Evolve (Soulmates Book 4)

by Dykes, Nicole

  She didn’t reply to that and I went to bed. I swear my sheets still smelled like Jackie, even though I had washed them since we had been together a week before. That girl was stuck in my head and my heart, and I didn’t think I would ever be able to move on.

  Chapter 28

  Jackie

  About a week after the wedding I woke up really early on Saturday morning and decided to make eggs for breakfast. Despite Andy’s mom trying to teach me to cook, scrambled eggs were about the only breakfast food I was good at.

  Andy usually made me breakfast when we lived together, I thought about him standing shirtless in the kitchen, making me waffles, eggs, and bacon. Krista interrupted my thoughts when she walked in. “Good mornin’ Sunshine! What are you doing up so early? And are you cooking?”

  “I’m attempting to cook and I just couldn’t sleep.”

  “Well that sucks, why not?”

  I turned off the stove and put some eggs onto a plate for Krista and some on my plate. “Andy went out on a date last night.”

  She filled up her coffee cup, took her plate and sat down at the small table in our kitchen. “Ah. Well that’s what you told him you wanted.”

  As soon as I walked into our apartment after I returned from the wedding, Krista had known something had happened. I didn’t lie to her and told her everything. “I did. I just didn’t think it would happen so fast.”

  “Well what did he say about the date?”

  I sat down at the table with her. “He said it was nice and that she was nice.”

  Her tone was full of sarcasm, “Oh wow, hot.” She laughed and then added, “In case I wasn’t laying it on thick enough, I was being sarcastic. It sounds like he’s not into her anyway.”

  “Well he is going to see her again. And this could just be the beginning.”

  She shook her head and sipped her coffee. “Well you never know, but this means you can move on like you wanted. There are plenty of hot cowboys around here to fill your bed. I can fix ya up with one if you would like.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Maybe I’ll just focus on my career. I don’t need to date right now.”

  “Well that’s not really fair to Andy is it? You made him promise to try and now you aren’t gonna?”

  “No I will. I’m just not going to force it. Now that I know Andy is dating if someone comes along that I’m attracted to I won’t be hesitant.”

  She smiled and just drank her coffee. She didn’t say anything, but I knew she didn’t believe a word that was coming out of my mouth.

  After breakfast she was washing the dishes and said, “Hey. I forgot to ask, but can my little brother stay with us for a few days at the end of next month?”

  I was a little suspicious since she had just said she would fix me up. “Um, why?”

  She laughed, “He’s getting married. They are in college in Boston, but having the wedding here. Her parents are super traditional so he can’t stay with them and my parents are going to have a house full before the wedding.”

  “Oh! Of course, that’s exciting!”

  “Yeah, plus I really miss my little brother so I’ll be happy to have him here for a few days.”

  “That’s great. So do you like the girl he’s marrying?”

  “Oh yeah, she’s a sweetie pie. They dated off and on in high school so I know her pretty well.”

  “Well I can’t wait to meet them.”

  She grinned and finished up the dishes and then we spent the Saturday shopping and with lots of girl talk. She left the subject of Andy alone, which I was really grateful for.

  Andy

  It hadn’t been too hard to avoid Sarah because summer school had ended a few days after our date, but when school started back up again in Mid-September it was really difficult.

  It was a fine line between leading her on and being a dick, but I tried to avoid her as much as possible. The first week of school was busy, but I volunteered at hospital that Saturday because it had been a long time.

  When I was about to leave I ran into my mom in the hallway. She gave me a big hug, “Hi honey! What are you doing here?”

  “Hanging out with the kids, what are you doing here on a Saturday?”

  “Oh they were short handed so I picked up an extra shift. You have time for lunch?”

  “Of course.”

  We went down to the hospital cafeteria and got something to eat. My mom looked healthy and was finally starting to put on some of the weight she had lost with the chemo. “You look good, mom. How do you feel?”

  “I feel great. Honestly.”

  “That’s good.”

  “The wedding was really fun wasn’t it? And Jackie looked very pretty.”

  I popped a chip in my mouth, “Yes. Jackie always looks very pretty”

  “Well that’s true. It was good to see her even though we didn’t get a chance to talk. Did you get a chance to talk to her?”

  “Yeah, just for a little bit.”

  She reached out and put her hand over min on the table. “Honey, I know that you didn’t go to Texas with her because of me.”

  I swallowed the food in my mouth and took a drink. I didn’t want to talk about that at all. “Mom…”

  “Don’t mom me. I know you were scared to move that far away because you think I’m fragile, but I’m not. I’m in remission and doing great. And to be honest with you sweetie if anything does happen it won’t matter if you are five miles away or five thousand miles away. I know you love me and you would be there for as soon as you could be.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say and that was okay because my mom kept going, “You cannot put your life on hold because of what might happen. Life is fragile and anything can happen to anyone of us at anytime. I want to see you happy. You have been walking around like a zombie since Jackie left and that hurts me more than anything else.”

  “Wow mom, how long have you been holding all of that in?”

