Evolve (Soulmates Book 4)

by Dykes, Nicole

  She laughed and took a sip of her tea, “Oh you will be fine. You’re gonna love everyone at the station. Everyone is pretty friendly.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  We finished eating and called it an early night. My first day on air was the following day and I wanted to be as rested as possible.

  The next morning I woke up and felt fairly refreshed. Getting used to sleeping in a new bed was a little tough at first and I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Andy’s face, but I eventually fell asleep and slept hard.

  I wasn’t due to be on air until that evening, but I went into the station with Krista to meet everyone. Krista was right. Everyone was very nice and welcomed me with warm greetings.

  I talked to my new supervisor, Connie, a woman in her mid forties who told me she used to be an on air anchor ten years prior. She was professional and easy to relate to, “Don’t be nervous, people are going to eat you up with your blonde hair, blue eyes, and model good looks. They will all love you. You also have a very friendly look about you.”

  “Thank you. I wanted to thank you for this opportunity. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  She smiled, “Oh I do, but you are very welcome. I’m just glad you accepted. The guy I spoke to said you had to leave a relationship to be here.”

  I nodded solemnly, “Yes.”

  She placed her hand on my shoulder, “I’m sorry. In our business relationships often take the backseat. You won’t regret it though.”

  I wasn’t so sure she was right, but I agreed and then she showed me around the rest of the station.

  I had a lot of fun that evening during my first broadcast in Dallas. I met my co anchor prior to going on the air. He was a good looking, clean shaven man in his late twenties. His name was Blake Sorenson and he was very friendly and a huge change from my last co-anchor.

  Over the next week, Krista and I fell into a very easy friendship and I got very used to my new surroundings. I hated to admit it, but I fit in a lot faster than I would have ever imagined.

  I didn’t forget about my friends in Kansas and I rarely went thirty minutes without Andy crossing my mind. I hadn’t spoken to him since I left and missed him like crazy. I couldn’t help, but wonder what he was doing and how he was dealing with our break up.

  I exchanged several texts with Maddy and Michelle. Maddy and Jake had set the date for the wedding for the Fourth of July and Maddy asked me to be a bridesmaid. I accepted and agreed to come home a few months before the wedding to go dress shopping. I assured her I would be the best bridesmaid I could be and not to worry.

  Andy

  After Jackie left, school started again and I did my best to keep busy. I hated being in the house because it felt empty and everything reminded me of Jackie. I was in a fog and most of that first week was a total blur.

  A little over a week after Jackie left, I was headed out for a run and about to lock the door when I saw my mom’s car pull up. She got out and walked up to, giving me a big hug.

  “Mom, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

  She held up some Tupperware containers she had, “Yes. Everything is fine. Just brought you some food.”

  I smiled and invited her in. I took her coat and she sat down on the couch. Charlie ran over to her, excited to see her. She petted him, laughing at how happy he was.

  I took the food and put it in the kitchen and walked back out into the living room. “Thank you for the food, but you don’t have to take care of me.”

  She scoffed, “I’m your mom.”

  “I know.”

  She looked around the living room. “It sure feels empty here without Jackie.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Have you talked to her since she left?”

  My body was tense. I didn’t want to talk about this. “No. I heard she made it to Dallas though.”

  “Well that’s good. Andy, can I ask you a question?”

  I knew what she was going to ask and I couldn’t go into why I didn’t go with Jackie at that moment. “I wish you wouldn’t.”

  She took mercy on me and moved on, “Well, how is school going?”

  “Good. Since football season is over, I’ve had too much time on my hands, but not bad.”

  “Well you should come and volunteer at the hospital. We have so many sick children that would love some company. You are so good with kids.”

  “I would love that. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  She stood up, “No thank you. I have to get going, but come and see us sometime. We miss you.”

  We hugged again, “I will. I promise. Take care of yourself.”

  She left and I went for my first run of the day.

  The next few months went a little smoother, I still hated being in the house, but I spent a lot of time with Jake and Maddy. I also volunteered at the hospital in my free time.

  At the end of February I sold most of the old furniture in my house and bought all new furniture with some of the money I had saved. I needed a change and had to make the time I spent at home bearable.

  I sold our suede couch and replaced it with a nice brown leather one. I replaced the old recliner with one that matched the new couch. Everything was replaced from the bathroom décor to the dishes in the kitchen. The house was transformed from a cozy home to a bachelor pad.

  I still thought about Jackie often, but not seeing her pink towels in the bathroom somehow helped.

  Chapter 23

  Jackie

  By the beginning of March I had thrown myself into my new job. I loved every second of it and had learned to numb myself to the pain of not being with Andy.

  I usually went into the studio around three in the afternoon and stayed until around eleven at night. Krista worked from nine in the morning until five so we couldn’t carpool, which was disappointing because I really loved spending time with her.

  There was nothing that was off limits with us. Somehow in the two short months we had known each other we knew everything about one another. I told her everything about Andy and she was very sympathetic having had went through a break up six months before.

