling myself to stop being sentimental. Taking a bite, I sank back into my seat exaggerating how tasty it was. I ignored the thump of my heart as Jared laughed.
“That’s it. I’m keeping a stash of them in my car. Every time you get in, you’re eating one.”
“I won’t argue.” I took another bite before looking out onto the beach. Not many were around, but you could already tell it was going to be a hot day today. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago we were at the beach. For the first time, I thought of Kieran. Taking a drink, I washed down the sandwich that now felt heavy in my stomach. My thoughts had moved to Alex. I hadn’t even thought to ask Jared how he was.
What kind of friend did that make me?
Glancing at him sideways, I looked at him for some sign of how he was feeling. He seemed content. He was looking out at the beach chewing the last of his sandwich. His hands rested on his lap; he looked relaxed. His black t-shirt clung to him, and I had to look away. I wasn’t ever like this. My mind never wandered on me like that.
“So, how are you?” I asked and was surprised with how much Jared’s body tensed. His jaw looked tight now. So. He was upset.
Then I scolded myself.
Of course, he was upset. He just broke up with his girlfriend – which I may have caused.
He crumbled up the tinfoil, his focus on it like it held all the answers. “I’m good. Why do you ask?”
He sounded so defensive. Was he mad at me?
“Just. I’m sorry…" I looked up at Jared, and he was glancing at me, brows furrowed like he was confused. “About Alex,” I added and his face relaxed, which confused me now.
“So…Alex?” I repeated it as a question, before stuffing the tinfoil that he had clenched in his fist into the bag.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It wasn’t working.” He sounded so relieved that the relationship was over.
“Are you sure?” I didn’t want to be pushy, but his response wasn’t one I was expecting. At first, I thought he was mad or still hurt. But the fact that he was fine about it just seemed odd.
He gave me a smile. “Yeah, don’t worry. Alex and I have been having problems for a while now.” Hearing his words helped the guilt I had felt sprout wings and fly away. “So yeah,” he murmured before glancing away. “I’m good.” Jared took the tinfoil out of my hand, and our fingers brushed together slightly. The contact caused my pulse to skip. I shifted back at the unexpected feeling. Jared didn’t seem to notice my reaction as he stuffed the tinfoil into the brown paper bag.
As he put on his seatbelt, I focused on putting on mine. “Well if you ever want to talk, you know I’m here.” This time he observed me slowly, the shift of his eyes over my face had me forcing myself to hold still.
“I know you are. Thanks.” His long tanned fingers entwined with mine, and my eyes widened in surprise as I looked at our hands. This wasn’t the first time he had done this, so I don’t know why it felt more intimate. Maybe it was the setting, the two of us alone in his car overlooking the beach, or maybe it was how his eyes seemed more golden than I had ever seen them before. The dimples were out now in full show, and my lips twitched before turning into a smile.
“I’m here for you, too,” Jared said, still looking at me and smiling.
