Captured Love

by Juliana Haygert

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Other Books

  About the Author

  Captured Love

  by

  Juliana Haygert

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Juliana Haygert.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Manufactured in the United States of America.

  First Edition November 2014

  www.JulianaHaygert.com

  Edited by H. Danielle Crabtree

  Cover design by Najla Qamber/Najla Qamber Designs

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following brands mentioned in this work of fiction: Coke, ibuprofen, Harley Davidson, Mustang, Camaro, Mazda, Corolla, Sprite, Twitter, Netflix, Gilmore Girls, Ferrari, Habitat for Humanity, AutoCAD, Rhinoceros.

  To my adolescence.

  Thanks for giving me lots of story ideas.

  Prologue

  Jessica

  My brother, Jason, and Ryan had been best friend since I could remember, and I developed a crush on Ryan not long after that. But being three years younger than both of them meant I was a brat, a nuisance.

  We grew up. The boys became interested in girls, and the girls fell over their feet at every corner. The way they used girls was sickening. The way the girls kept coming was even more sickening.

  Meanwhile, I continued being a brat, a nuisance, and Ryan never noticed me.

  When I was sixteen years old, I spent the summer with my grandma, over six hundred miles from home.

  The moment I set foot back home, Ryan noticed me. It was as if he had never seen me before, and I loved the attention.

  Naively, I thought I could change him, that he could be a one-girl kind of man.

  I was wrong.

  Ryan broke my heart.

  Then my papa broke my soul.

  And I moved away.

  Chapter One

  Jessica

  I sank in the corner booth, doodling on my sketchpad and wondering what I was doing here.

  My phone dinged and I reached for it.

  Kristin: So, what did he want?

  Me: Still don’t know.

  Kristin: Maybe he’s going to propose LOL

  Me: Don’t joke about that.

  Kristin: Come on, J. He isn’t THAT bad.

  Gavin wasn’t that bad. He wasn’t bad at all. But he wasn’t right either.

  Me: I should just pretend I have a headache and leave.

  Kristin: Don’t be mean. Stay and hear him out.

  Me: Are you on his side?

  Kristin: You know I’m on your side.

  Me: It doesn’t look like it.

  Kristin: Just hang on for now. We can do something fun later. How about we go to the park by the water so you can sketch boats?

  Me: And what’s in it for you?

  Kristin: I’ll gawk at the preppy men handling the boats. Or the sweaty guys running or playing volleyball.

  Maybe I should go with the headache after all and meet Kristin at the park in a few minutes. However, before I could sum up the courage to stand up and leave, Gavin was back, carrying two cups of coffee and a plate with two brownies on a tray.

  “Here you go, babe,” he said, sliding into the booth and pushing the tray in front of me.

  I let go of my pencil and wrapped my hands around my coffee. “Thanks.”

  Gavin took a bite of his brownie and offered me a closed-mouth smile. I let my eyes wandered over his face. He was handsome, with black curls that framed his cute face, fair skin, and big brown eyes that shone every time they were targeted at me. He was hot too, with a tall, worked-out frame. Besides all that, he was also a good student, with straight As and a bright future. He wanted to be a well-known lawyer like his father. He was intelligent, kind, somewhat funny, and he seemed genuinely concerned about me. Like he actually liked me.

  So why didn’t I like him back?

  “You had your last midterm test this morning, didn’t you?” he asked, breaking the silence. “How was it?”

  Of course he knew my schedule by heart. “It was fine.”

  “And how is your project going? Think it’ll be ready by the end of the semester?”

  As an architecture student, I had a Design Studio class every semester, where I had to design an entire project from houses to malls or hospitals. Being in the fourth semester, I had to design an apartment building.

  “Fine too,” I said simply.

  “How about—?”

  “Gavin, why did you invite me here?” I hadn’t meant to cut him off, but I hated when he behaved like a boyfriend when he knew he wasn’t one. “I thought we were supposed to meet only on the weekend.”

  “Because I want to ask you something.” He shifted his weight, pulling one leg over the booth and turning his body to me. “In two weeks, my parents are hosting a big surprise party for my brother. He is going to ask his girlfriend to marry him.”

  “Oh-kay.” I sipped my coffee.

  “I want you to come with me.”

  I chocked on my coffee. “Excuse me?”

  “We’ve been going out for the past eight months, babe, but I still don’t know your family, and you still don’t know mine.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?”

  “I want to meet your family.”

  There wasn’t a family to meet. It was just me and my grandma, but he didn’t know that. Every time he asked me about my family, I changed the subject. And when he picked me up at home or dropped me off, I made sure he didn’t get close to the front door.

