“Okay, but why are we having dinner with your sister and your ex?” he asks.
“I was going to try to get out of it until she made a comment about how she understood if I couldn’t handle seeing them so happy. After that, I couldn’t tell her no. Will you go with me?” I ask.
“Of course I’ll go with you and we will show them how happy we are. It will be fine, Leighton. I have your back, baby.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you don’t have to go to work tomorrow. I would probably go crazy sitting around all day waiting on you to come home. I can’t believe I have to have dinner with both of them,” I say.
“Well, I definitely think I have a few ways I can keep you distracted,” he says, smiling.
Brody
“It’s going to be fine. I really wish you would calm down. I know they both hurt you, but I am actually kind of glad it happened. If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have you here with me right now,” I say, hoping she realizes how much I care about her. I really can’t imagine my life without her.
“I know. I am so glad I’m not with him. I just wish he had found someone that wasn’t my sister. Sisters just don’t do that,” Leighton says, leaning over to give me a kiss on the cheek. “I love you. Thanks for doing this for me.”
“I would do anything for you. You should know that. I am going to have dinner with your crazy sister and your ex-boyfriend that you dated for four years,” I say, smiling at her. “Remember, we can leave anytime you want. Just let me know and I will get you out of there.”
I pull into the restaurant and find a parking place. We head inside and Leighton walks up to the hostess to see if they are already seated.
“Right this way,” the hostess says, leading us to a table. I glance up and stop dead in my tracks when I see a face I never wanted to see again. Sam. Great, not only do I have to endure a dinner with Leighton’s sister and crazy ex, now I have to walk by the only girl I have ever thought I loved other than Leighton. This night is already a disaster.
As soon as her eyes meet mine, I know there is no way I am going to be able to avoid her now. I really wish I had gotten a restraining order that lasted a lifetime.
Have you ever had one of those moments that seemed to last forever? The kind that feels like it’s happening in slow motion. I have.
The next thing I know, Sam is standing up and Leighton is walking straight to her table. This cannot be happening. I know Leighton is saying something to me, but I honestly have no idea what. How can this be happening? Leighton and Sam are sisters. This is going to kill Leighton. I absolutely have no idea what to do at this moment.
“Brody,” Leighton keeps saying. I finally take my eyes away from Sam to look at Leighton. “I said this is Samantha, my sister.”
“That’s not what you said your sister’s name was,” I say, knowing I am sounding like a complete jerk right now. This girl is a ticking time bomb and there is no way this night is going to happen now.
“I call her Manna. I couldn’t say Samantha when I was little, so that’s what I have always called her. What is wrong with you?” she says, looking worried.
“We need to go,” I whisper. “I promise I will explain later, but we really need to get out of here.”
“Wait, you’re Brody?” Some guy finally asks. He has been sitting at the table just staring at everyone this whole time. I’m assuming he is the ex-boyfriend.
“How do you know Brody?” Leighton asks him.
“I don’t, she does,” he says, nodding his head at Sam.
“I’m really confused. Do you two know each other?” Leighton asks.
“We used to be together. We were so in love. Oh the stories I could tell you,” Sam says, with a smirk.
“No, we were not so in love. You are crazy,” I say, turning to look at Leighton. “We need to go.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on right now,” she says, with tears in her eyes.
“We’ve already ordered appetizers. Please, sit down,” Sam says, pointing to the chairs across from her. To my surprise, Leighton sits down. I have no choice but to sit next to her. I don’t know if she’s really confused or just wants to punish me right now.
“Hi, I’m Josh. Nice to meet you,” he says, holding his hand out for me to shake. I shake his hand and look over at Leighton, who is staring at her menu.
“So Brody, are you working on a case here in Destin. Joshy here is a detective too,” Sam says, putting her arm around his shoulder and squeezing. I don’t know what is going on with these two, but he is one miserable man. He actually looks physically sick when she touches him. I think I actually see him cringe.
“You’re a detective?” Leighton asks, finally looking up from her menu.
“Yes, I am. I finally found something I enjoy and I’m pretty good at it too,” he says, smiling at her.
“What do you do, Leighton?” Sam asks, looking angry. How does she not know what her own sister does? These two really aren’t very close.
“I teach,” she snaps back.
“That always was your dream. I’m glad you get to do something you love every day,” Josh says sweetly to Leighton. This has to be the strangest conversation. This man is looking at Leighton with so much love. Why in the world is he married to her sister?
“How are your brothers?” Sam asks me, rubbing my leg with her foot under the table.
“They are good,” I say, quickly moving my chair back. “We need to leave,” I say, looking over at Leighton.
“You two like really know each other,” she says. I keep looking at her, hoping she is seeing in my eyes how serious I am about this. I have got to get out of here.
“I will explain everything, but right now, we really do need to get out of here,” I say again, hoping this time she will finally listen to me.
“Oh my goodness, she’s the girl you got the restraining order on,” Leighton says finally putting all of the craziness together. “I can’t believe this.” I look up at the table to see Sam sitting there with a wicked smile and Josh looking as miserable as I feel.
