“Some of them do, and some of them don’t. It’s funny that you always seem to be fascinated with the ones that do, though. Don’t think I haven’t caught you staring at them before.”
I listened to his shallow breaths; the rise and fall of his chest a steady beat that I knew by heart. “Why are they all broken? I can’t see one that doesn’t have something wrong with it.” I moved on to tracing imaginary lines that ran through the blank spots on Jhett’s chest where there were no tattoos.
He scooped up my hand in his and intertwined our fingers together. “I’ll tell you about the teacups if you tell me something I want to know.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze as if he were adding on ‘please’.
“What is it with you and your propositions? Anything you want to know you can just ask.” I said, laughing under my breath as I used his words against him.
“Very funny. So you agree to answer my question, then?” He looked down at me with narrowed eyes.
“Fine. What do you want to know?” I squeezed his hand the same way he did mine.
“What do you want to do with your life? What are your dreams? What are you scared of? I feel like I know so much about you from other people, but I’ve never heard them from you.”
I got up from his side and sat cross-legged as I pulled the covers tighter around me. Jhett quickly propped himself up to lean against the headboard, calming my nerves as he relaxed. “I guess…I don’t know. Right now I just want to graduate college.” Trying to formulate an answer was difficult, probably because I never really took the time to think about the questions he asked. All I knew was that I had to finish college, and whatever happened after that, I would figure out when I got there.
Jhett raised his eyebrows; seemingly enjoying watching me squirm from his intense stare. “Go on.”
I shifted my legs and tried to think about where I saw myself in the years to come. “I want to paint things that make people happy. I want to earn a living without compromising who I am. I want to be happy, wherever that may be, surrounded by the people I love and who love me, too. I don’t want to be scared anymore, and that means trying things I never thought I could. I want to experience life and all it has to offer, with no reservations. I just want to be me without caring what people might think.” I let my mind take over as I spoke, and when I looked into Jhett’s eyes, my chest tightened, making me forget how to breathe. We sat in silence, just taking each other in, while I pleaded with my eyes for him to say something.
Instead he pulled me to him, right back to the same spot on his chest, but this time his arms were wrapped so tightly around me I didn’t think he planned to ever let me go. He planted hundreds of kisses into my hair and on my neck. “I’ve never seen you more beautiful then you are right now. You can do all those things, Charlie. I believe in you.” His words were raw, and he spoke without reservation. This was the part of Jhett I only caught glimpses of, but I loved each time he let me in. I backed away from him and gave him a bashful smile. He pulled a pillow from behind his head and set it in his lap. I knew what he wanted and I followed his lead, laying my head down and looking up at him.
“Thank you.” I couldn’t think of anything more appropriate to say. I wanted to thank him a million times, because I never felt as beautiful as I did when he looked at me.
A lopsided smile danced across his lips. “I mean it,” he added, as if I didn’t understand him the first time he said it. “Now I guess I owe you that explanation.” He held up his arm above me, slowly rotating it so that I could see all the white broken porcelain that covered his skin.
“Some of the earliest memories I have of my mom is of her drinking tea out of these beautiful teacups; they were her family’s heirlooms. She would sit at the kitchen table after Gracie and I went to bed with just a cup of tea, and do nothing but stare out into the distance. When my dad was still around, sometimes they would fight so loud at night, I knew someone was going to call the cops and we would be taken away for good. He was always throwing something and yelling about how she didn’t love him. I didn’t know any better back then…I thought everyone’s parents fought like that, but no one wanted to talk about it.” He paused, remembering his painful past.
“He wasn’t like that with Gracie, but with me, he tried to teach me right and wrong with his fists. I was terrified that he’d hurt her if I stopped caring about the pain, so I tried to fight back. The night he finally left, he shattered my mom’s entire china cabinet. I woke up to him slamming the door, while my mom cried on her knees on the dining room floor. She was never the same after that night. That’s the night I learned that just because you clean up all the pieces, sometimes things still remain broken no matter how hard you try and fix them. ” Jhett was lost in his mind as he looked out into the quiet bedroom.
Reaching up to his face, my hand rested on his cheek while rubbed my thumb over his rough five-o-clock shadow. His features were stiff and hard as he relived the memories from his past. I was immediately struck with guilt. My upbringing was much different and I knew I would never experience that type of pain.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to turn into him.” Jhett looked down at me; his eyes dark with the burden of his father.
“You’re not him, Jhett. You’re so much more than he ever was. Look at everything you’ve accomplished already.” My eyes flicked back and forth over his, trying to see what he was so scared of. I never felt safer than when I was around him. “I mean, take me, for example. I’ve known you for almost a month - and you haven’t done or said a single thing to hurt me.” I dropped my hand and he took a deep breath with its release.
“Not yet…” he whispered as he broke eye contact with me; his thoughts enveloping him as he stared off into the distance again.
My heart broke for him. This was an entirely new experience for me, and I wanted nothing more than to take all his pain away like he did mine. Sitting up, it was my turn to embrace him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. He was unresponsive for only a moment before the stiffness of his body gave way, and his arms wrapped around my waist.