  “Don’t—”

  “Come on, babe. I like you. I want us to be serious. I want us to go out on real dates, to hold hands on campus, to have lunch together every day. I want you to meet my family.”

  It wasn’t the first time he had told me this, and it wouldn’t be the last. Maybe our expiration date was closer than I thought.

  I shook my head. “Please, Gavin.”

  “You must like me at least a little, otherwise you wouldn’t have stuck with me for so long. But what are you so afraid of?”

  “Nothing,” I snapped. “I’m fine, and I like the way things are.”

  He took my hand in his. “That’s not true. What girl doesn’t want more?”

  I pulled my hand away. “This girl.”

  “Gavin?”

  Gavin and I snapped our heads to the new voice. A guy holding a tray with cups and muffins stood beside our table, a girl beside him.

  “Hey, Johnny.” Gavin smiled. He
shook his friend’s hand in that bumping way guys did it. “Hi, Carla.” Gavin waved at the girl, and then gestured to me. “You two remember Jessica, right?”

  Johnny shifted his blue eyes to me. “We met at the party at the frat house last month, right?”

  “Yes,” I said, forcing a smile.

  Without being invited, Johnny and Carla sat in the booth across the table from us. Immediately, Gavin and the couple launched into a conversation about the latest games, parties, rumors, gossips, and all that. Johnny had been in all of Gavin’s classes since freshman year. For two semesters, they had even been roommates, until Johnny moved to his frat house last semester. Carla was Johnny’s girlfriend of about two years. They were serious; the way Gavin wanted us to be.

  Carla flipped her long yellow-blond hair and pulled out her cell phone from her purse. “Smile,” she said, leaning into her boyfriend to take a selfie. He kissed her cheek, while she made a come-hither face with pouted lips and half-closed eyes. Then she turned her phone to us. “You two look too cute together.”

  Without warning, she snapped a picture, and I froze.

  “Wait. That one didn’t count,” Gavin said. He put his arm around my shoulders and drew me closer. His smile was wide, happy. Meanwhile, my insides revolved and I squirmed. I tried to hide behind my hair. Noticing my evasion, Gavin whispered, “It’s okay, babe, just a quick picture.”

  In eight months with him, I had avoided all kinds of pictures. We wouldn’t start taking them now. In fact, I wouldn’t start taking pictures. Ever.

  I lowered my head as the flash went off.

  “Oh no,” Carla protested. “You’re too beautiful to hide. Come on. Just one more.”

  “Hmm.” I searched my mind for some lie, any lie to rescue me from this situation. I didn’t want to take pictures, and I didn’t want to meet Gavin’s friends, much less his family. My cell phone rang, playing the song I had selected for my home number, and I sighed in relief. I was being saved from pictures, but grandma rarely called me.

  “Grandma?” I answered. “Is everything all right?”

  She exhaled loudly. “Hmm, well … Something happened. Hon, you better come home.”

  ***

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?” Gavin asked. He knew my answer. Why did he ask?

  “I’m sure.”

  During the ride to my house, the tension inside his car was palpable. He tried initiating conversation several times, but I didn’t answer. If I weren’t dying to get home and find out what happened to make my grandma call me, I would have taken the bus or walked home, instead of accepting a ride.

  I opened the door and slid a leg out.

  “Wait.” He held my wrist and pulled me back. I glanced at him. “I feel like you’re mad at me and I’m not sure what I did wrong. Anyway, I’m sorry, for whatever.” He made puppy eyes at me. “I just want to know you’re okay.”

  Subdued, I leaned over his seat and he closed the space between us, merging his lips with mine. His kiss was sweeter than usual, slower, more careful.

  “Call me later?” he whispered against my lips.

  I nodded and slipped out of the car. With my keys already in hand, I ran the path from the sidewalk to the yellow front door of my townhouse.

  “Grandma?” I called after I locked the door behind me.

  “In here,” she answered.

  I followed the direction of her voice and found her in the kitchen, preparing tea and a snack.

  “What’s that for?”

  With shaking hands, she placed the mugs, the cracker packet, and the honey bottle on the small wooden table along one of the walls. “Have a seat.”

  Damn, this didn’t look good. She never, ever waited for me to get home with treats—especially not honey. I sat down, wary of her movements and the way she avoided my eyes.

  “Grandma, you’re worrying me.” Sighing, she sat down across from me and took her mug in her hands. Still, she didn’t look into my eyes. “God damn it, say something already.”

  “Your mother called,” she finally said.

  What the hell? I never talked to my mama, but I knew she called my grandma all the time, to know about me, of course.

  I stood. “This isn’t funny.”

  “No, it’s not funny.” She raised her light blue eyes to mine. “Your father is in the hospital.”

