I heard the door close and realized Kallie must have left to meet her friend. Sometimes, I thought maybe she was right and that she wouldn't fall back into her old ways. Then I would see the serious and business side of her. It would make me wonder that maybe she was made to work for her father and grow up to be a rich, stuck-up snob.
A soft knock came at my door and I called for whoever it was to come in. Scarlett sat at the edge of my bed and looked down at me. I nodded, conveying to her without words that I was fine. She patted my knee as if to say 'you aren't, but you're trying'.
"We're still going to the bonfire, right?" she asked. "I think Kallie is gonna come and bring her friend."
"Of course." I never missed them. They didn't get lit without me there.
"You sure you're okay with this?"
"Yes," I huffed.
"It just looks like you're being tortured whenever she's around."
"I am."
"Why don't you just give in?" she asked, staring at me like she could see the real answer if she looked hard enough. She probably could.
"She's changed."
She laughed like I said something stupid. "Of course she did.” She threw her hands up in the air. "She needed to find out who she was and what she wanted. She didn't get that in her teens like we did, or anybody else for that matter. But she is still the same girl we fell in love with."
"How do you know that?" I asked bitterly. She was talking nonsense.
"Because she was always in there. She just let down her wall when she came here. You broke them down. That's the girl she truly is."
With that, she patted my knee and walked out of my room. I don't know when she started sounding so wise. It was pretty annoying, actually. I may be only a few minutes older, but I was the one supposed to be taking care of her, especially after Dad left us.
I rubbed my hands over my face. If she really was still the same, could I let myself love her like I did before? It hurt so bad when I realized what was happening between us, so I closed myself off. I wasn't sure if I could undo that with the pain so fresh and near the surface.
I didn't let any girl around me for more than a night for a reason. I never wanted to deal with the abandonment that followed. I never wanted to leave behind the pain that my dad left. I saw what this thing called “love” did to my mother. She changed and became hateful and depressed. I couldn't do that to someone else. And more importantly, I couldn't let that happen to me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kallie
I was shaking by the time I reached my car. Heading quickly toward to restaurant near my hotel to meet Chloe, I took deep breaths. I was excited, happy, and terrified all at once. I was going to pay for the wedding and give Scarlett something she deserved. I meant what I said; she was good to me and this was my way of paying her back. I was all alone when she met me, and she took me in and made me feel safe.
I actually earned that bonus without the help of my father. When I insisted we should be selling Pandora, he didn't seem convinced. Even after showing him trends and profit forecasts, he wasn't on board. He told me that if I wanted it, then I had to do so on my own. And I did. I worked the late nights, went to countless meetings, and kissed so many asses.
I really did want to go to Hawaii. It sounded perfect, and seeing the ocean and the sand on my screen made me ache for it. I’d never been away without my family, and I wanted to go have fun, relax, and be with my friends. What better place to do so then in Hawaii? I watched my classmates in Georgetown go away on spring break while I drove home to help in the shop. My stomach did flips when I thought of being with Ryder there.
Part of me hoped I could win him back with the romantic setting. But a bigger part of me, the scared and weak part of me, knew that if he didn't want me, then I wasn't going to beg. Every time I thought of backing down and forgetting about him, a part of me died inside. I would beg on my hands and knees if I thought it would make him love me again. I knew what I was missing and wasn't willing to let it go so easily.
Seeing Chloe's car pulled me out of my deep thoughts. We decided to meet at a bar and grill so we could eat dinner before heading back to my hotel. After spending all day trying to plan a wedding in an impossible amount of time and getting nothing done, I was in need of a drink. I was grateful to have the company as well.
"Hey," I called as I flung my arms around her in a hug.
"Hey," she said, squeezing back. "You look great."
"You too," I told her. She did. Her long black hair was in a high ponytail. Her skin was darker, and her long legs were emphasized in short shorts, red high heels, and a halter top. I was sure she would be turning heads in the small town. No way she would be keeping a low profile.
After we were seating and ordered some long island iced teas, we chatted about her drive up. It was obvious she was dying for more details about Ryder, but I kept her waiting. I didn't want to have to talk with my mouth full of burger about how in love I am with him. I already had a lump in my throat thinking about how he pushed me away; I didn't need to choke on my food too.
"So," she started when we were halfway through our meal. "What's new?"
I laughed and checked my phone. "You made it forty-six minutes before asking. I'm impressed."
She tossed a napkin at me. "Well, I'm dying for all the juicy details. You made me wait years for this, need I remind you?"
She was right. I was boring in school when we roomed together. My relationship was simple and stable, I didn't drink and party, and I was never very dramatic. While she went out to bars and had her heartbroken, I was there to hold her hair back and hand her the ice cream and chick flicks.
"True," I shrugged. "The wedding will be in Hawaii, so that should be fun."
"Or a disaster," she offered. "You think they will go through with it?"
"You don't know her," I told her. "She won't back down now. Unless I come up with some concrete evidence, something more than that I don't like him, she will marry him."
"Well, find something then."
"What, like hire a private investigator?" I asked, choking on my drink.
"Whatever you need to do," she shrugged.