“I can’t do this,” Leighton says, standing up. I get up and follow her out of the restaurant. I open the door for her and help her in my truck before getting in and starting the engine.
“I’m sorry. I promise I have no feelings for her whatsoever,” I say, hoping she wasn’t thinking that anyway.
“I know. Usually when a man gets a restraining order on a woman, he doesn’t care much about her,” she says, with a small smile. “I just can’t believe you dated my sister. And for the record, you did say she was the first girl you loved.” She’s right, I did say that. But that was before I realized what true love really was. I don’t even know what to say to her right now, because the thought of losing the girl sitting in the truck with me right now, absolutely scares me to death. The thought of not having her with me when I wake up in the mornings is something I hope I never know.
“For the record, he’s still in love with you,” I say, reaching over to grab her hand. I can’t stand the distance between us right now. Not only is it physical, but it is emotional right now too. I’m really hoping she’s not in love with him too.
“If that’s so, why has he been married to her for seven years?” I don’t even know how to reply to that. She is definitely not sounding like someone who is over him. I don’t know why, but I can feel her pulling away from me right now. Tonight is not going to be a good night.
I pull up to the condo and get out and walk over to open her door. When I get over there, she is already out and leaning against the truck. I grab her and slam my lips to hers. I have no idea how tonight is going to end, but right now I have her and I am going to make sure she knows exactly how I feel. I stop kissing her and lean my forehead against hers, watching the tears fall down her face.
“I love you,” I whisper. She puts her hands on the sides of my face and pushes my face back where she can look me straight in the eyes.
“I remember you,” she whispers, confus
ing me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Right before I left for college, you two were dating. I wasn’t home a lot because I was usually with Josh. I came home one night to finish packing for school and you were at the house having supper. I was so jealous that night. Josh and I had been fighting about something so stupid and you two looked so in love. I was so afraid we would never have that. I can’t believe I didn’t remember that sooner,” she says, reminding me of the first time I saw her. I’m the one who can’t believe I could ever forget her. “I knew the first time I saw you that you looked familiar, I just couldn’t figure it out. I really wish I had realized it sooner.”
“I remember that too,” I whisper. “It was after that Sam started acting weird. I think she caught me staring at you and that’s when she got all clingy and needy. I can’t believe I had forgotten that,” I say, wiping the tears off of her face. “Let’s go inside.”
We go inside and sit down on the couch. I still have no idea what to say to her to make all of this better. I never thought Sam and Manna could possibly be the same girl. I wish I knew how to make all of this go away.
“Are you hungry? I can fix us some supper,” I say. Leighton just shakes her head at me and tries to give me a smile.
“I think I’m going to take a bath. I need some quiet time,” she says, standing up and heading to the bedroom. I want to follow her, but I know I am probably not the person she wants to talk to right now. I think about calling Callie and seeing if she can fix all of this, but I figure she has enough going on.
After an hour I decide I need to go check on Leighton. I start to head into the bedroom when someone starts knocking on the door. I am really hoping it’s not Sam. I walk over to the door and open it to find Josh standing there.
“Is she here?” he asks, before barging inside.
“Who? Leighton?” I ask.
“No, Samantha. Is she here?”
“Why would Sam be here? I hope I never see that crazy woman again,” I say.
“Yeah, well get in line. It’s pretty long,” he says, confusing me even more. “Is Leighton here?”
“Of course I’m here. Where else would I be,” Leighton says, walking back into the living room. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you. Samantha was pretty mad when y’all left tonight. I didn’t know where she went, so I came to make sure she wasn’t here,” he says, watching her.
“Why would she be here?” I ask, trying to remind them I am still in this room.
“She has some serious issues. I have no idea what she is going to do,” he says, turning to look at Leighton. “You never should have come back. You need to leave.” Why would he say that to her? I look over at Leighton who looks like her heart has broken into a million pieces.
“Why does she hate me and why did you marry her?” Leighton screams at him.
“It’s complicated,” he says, before turning back to me. “Keep the doors locked. Don’t open it for anyone. I don’t think she would send anyone, but just to be safe, don’t open it. I’ll be in touch and Leighton, I really am sorry,” he says, walking out the door. I have no idea what is going on right now. All I know is Sam is crazy and Leighton is in tears. I’m just not sure if she’s in tears because this night has been a living nightmare or if she is crying because she is still in love with the man that just walked out that door.
“I’m going to take a shower. Will you be okay for a few minutes?” I ask, walking over to her. She nods at me and tries to smile once more. I know she is slipping through my hands right now, but I need a few minutes to figure out what the hell is going on. I give her a quick kiss on the forehead and head to the bathroom, not realizing that may have been the biggest mistake of my life.
Leighton
As soon as I hear the shower turn on, I grab my purse and keys and head out the door. I know I should probably pack some clothes, but all I can think about is getting as far from this town as possible. I also know Brody is going to worried sick about me, but I know he can track me in no time and right now I need a break from him and Samantha and Josh.