  I held my breath for a moment. “That’s not my problem.” I winced at my words. I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch, but whenever he was involved, I couldn’t help it.

  My grandma sighed. “He’s dying.”

  I dropped back into the chair, feeling oddly empty. My feelings for him had been buried for so long that it took me a while to digest the news. “How’s Mama?”

  “Trying to be strong, but desolate. They have been together for twenty-eight years. It’s a long time to be with someone and suddenly find out that soon they won’t be together anymore.”

  Sadness for Mama filled my chest. “How long does he have?”

  “Your mother said five to seven months.”

  A pang ran through my chest. That wasn’t long at all. “What now?”

  “I think you should go home,” she said.

  I shook my head, not liking her reasoning. “Here’s home. It has been for the past four years.”

  “I know, I know. I just … If you don’t go, you’ll regret it later.”

  A long, shaky sigh escaped my lips. Would I regret it later?

  Of course, my grandma was right. I would regret not going, but I wasn’t sure I could say yes just yet.

  “I’m not sure I want to see him,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

  Grandma gasped. “Jessica Grace Hayes! No matter what happened in the past, he’s your father and he’s dying. That should be enough to make you pack and leave.”

  I cringed. Deep down, I knew she was right, but it wasn’t easy. My feelings toward Papa were too repressed, and the words wouldn’t come out. “I need to think. There is still seven weeks before my classes end. Even if I decide to go, I am finishing the semester first.”

  With a heavy sigh, my grandma patted my hand. “I’m sure you’ll choose the right path.”

  Chapter Two

  Jessica

  After I turned in my Design Studio project in the architecture building, I waited for Gavin outside the science department building. He was taking his last final exam of the semester and should be out soon.

  Seated at one of the benches outside the building, I hugged my books and bit the inside of my cheek, dreading this conversation.

  Though he had asked many times over the last two months, I hadn’t told him why my grandma had called me and asked me to come home that day. He didn’t even know it was my grandma who called. He just knew I was needed at home.

  A sliver of guilt spread through my chest. Gavin had been so good to me, and I treated him like crap. I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t help it. I wasn’t ready to be in a serious relationship. I wasn’t ready to give in, to trust, to open up. Sometimes I thought I would never be.

  Someone sat down beside me. “Hey, girl.”

  I smiled. “Hey, Kristin.”

  She bumped her elbow on mine. “Are you ready?”

  “For what? Breaking up with Gavin for good, or going back to South Carolina?”

  “Both.”

  “Well, I’m not ready for either.”

  She put her arm around my shoulders. “One, you’ve been practically playing with Gavin for almost ten months. He deserves to be let go.” I knew she was right. Still, it was hard. Even though I didn’t want a boyfriend, it was good to have someone. He satisfied me, and I satisfied him. What else did a guy in college need? “Two, your grandma is right. You’ll regret it if you don’t go. So stop being worried about it. You’re making the right decision.”

  I nodded. “What about you? Ready for your summer internship?”

  She groaned. “Ugh. Yes and no. I mean, the internship sounds great, but it’s in
my hometown. I can’t imagine staying three months with my parents and my little sister.”

  “At least you get along with your parents.”

  “Maybe you will now too. Think of this as a second chance.”

  “I don’t need a second chance,” I snapped. She took her arm from around me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh.”

  “I know. And I also know you technically didn’t do anything wrong, but this might be a second chance for you to forgive them.”

  I sighed. Even if she was right, it wouldn’t be easy to forgive. Three months seemed too little time to right all the wrongs in our past.

  “We’ll see,” I muttered.

  “Here comes the man.” She hugged me. “Try to relax and enjoy your time home. And call me, okay?”

  I hugged her back. “I will. And you too. Kick some ass at your internship.”

  “I will.” She disentangled herself from me, waved to Gavin as he approached us, stood, and then walked away.

  Gavin sat down in Kristin’s empty spot. “Hi, babe.” He kissed my cheek.

  I tried not to flinch. “Hi.”

  His smile was wide and bright. “What a surprise seeing you here. I could get used to this.”

  “Gavin, we need to talk.”

  The smile slipped from his face. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  I looked around. Students walked in and out of the building, not paying any attention. Still, I didn’t want anyone hearing us.

  “I’m going home for the summer.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m from Lexington, South Carolina. My parents and my brother still live there.”

  “But … your house here?”

  “It’s my grandma’s. She lives here, always has. I moved in with her almost four years ago.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s not important.” I paused, searching for the right words. “I’ll be gone all summer and I don’t want to hold you back. It’s not fair.”

  “Wait. Are … no. Are you breaking up with me?”

  “Gavin, we hooked up on the weekends. Do you really think that was a real relationship?”