  “Since I found out you were being a dope and not going with the woman you love.”

  “Although, I suppose you being sick was a big part of it, I also can’t leave my job.”

  “Why not, I’m sure if you talk to some of the coaches or teachers around here someone knows of a lead for a job in Dallas or you can just wing it. I know you have money saved.”

  I laughed, “School just started. I can’t leave them hanging and football season.”

  “You never know until you try. They will forgive you for leaving, but can you really, truly forgive yourself for staying? Jackie is a pretty, amazing girl. She will find someone else eventually.”

  “She’s already dating mom. She wants me to move on also.”

  She shook her head, “No. That girl loves you. She does not want to see you with someone else, trust me.”

  After lunch with my mother I was rest conflicted as hell, I went for my second run of the day to try to clear my head. I hated that I was hurting my mother by being miserable and I knew that she blamed herself. I hated that Jackie had told me to move on. I really hated that everyone was telling me what to do.

  Maybe my mom was right though. What if Jackie finds someone else and marries him because he’s not afraid to follow her anywhere she needs to go. I would regret my decision forever.

  Two weeks later I boarded a plane to Dallas and when I landed I rented a car and drove to the address Maddy had written down for me.

  When I told Maddy and Jake I was going to go for it with Jackie, they were both so fucking giddy with excitement. I made them promise not to tell anyone and Jake drove me to the airport.

  I had put in my two weeks at the school and although the principal was disappointed he had said he understood and even wrote down a name of a guy he knew who worked at a high school in Dallas. They would have to have substitute teachers fill in for me while they found someone else, but it shouldn’t have been too hard to find someone.

  It was really hard saying goodbye to the kids that played on the football team and they all gave me shit for being
whipped, but I think they got it. If they didn’t they would someday.

  I took a deep breath and knocked on the door around six in the evening. It was a Saturday so Jackie didn’t have to work so I had hoped she was home. She answered wearing an oversized sweatshirt and her cute pajama shorts. “Andy?”

  “Hi.”

  I stayed out in the hallway and she asked, “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

  “Oh yeah. I just…” I took another deep breath, “I quit my job. And I sublet the house.”

  Her eyes grew wide, “You quit your job? Why?”

  “I should have done it ten months ago. I just was scared, but being without you was scarier.”

  She was about to open her mouth when a good-looking guy wearing a Boston University sweatshirt came over to the door, “Jackie is it our pizza?”

  I couldn’t breathe and had to get out of there so I apologized and took off down the hallway to the stairs. Jackie followed me, “Wait, Andy!”

  I turned just as she caught up to me at the door to the stairwell. “I’m sorry. I should have called you instead of just showing up. That was so fucking stupid. Of course you are with someone.”

  She shook her head catching her breath, “No. That’s Krista’s brother.”

  “You’re dating your roommate’s brother?”

  “No. He’s staying with us, before he gets married in two days. There is nothing going on with him or with anyone else.”

  I sighed, relieved. “Oh.”

  “You really quit your job, and sublet the house?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That was ballsy.”

  “Yeah I guess. I had to take the risk.”

  She smiled, “I’m glad you did, so what now?”

  “Well I’ll find a job and a place to rent. And hopefully you will take me back.”

  “I thought we were just leaving it up to fate?”

  “Well sometimes you have to take control of your own destiny.”

  “What if you are miserable here? What if you can’t find a job? Or you hate your job? I can’t ask you to do this.”

  “You didn’t ask. I can’t be any more miserable here with you than I was there without you. I want to be with you, everything else will just work itself out.”

  “What about your mom?”

  “She is the biggest reason I’m here. She basically called me a moron for not going with you in the first place.”

  Jackie grabbed the back of my head with her small hands and pulled me to her. She placed a quick kiss on my lips, like she was still uncertain. “This isn’t fair. You had to give up everything.”

  I leaned down and kissed her mouth, needing to taste her again. Just kissing Jackie made me feel more alive than anything else had my entire life. “Not everything. I’m not saying I will love it here, what I am saying is that I will try to love it here.”

  She grabbed my hand and walked me back to her apartment and pulled me inside. The guy from earlier was sitting on the couch with a girl, who I assumed was his sister. She stood up, “Oh my God, Andy?”

  I nodded, “Yeah. Hi. Krista?”

  She hugged me tight and then pulled away, “Oh wow. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you. So very much.”

  Jackie shook her head, “Krista.”

  Krista giggled and looked back at me, “So did you finally come to your senses?”

  I nodded, “Yep, if she’ll have me.”

  She laughed, “Oh she’ll have you. This girl is crazy about you.”

  Jackie bumped Krista’s hip with her own, “Krista, stop.”

  She laughed and went back to the couch and Jackie looked over at me, “Do you want to go talk in my room.”

  I nodded and she led me back to her bedroom, closing the door behind us. “Andy, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you and how much I have dreamt about you showing up here.”

  I smiled and pulled her into another kiss. She kissed me back for a few seconds and then slowly pushed me away, with her hand on my chest and she went on “I can’t have you resenting me though.”