I have to drive around an hour to an airport that can get me to Nashville. I run in and hope there is a flight leaving soon with a seat available. Finally something good is happening to me. As soon as I am on the plane, I finally take a moment to breathe.
After landing in Nashville, I rent a car and head to see Callie. I know Brody has probably already called her, that’s one reason I haven’t. When I am almost thirty minutes away, I decide to call and warn her I am coming. I grab my phone and turn it back on to see all fifteen missed calls from Brody. My phone starts ringing, so I press ignore and call Callie instead.
“Hello,” she answers.
“Hey, I am so sorry to wake you,” I say, thinking if she is asleep, maybe that means Brody hasn’t called her yet.
“It’s okay. How did supper go tonight?”
“It was a nightmare. Has Brody called you?” I ask.
“No, why would he call me? Is everything okay?” she asks, starting to sound worried.
“No, everything is awful,” I say not being able to hold back the tears.
“Leighton, what is going on?”
“I will be at your house soon. If Brody calls, please don’t tell him I am there. We will talk when I get there. Please Callie. You can’t tell him.”
“Okay, I won’t tell him. Just be careful. I’ll talk to you soon,” she says, before hanging up. As soon as that call ends, Brody starts calling again. I know I am being a baby right now because I can guarantee he is worried sick, but I really don’t think I can talk to him right now. Tonight has been way harder than I ever imagined it could possibly be.
Twenty five minutes later, I am pulling up in Callie’s driveway. I get out of the car to make my way to the porch when the stupid dog jumps in front of me growling. He is definitely a good guard dog, but I really wish he liked me. As soon as I get to the door, Ash opens it and lets me in telling Scooby to shut up.
“Hey, sorry to barge in so late,” I say hoping he’s not mad that I am here.
“It’s okay. Callie’s on the couch. It’s feeding time,” he says, yawning. “Are you okay?”
“Not really,” I say trying to hold back my tears. I hardly ever cry. I think I am just exhausted after the night I have had. I walk into the living room to find Callie on the couch with one baby while the other one is in a bouncy seat by her feet.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she says as soon as I walk in.
“I think I have just lived one of the worst nights of my life,” I say, bending down to pick up the baby she’s not feeding. I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to be doing something with my hands right now.
“What happened,” she asks, watching Ash come in and sit down.
“Has Brody called?” I ask Ash.
“Yes,” he says. “I just got off the phone with him right before you walked in.”
“Did you tell him I was here?”
“Yes, I had to when he told me what was going on,” he says, looking at Callie.
“What did he tell you?” Callie asks.
“He said to make sure all of the doors were locked and to not open the door for anybody. He also said he would be here soon.”
“Leighton, what is going on?” Callie asks.
“I don’t know why he would say that,” I say, trying to figure out what is going on. Who does he think could possibly be after me? I know my sister has some serious issues, but she would never do anything like this.
“Apparently your sister isn’t very stable. I don’t know any of the details, but I have never heard him sound so worried about anything. You really shouldn’t have left without telling him where you were going.” Why would he think my sister isn’t very stable? I am so confused.
“I guess dinner with your sister didn’t go very well,” Callie says, looking over at me. I just shake my head at her and feel the tears coming again.
“You saw her?” Callie says, looking shocked.
“Oh I saw her alright. She’s my sister.”
“Sam is your sister?” Ash asks. “Wow, if that girl is your sister. I am so sorry. She is crazy.” If all of these guys have met Samantha that means she and Brody really were very close. What if he is still in love with her?
“Wait, Samantha is the same girl Brody used to date?” Callie asks looking shocked.
“They are the same girl. My sister is the first girl he ever loved,” I say, shaking my head. I really can’t believe this is happening. I see lights pulling in the driveway. Brody must have been flying to get here. “I can’t see him yet. Can I hang out in your bedroom?” I ask, standing up to give the baby to Ash.
“Sure, but I really think you two should talk,” Callie says quietly.
“We will, I just need to use the bathroom,” I say before heading out of the room. I go straight to their master bathroom that is attached to their bedroom and try to get my thoughts straight.
I know Brody loves me. I really don’t think he still has feelings for her, but I am so mad that she somehow has a part of everyone I have ever loved. Seeing Josh tonight really threw me for a loop. I always wondered what he had turned into. I always thought he had to have changed a ton to ever have decided to marry her, but he was the same old Josh for most of the short night we had tonight. Why did he marry her? As sweet as he was to me tonight, I know for a fact there is only one man out there for me and I really hope he still wants me after finding out my sister must have some serious issues.
I can barely hear Brody’s voice as he comes inside the house, but it’s enough to make me realize I need to go back out there and face him. I really don’t know if I can live without him. He has made me realize that some things are definitely worth fighting for. There is no way my sister is going to win this one. I don’t care that she had him first. I am determined do be the last girl he ever has.
Trusting You: The Switched Series book two Page 10