We stayed like that for a long and silent few minutes. Finally I whispered in his ear, “You won’t turn into him. You wouldn’t hurt me. I believe in you, too.”
“Come on! We’re going to be late.” I heard Jhett yell across the front yard to me. I knew that we had plenty of time, but that was Jhett – forever in a hurry. Locking the door behind me, I bounded down the porch steps and across the concrete path to the driveway. He sat in the driver’s seat of my Jeep, the engine already humming as I jumped into place next to him. As much as he joked about the bright yellow color, it was hard to keep him out from behind the wheel. I didn’t mind either way; I just loved having the top off. The way the salt-tinged air whipped past us as we drove was my own personal slice of heaven.
Jhett gave me a quick glance to make sure I was ready before he backed out into the street. It took days of nagging to convince Jhett to let me visit him at the restaurant where he worked. I tried every trick in the book to find out the details of his job, but the end result was always the same: vague descriptions and non-answers. The only solid fact I had to go on was that he got the liberty to create items for the menu. I found this out only by default – he used me as his guinea pig.
My head fell back against the grey leather seat my muscles loosen with relaxation. The sun beat down on us through the opening in the top of the Jeep, and it warmed my skin almost instantly. I closed my eyes, reveling in the contentment that overcame me recently, as my thoughts drifted to the man in the driver’s seat next to me. After our conversation the other day, there was no reason to keep second guessing each other’s feelings, and even though mine were new and something I never experienced before, it wasn’t strange. Being around Jhett became second nature. Even his snarky remarks grew on me.
Jhett’s fingers laced with mine. The roughness of his hands brought me face-to-face with the intense eyes I just couldn’t seem to get eno
ugh of. I stayed with my head turned towards him, my chin resting on my shoulder, while a satisfied smile crept onto my lips. He gave my hand a quick squeeze before cutting off the engine and hopping out the door. Following his lead, I swung my body out of the Jeep and onto the sidewalk, squinting in the bright light of the sun.
Eagerness to explore filled my chest as I looked over each building around us, trying to figure out which one Jhett worked in. He parked behind a row of several tiny shops, and from the sounds of people shouting and the muffled waves breaking, I knew we were close to the beach.
“You ready?” Jhett’s hand found mine again.
Looking up at him I nodded. “Ready when you are. But I still don’t know what I’m going to do while you’re working. Should I just sit in the corner and make sure to be the biggest pain in the butt possible?”
He shook his head, already leading me towards a door at the back of one of the beige stucco buildings. There were no signs or any indication of what type of restaurant we were entering, not even a name. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” he smirked as he opened the door for me and ushered me inside.
I waited for him to lead the way and followed him through a tiny, bare hallway and into a nice sized restaurant front. I scanned the room anxiously while I tried to make sense of what I saw. The room was completely white, with some booths against the walls and a few tables mixed throughout the black and white checkered floor.
“Well look who finally decided to make it today.” Ginger’s slender frame appeared from the kitchen located behind the counter, juggling an armful of papers and folders that she unceremoniously dumped on a table. Her eyes zoned in on our joined hands before she looked up at me. Her eyebrows drew up in question the same way Jhett’s did when he tried to make sense of something that puzzled him. “I can see why you might have been running behind.” She pursed her lips together and took a seat in front of the papers that she spread out before us. Jhett pulled out a chair for me and stood behind it, waiting for me to sit down.
“Don’t even start with that, Gracie.” Jhett gave her a look of warning.
I ran my fingers through my hair and eyeing them both in confusion. “Does anyone care to tell me what the hell is going on here? I thought you worked at a restaurant? Well, I’m looking around, and I see what could be a restaurant, but no one is working. In fact, it looks like no one has worked here in quite some time.” My eyes flicked back and forth to each of them, neither one jumping the gun to answer me.
“You didn’t tell her?” Ginger narrowed her eyes at Jhett, accusation staining her voice. She backed Jhett into a corner for me. I was going to have to thank her later.
“I didn’t exactly not tell her,” he spat at her. “I may have just left out a few tiny details. Technically, I do work here. But I also own it as well. And you’re right. I am nowhere near opening the doors to this place. But that’s why I have the most wonderful business partner here to help me with the paperwork and financial end of it.” He flashed a smug look in Ginger’s direction.
“Well I thought it was about time I did something useful with all that college someone forced me to attend. Why not help my little brother out?” Ginger’s sarcasm was something I could get used to. She reminded me a lot of Hannah when she spoke. “So what do you think, Charlie, now that all of this has been sprung on you?” She asked the question as if she were a news reporter interviewing a witness to a crime.
I cautiously lowered myself into the chair next to Jhett’s. My mind was still reeling as I tried to wrap my head around all the details he failed to mention earlier. All eyes were on me, filled with the anticipation of my reaction. “This is… awesome!” I let out with an excited breath. “I just don’t get why you didn’t tell me sooner. It’s not like you’re burying dead bodies in the back. This place has so much potential, and with your cooking, it’s going to be phenomenal – ooh, and I can totally work the tables as a waitress.” I was practically bouncing in my seat, ready to take on the world.