"I can't just break up her relationship," I insisted. "She would be crushed."
"You would rather her get hurt after she has his last name?" she countered. "But hey, you'll still get a vacation in paradise either way."
She raised her drink in cheers, and I clanked my glass to hers. I shook my head at her bluntness, but maybe I should be thinking more like her. Would it hurt Scarlett that bad if she knew he was never really worth it? I doubted it. It still hurt immensely to lose Carter, even though I now knew he wasn't who I was supposed to be with forever.
I thought about Carter and our past quite often. He was my first love, and that would never change. Sometimes I wondered if I would’ve ever grown up and realized we wanted different things. I played with the idea that one day I would’ve woken up and told him I didn't want to move to D.C. But the truth was, I doubt I would have realized what I really wanted if I hadn’t ran away the morning of my graduation party.
The server brought us more glasses, and I realized we would most likely need to walk to my hotel. These things tasted like tea going down, giving me the impression that they were harmless, but they definitely snuck up on me when I wasn't looking and I was feeling a nice buzz. My cheeks were warm and my lips felt numb.
"So, when do I get to meet this sexy fool of yours?" Chloe asked with a giggle.
"How do you know he's sexy? And a fool?"
"Well, you got this soft and dreamy voice when you talked about him," she mocked, using said voice. "And if he doesn't want you, he's a fool."
"Wanna come to the bonfire tomorrow night? He'll be there."
"And what kind of wing-woman would I be if I wasn't at the bonfire?" she said, finishing up her drink.
We made the short walk to the hotel, giggling and barefoot. We made an older couple in the elevator uncomfortable with our gid
diness and inability to walk a straight line. They stared at us with disapproving faces, but we didn't care at all. We finally flopped on my couch, holding our sides which hurt from laughing so hard. It felt so good to smile again. I was glad that someone from my past was still someone I loved in my present.
"Let's see this tub you talk so highly about," Chloe said, hopping up and skipping to the bedroom. "Oh! It's beautiful," she called out to me. I laughed and lugged my heavy body into the room. "Holy crap, that's a lot of lace," she gasped, staring at my open suitcase.
"I know," I sighed. "The store is right next door to the jewelry shop back home. I can't seem to stop."
"You have a problem," she confirmed.
"I'll be sure to get help."
Chloe and I watched cheesy movies for the rest of the night. It reminded me of just last year, having our girl's night. Although we were both so different, she was always like a sister to me. We were too exhausted to fix the hideaway bed, so we both slept in my king sized bed. In the morning, we called and ordered room service for breakfast. After the coffee washed away night before, we set about getting ready.
I was just heading to get in the shower after Chloe got out and heard a knock. I came back out into the main room and saw Chloe, wrapped in her towel, in front of the open door. Ryder stood in the doorway with his hair wet and his arms resting on the door frame. His eyes locked on mine, and my step faltered from the surprise. I resisted the instinct to run to him and let him wrap me up in his arms.
"Why is she opening the door to just anyone?" he asked, annoyed.
"Chloe, this is Ryder," I introduced. "Ryder, this is Chloe, who was just going to go get dressed." I gave her a pointed glare.
"Oh, chill. He didn't even look at me." She dismissed me as she headed back into the bedroom.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Ryder as I waved him into the room. I could smell his soap as he walked past me. I discreetly inhaled the familiar scent.
"Scarlett called and said your car was at the bar and you weren't answering your phone," he explained.
I quickly looked around the room and found my phone on the desk. I never plugged it in last night. "It's dead."
"How did you get here?"
"We walked. Were you worried?" I asked, tilting my head to look at him. He sure looked concerned to me.
He clenched his jaw, apparently unwilling to answer me. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said gently.
"Because you still care," I returned. It wasn't a question. I knew he did. I just didn't know what he would do about it.
Chloe came out of the bedroom, so Ryder didn't have a chance to disagree with me. She flopped on the couch and strapped on her sandals.
"I was going to go shower," I said, pointing in the direction of the bedroom. "Wanna wait?"
"Sure," he said, staring at the door to the bedroom. I hoped he was thinking what I was. "You need a ride to your car?"
"Or you could just take us to your place," Chloe offered with a devious smile. "We're going to the bonfire later, right? I’m assuming we won't be driving back here after."
I knew where she was going with this. Wing-woman. I arched my eyebrow at him. "Sure," he nodded.
I left them alone and took a quick shower. I picked out a matching black and baby pink bra and lace panties. I wore jean capris with a pink, one-shoulder top. I packed a small bag in case I wanted to change and made sure to grab a hoodie for tonight. I let my hair air dry, applied some make up, and then grabbed a pair of white, low heels as I walked into the main room.
Chloe was typing away on her phone while Ryder leaned against the desk. His hair was dry now and stuck out in different directions. His toned arms were bare in his tight shirt, and I wanted to run my hands up them. I stood there, taking him in. He looked like he’d gotten bigger since I last saw him. Not gaining weight, just muscle.
"What do you want to do until Scar gets off?" he asked, smirking at me. He obviously caught me checking him out.
"Can we check out this diner that Kallie worked at?" Chloe asked quickly. "I have to see this uniform."