  After Blake and I wrapped up another broadcast on the first Friday of March he walked me out to my car. We had really got along in the past couple of months and apparently the fans of the station thought we had great on air chemistry, at least according to Connie and Facebook.

  I thanked him for walking me to my car and was about to unlock it, but he lingered there. “Is everything okay?”

  He ran his hand through his thick blond hair and it reminded of Andy. “Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go get a drink. I mean it is Friday after all. No work tomorrow.”

  It was obvious that he was talking about more than just a friendly drink with a co-worker. I wasn’t sure what to say, he was a nice enough guy and I wasn’t blind. He was a handsome man, but I felt no attraction to him, whatsoever. “I really can’t. I think I’m just going to go home and hang out with Krista.”

  “I know that you just got out a relationship Jackie, but I think you should give us a chance. We have a lot in common and I’m a really nice guy when you get to know me.”

  He flashed me a winning smile. There was no telling who had told him about my relationship with Andy, the station was worse than high school when it came to gossip. “You are a nice guy. I’m just not ready to date. And we work together. We should just keep things professional.”

  He smiled, “Okay, but I think I’m gonna win you over.”

  I laughed and drove to my apartment. Krista was waiting with pizza and wine. Somehow she knew exactly what I needed. We watched a sappy movie she rented and ate. I told her about Blake.

  “I can’t believe you turned down Blake Sorenson. You know how many girls would kill to go out with him?”

  I took a bite of cheese pizza. “I know. He just doesn’t do it for me.”

  “Okay. You have to show me a picture of your Andy, because if Blake doesn’t do it
for you I need to know what does.”

  I picked up my phone and scrolled to one of my favorite pictures of Andy. It was last Fourth of July at the lake house. It was right after Jake had come home and our little group was whole again. Andy was only in a pair of black swim trunks, his body was tan and he had his gorgeous, cocky grin on his face. I turned the phone to show Krista and she took it in her hands.

  “Good Lord! You left that man all alone in Kansas?” She play fanned herself.

  I laughed and took my phone back, “You’re going to get drool all over my phone.”

  “I’m sorry, but damn! Tell me he has a terrible personality.”

  “Nope. He’s great. He’s a teacher and a coach. He was the first person to really make me feel like I was important.”

  “Small dick?”

  I smacked her playfully, “Krista!”

  “What? He has to have something wrong with him.”

  I shook my head, “No.” I couldn’t help smiling when I thought about how not small he was. It had to have been written on my face because Krista grinned.

  “You’re a dirty, dirty girl.”

  I laughed. “I can’t talk about Andy anymore. I miss him so freaking much.”

  “I know you do. I can’t blame ya, but maybe he will change his mind and move here. Of course then you will have to fight me for him.”

  I shook my head, “You are terrible.”

  “I know right?”

  That night we fell asleep in the living room watching movies and talking. It was nice and reminded me a bit of my days in high school. The next day we went shopping and out to lunch. When we were walking around, we walked by a salon and I decided to get a haircut.

  I had my hair down to the middle of my back for as long as I could remember so I thought it was time for a change. I got a really cute, layered cut that fell just above my shoulders. Krista was giddy with excitement when she saw it and I loved it. It felt like a good addition to my new chapter.

  In April I flew into Wichita after our Friday broadcast. I scheduled it a month in advance so I ended up with a direct flight. Michelle picked me up at the airport at two in the morning and surprised me when she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, “Missed ya bitch! And you’re really lucky I love ya because it’s fucking late!”

  “I missed you too! And I love you too.”

  We drove to Great Bend and I filled her in on my new job and roommate.

  “And what about your hottie co-anchor?”

  She had stalked me on Facebook and probably checked out the station’s page. Our pictures were all over that. I laughed, “That’s Blake.”

  She wagged her eyebrows suggestively at me, “And?”

  “And nothing. We work together.”

  “Boring.”

  I laughed again, “Yep.”

  “How’s Andy?”

  She looked at the clock on the dash of her car, “Wow, that’s impressive. A whole hour before you asked about him.”

  I had wanted to ask at the airport and had resisted. “Is he okay?”

  “I haven’t seen him much, but according to Maddy, he’s fine. He misses you obviously, but we all do.”

  We got to Michelle’s at four in the morning and we both crashed as soon as we got in.

  Saturday afternoon we went dress shopping with Maddy. She found the most beautiful wedding dress I had ever seen and picked out really pretty dark purple bridesmaid dresses for Michelle, Shelley, and me. Shelley would have to get a fitting much closer to the wedding since she was pregnant and due in late June, right before the wedding.

  Maddy had said it was up to Shelley if she felt like being in the wedding. I couldn’t imagine squeezing into a formal dress weeks after giving birth, but maybe she would be up to it.

  We ate dinner and then Michelle and I went back to her apartment. My flight was scheduled for that night so I went to the gas station down the road to get some snacks and coffee for our trip.

  I was deciding between plain M&M’s and peanut butter M&M’s when I heard Andy’s voice up at the counter. He thanked the clerk and headed outside toward his car. I put the candy down and followed after him.

  “Andy!”

  He looked startled and turned to me, “Jackie? What are you doing here?”