  “I won’t. I promise. I need you Jackie.”

  “Okay, then we will make a deal. If you try to make it work here with me, but after six months you absolutely hate it here, I will go back with you to Kansas.”

  “Jackie, you can’t give up your career.”

  “But you can? No it has to be a compromise or it won’t work and you have to be completely honest with me.”

  I sat down on her bed and rubbed the light stubble on my chin thinking it over, “Deal.”

  She smiled and sat next to me. “You promise to be honest about it if you hate it here?”

  “Yes, I promise, but I won’t.”

  She grinned, a huge happy grin and kissed me. “I love you, Andy.”

  “I love you too, Jackie.”

  Epilogue

  Jackie

  6 months later…

  I walked into my apartment that I shared with Andy around eleven after I got home from work. We had moved in together a few months before and Andy had found a job at one of the local high schools. He was the P.E. teacher for elementary kids and although I didn’t think he hated it there, I wasn’t sure he was satisfied.

  I threw my keys down on the table by the door and was greeted by a very excited Charlie. He had stayed with Maddy and Jake for a month while Andy found a new place to live and then we drove up to get him.

  I walked into the bedroom where Andy was lying on the bed, is his boxers, reading. I smiled at him, “I caught you before you went to sleep.”

  “Yeah, it’s a school night, but I wanted to see you.”

  I sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped my shoes off. “I’m glad you are up, I need to talk to you.”

  He pulled me on his lap and leaned up to kiss my neck, “No talking.”

  He moved his lips to my collarbone and I almost couldn’t get the words out, “Wait, just like five minutes of talking first.”

  He moved away and looked at me, “Please tell me we aren’t moving to Alaska.”

  I laughed, “No, but I hope we are going to move.”

  He looked worried, “Move where? Jackie please tell me we aren’t going to Great Bend, I’m okay here. You can’t go back to that job.”

  “I’m not. I did put in for a transfer a couple of months ago, but not to Great Bend.”

  “Where?”

  “Wichita.” I put my hands up, “Hear me out. It’s during their evening broadcast and they are a big city. And it’s only two hours from home. You know that Paul and Shelley are going to have another kid soon and it’s only a matter of months before Maddy and Jake announce they are going to have a baby. This is the time to be around friends and family.”

  He was thinking about it and I continued with my well planned out speech, “I know that you have tried really hard here, but I can see it in your eyes. You want to be closer to home. I love you and want you to be happy and this way we can have everything we both want.”

  He grinned, “If you are fucking with me, it’s really cruel.”

  “I’m not. I start in June if I want the job, so you can finish the school year and we can move.”

  Andy

  I grabbed Jackie and hugged her tightly, I was so happy I didn’t even know what to say. This was my dream girl and I had her all to myself. I kissed her nose and released her from my grip, slightly. “So we are moving?”

  She nodded, “Yep. I’m going to miss Krista, but honestly that’s about it. I’m ready to be closer to home too.”

  A few months later we packed everything up and moved into a house we bought together in Wichita. I found a great job teaching high school, health and physical education and had a promise of coach when it opened up. Jackie fit right in at the news station and everything was perfect.

  My mom and dad came to visit us a week after we moved in and a week after that Maddy and Jake came to visit us and stayed a week.

  Jackie and I
were happy, but not at all surprised when they announced Maddy was pregnant with their first baby. We celebrated by taking them out to a nice dinner that night and I couldn’t wait to see what the next five years would hold.

  Letter from the Author

  Hey! Thanks so much for reading this book! I hope you enjoyed it! I truly love these characters and am a little sad that the next one will be the last one. I am taking a short break from the Soulmates Series and working on a standalone, but don’t worry these crazy friends will be back with Michelle’s chaotic story very soon. In the meantime I put in a little sneak peek of my new book, Unsocial on the next page.

  Please visit me at:

  https://www.goodreads.com/message/inbox

  https://www.facebook.com/soulmatesauthor

  https://www.facebook.com/Soulmates-1607194522867504/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

  https://twitter.com/nicoledykes87

  Also a very special thank you to all of my beta readers:

  Jaime, Aliana, and Jo-Ann you guys are freaking amazing!

  Thank you to Abbigail Barger for helping me with all of the awesome teasers

  https://www.facebook.com/abbigail.barger

  And last, but not least the blogs that have helped me tremendously:

  https://www.facebook.com/fallenforbooks/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

  https://www.facebook.com/PagingThroughTheDays/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

  And many many others!

  Sneak Peek

  Unsocial

  By Nicole Dykes

  Chapter 1

  Dylan

  Joy rolled her naked body off of mine and laid on the bed next to me with a satisfied grin plastered across her face. “Wow, Dylan. That was worth the wait.”

  Joy worked as a receptionist at my garage and I had just broken my one rule: do not fuck anyone you work with. I didn’t need a lawsuit and I knew I had to handle this delicately. I wasn’t interested in being with her, but she worked for me.