He laughed. "Sure thing. Shall we ladies?" He smiled his breathtaking smile that did me in that first night at Hank's. He held out his elbow for Chloe, and she wrapped her arm through it. When I approached, I took his other arm and he escorted us down to his truck. He opened the door for us, and Chloe joked about how much of gentleman he was. It was clear he had already won her over. A BFF's opinion always matters about a guy.
I rode between them on the half an hour drive back into the small town. My skin tingled where Ryder was almost touching. I fiddled with my bracelets to keep from touching him. I hated having him so close, yet so far at the same time. It was bordering on awkward. Chloe rattled on about work and her family, filling the silence.
"You weren't joking," Chloe said when we pulled up to the single intersection. "One red light."
"Yep," Ryder and I said at the same time.
The flowers were starting to bloom in the pots that lined the street. The brick sidewalk was already alive with people, wandering and socializing. I smiled at the serenity and peacefulness I felt watching the scene before me. I was used to concrete everywhere, people filling the sidewalks, and heavy traffic. I didn't realize how much I missed the small town life.
We easily made it to the diner and parked a few shops down. As we walked, we passed an antique store. A necklace in the window caught my eye and I stopped walking. It was on a long chain that was darkened from age. The turquoise stone was uncut, giving it an imperfect shape. It was set in a silver frame designed to look like lace. The silver was tarnished, almost appearing black. A matching ring sat on the velvet display next to it.
I spotted an open sign in the window, so I went inside. A bell announced my entrance as Ryder and Chloe followed behind me. The place was cluttered and dark. It smelled of a mixture of incense and mildew. It was filled with heavy wooden furniture, old tin photographs, and marble vases. A glass counter near the window housed the jewelry. All antique and unique. I gasped and ran my fingers along the glass.
A woman with long white hair came out from a curtain in the back of the shop. She smiled warmly at me and pretended to arrange a set of wooden candleholders as I browsed. I examined all the pieces in front of me, getting excited about the beauty in it all. Everyday I looked at rings, necklaces, and bracelets. All uniform and plain. Every piece here had history, and there wasn't one that looked like any other.
"How much for the turquoise ring and necklace set in the window?" I asked her, running my fingers across the large stone.
"Five hundred," she answered. "One of a kind."
"I'm sure," I agreed, ignoring the gasps from Chloe. I knew the stone alone was worth it. You can polish the silver and rid it of the black, but I kind of liked it like that. "Do you take credit cards?"
"Cash only, dear," she said.
I nodded and backed away from the jewelry case. I promised myself I would hit an ATM and come back for it. I just had to have it. We browsed the small shop for a little longer before making our way to the diner. When we walked in, the entire staff bombarded me. Questions of where I had been and how I was doing were coming from all directions. Minnie almost squeezed the life out of me with one of her signature bear hugs.
"You are welcome to come back and work whenever you want, dear," she told me with a huge grin.
"I just may need to. We have a wedding to plan," I winked.
The entire dinning room gasped and stared. The random customers stilled and stared openly at us. It was then I realized how that sounded. "Scarlett," I clarified, mortified. The diner filled with groans and sympathetic faces. Tiffany eventually sat us and took our orders.
"So, will this Adam be at the fire tonight?" Chloe asked.
"Doubt it," Ryder grumbled.
"You don't like him?" she asked him.
"He's okay. He's good to her, makes her happy, and it sounds like he's pretty successful in life. She deserves that,
" he said, glaring at me.
"How do we know he's successful?" I asked without thinking.
"He owns a few oil change business across the state."
"Well, you would think he would buy her a better ring," I mumbled, distracted and aggravated.
"It's huge," he said, clearly confused.
"It's fake."
"What?" Chloe and Ryder asked at the same time.
"Cubic Zirconia. Surgical steel band."
"How do you know?" Ryder growled, sounding a little offended.
I gave a him a look, challenging his question. "Seriously? I may suck at life, but I know diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals. I can't keep a boyfriend or make someone love me, but I can tell you how many carats are in that woman's earrings. They are square cut set in white gold, not silver. Twelve carat."
They both turned to look at the woman I used as an example. They wouldn't have been able to tell if I was right or not, but I think I made my point. It's what was force-fed into my mind from the time I could walk. The business side I never enjoyed, but the art side was the reason I came in each day.
"Why would he lie?" Ryder asked. I sensed he wasn't that surprised, but unhappy he now had a confirmed reason to dislike the guy.
"Let's find out," I said.
"Why are you paying for this if you don't think it's right?"
"Because I hope I'm wrong. If not, I want her happy for as long as she can be," I shrugged.
"So, let me get this straight," he said, putting his hands on the table and demanding my attention. "You told her you would pay for her wedding, but meanwhile you will be trying to prove her fiancé is a piece of shit."
He struck a nerve then. He had the guts to look at me like I was the one being manipulative and uncaring. "No. I want her to marry the man of her dreams. I want her to live for the rest of her life in love and have lots of little babies I can babysit. I just want to be sure that he is the one that can give that to her. If he's not, I can't let her marry him. You want her to find out years later, after they have kids or something, that he's the wrong one?"
Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) Page 6