“Well she took that much better than I expected. Most girls wouldn’t enjoy this kind of thing being unloaded on them. I think you underestimated her.” Ginger smacked Jhett’s arm playfully, making him shove lightly into my side.
Jhett never broke away from my stare as he responded to Ginger. “I’m starting to realize she’s not like most girls.” I couldn’t help but get lost in the desire that radiated from him. My pulse quickened at his word. I was still not used to his constant flattery.
“I’m so glad you two worked out whatever it was that you had going on, but we do have some paperwork to go over today.” Ginger was picking out the papers with multi-colored flags poking out from the sides, sliding different ones in front of Jhett for his signature.
“I’ll take that as my cue to go explore while you do your grown up things.” I pushed away from the table and stood up from my chair, not bothering to look at them as I made my way over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the front of the building. Leaning up against the glass, I strained my vision to see what else was around us. Being a corner lot, I could see a clear path down the street to the beach. I couldn’t spot any other restaurants around. There were an unlimited number of clothing stores, a few surf shops and one tattoo shop. There was no question in my mind that Jhett could make this place successful.
I found myself drifting towards the corner opposite where Jhett and Ginger sat. Taking a few steps back, I stood and admired the rest of the restaurant and embraced the beauty of its potential.
“I told you he wasn’t so bad.” Ginger’s hair shone brightly out of the corner of my vision as she ambled over to me. “I’ll be honest. It’s kind of strange the way he looks at you. I mean, I noticed it the first night I met you, but I wrote it off because he doesn’t like to see girls upset. But now…I’ve never even seen him hold someone’s hand, and it’s kind of weird for me to even admit that about him. I have to say it though…be gentle with him.”
I thought about what she just told me. “Is this the ‘I’m-his-sister-and-I-have-to-tell-you-I’ll-beat-you-up-if-you-hurt-him’ speech? Because believe me, I think you’ll win in a fight, and I’d rather not try and prove that theory wrong.” I gulped, the thought alone intimidating me. Ginger was about the same height as me, but the way she carried herself screamed that she could kick your ass and wasn’t afraid to try.
“Yeah, right. Don’t think I didn’t notice the same look in your eyes, too.” Her elbow jabbed into my ribs, which made me stifle a giggle with my hand. “That’s what I thought. You make him happy and I can’t argue with that. Someone around here deserves to be happy. He’s spent enough time trying to fix me and my problems, so I’m glad he has something else to focus on.” The painful look she always seemed to get when she spoke about Cameron flooded her face. I didn’t know what to say to comfort her, so I decided to stay silent. She shook her head from side to side, trying to rid him from her thoughts, and forced a smile to appear instead. “So tell me about the evil plans you have for this place. I know you didn’t light up for no reason when Jhett showed it to you.”
I rocked back on my heels and double-checked that Jhett was still busy with the mountain of paperwork Ginger left him. He was bent over the table with his back towards us, scribbling on a notepad in between the shuffling of paper. I leaned in close to her just to be sure Jhett couldn’t hear us. “What do you see when you look around the room?” I asked her.
She followed my lead and scanned the room wall-to-wall. “Walls and windows?” Suddenly her hand shot straight up into the air. “Oh, I know - an ass ton of work?” she replied sarcastically.
“I’m being serious. You want to know what I see? A blank canvas. There are so many possibilities here. When do you guys plan to open?” I asked.
“If we start actually getting things done around here - and fast – I’d say two weeks, give or take a few days. Why? What are you planning?”
An evil grin fell over my lips. “I just have some ideas of my own.” I
smiled at my secret. Ginger’s face fell when she realized I wasn’t going to let her in on my plans.“What’d you do to Gracie to get her looking like you just pissed in her Cheerios?” Jhett appeared beside me unexpectedly and gave Ginger a playful shove. “Turn that frown upside down.” I became so wrapped up in my conversation with Ginger, that I totally forgot to check and make sure that Jhett was still busy.
“Charlie was just telling me that she didn’t think you’d want to go to the bonfire tomorrow night.” I shot her an accusing look, but she just winked at me in return. At least I knew she could keep a secret. “She said you would be too busy ‘playing scrabble.’ Whatever that means - I don’t even want to know!”
My mouth fell open from shock. “I did not.” I looked at Jhett. “I didn’t say that. I swear!” I knew my face was bright red from Ginger’s innuendo. The girl was vicious.
Jhett’s whole body shook as he laughed. “Are you sure? Because that really sounds like something you would say, and nothing like what Gracie would say.” I could finally breathe once I realized he caught on to her charade.
“Okay, so maybe she didn’t say those words exactly, but you guys should come. It’ll be fun!” She dragged out the ‘n’ sound in a sing-song voice. “Besides, everyone is dying to meet you, Charlie, and they promised to be on their best behavior. But you better get there early before we’re sloshed, because after that, I can’t guarantee anything.” She brought her hands together and then threw them apart, indicating that she wouldn’t be responsible for anything else that happened. “I expect to see you there. Same spot as usual,” she told Jhett, before gathering her things off the table and pushing open the front door to leave.
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