  “Dress shopping.”

  “Ah, fun.”

  “Yeah it was okay. How are you?”

  He looked good physically, but he was different somehow. He looked at me straight faced, “I’m okay. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Busy.”

  “Yeah I figured.”

  “You keeping busy?”

  He nodded, “Yeah. I’ve been teaching and volunteering at the hospital. And I just started coaching a kid’s soccer team. So that’s been fun.”

  Andy had always been really great with kids. They admired him. “That’s great.”

  “Yeah. Well it was good to see ya. I guess I’ll see ya again at the wedding.”

  I didn’t want him to leave, but it seemed like he was very eager to get the hell out of there. “Yeah I’ll see you then. Take care of yourself.”

  He gave me a slight nod, got in his car and left.

  I hated how weird that conversation was felt. It felt silly, but I was disappointed he didn’t even mention my haircut. I knew it was dramatically different and he acted like it was nothing. I shook it off and decided I was just being shallow. I went and got the snacks I went there to get and went back to Michelle’s.

  Andy

  Running into Jackie at the gas station had left me rattled. I knew she would be home soon to go shopping with Maddy, but I didn’t know exactly when she would be home and I hadn’t wanted to know.

  I went home and took a long, hot shower. She had looked so different. She had chopped off her long hair. She had had long hair since the first time I met her. The conversation between us was awkward and I just wanted to escape.

  Who knew what else she had changed in her life. For all I knew the girl I fell in love with was completely gone.

  I got out of the shower and changed into a t-shirt and jeans. I fed Charlie and grabbed my keys and left.

  I drove to the bar and went inside. I had to coach the soccer team early the next morning so I sat down at the bar and ordered a club soda. It was pretty packed in there with it being one of only two bars in the town and it being Saturday night.

  I was sitting at the bar, drinking my club soda and staring mindlessly at the large TV across the room when a tall, pretty blond walked over and sat next to me. She glanced over at me, playing with her hair, that she had obviously spent a lot of time on that night. “Is it okay if I sit here?”

  I just nodded, trying not to engage. She didn’t take the hint and smiled over at me, begging me to look at her. I did and she smiled. “Aren’t you going to buy me a drink?”

  I sighed and flagged down the bartender, “What are you drinking?”

  “Anything fruity.”

  I looked at the bartender, he nodded and made her some pink concoction and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” She purred at me.

  “You’re welcome.” I sipped my club soda.

  “You don’t talk very much do you?”

  I shrugged, “I’m just having a bad day.”

  She put her hand on my thigh, “I bet I can make it better.”

  I stood up and put some money down on the bar and told the bartender to keep the change. The girl stood up too, excitedly, “My place or yours?”

  “I’m going to my place. I’m not sure where you are going.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  I walked out of the bar. I knew I was being a dick, but I didn’t care. I really just wanted to be left alone. I got in my car and I remembered I had told Jake I would stop by that night. He was having a poker night with Paul and some guys. I had totally forgotten about it, but they were probably only about an hour in.

  I thought maybe it would be good to be around the guys inste
ad of hiding in my house, so I headed out to the lake.

  I was distracted thinking about Jackie and it had started pouring down rain as soon as I got onto the highway out of town. I was wondering what Jackie was doing at that moment and probably driving a little too fast when my car hit a slick spot in the road. The car hydroplaned off of the road and before I could stop it ran straight into a tree on the left side of the road.

  I remembered someone stopping and calling 911 and that was about it until I woke up in the hospital. Maddy and Jake were in my hospital room looking freaked the fuck out. And I saw my mom in her scrubs, standing on the other side. They noticed I was awake and Maddy walked over to me, “Oh thank God.”

  My head was pounding, “Did I lose consciousness?”

  My mom leaned down and hugged me gently and then stood up, “You have a concussion, but your scans came back normal.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, “Someone saw you leaving the bar tonight, but your tox screen came back negative.”

  “You think I would drink and drive?”

  “Well I had hoped you wouldn’t, but you haven’t been yourself lately sweetie.”

  “So can I go home?”

  “I’ll go get your doctor and we will see. It would probably be best to stay the night.”

  I shook my head, “I want to leave if nothing is wrong with me.”

  She sighed, “I’ll be back.”

  She left the room and I looked over at Jake who looked pissed off. He walked a little closer, “What the fuck where you thinking?”

  “What are you talking about? It was an accident.”

  “Was it? The cop said it was likely that you were speeding.”

  “I’m pretty sure we are all guilty of speeding every once in a while. What the fuck is your problem?”

  “Are you kidding me?” He was practically screaming. He left the room, punching the wall on the way out.

  It didn’t leave a dent in the wall, but it made Maddy jump slightly. I stared at her, “Do you know what the hell that was about?”

  “It just brought back memories. You have Jake as your emergency contact.”

  I leaned my head back against the bed. Fuck. Jake’s brother had been killed in a car accident. I had him listed as my emergency contact after Jackie left because I never thought anything would happen to me. If anything had happened though I hadn’t wanted my mom to be contacted since she didn’t need the stress.