When Hearts Collide

by Lorana Hoopes

  “Jared.” Caleb’s voice was hard and flat.

  “Caleb,” Jared said, standing, “It’s been a while.”

  Amanda glanced from one man to the next. “You two know each other?”

  “You could say that,” Jared said. Something in his voice was off. His friendly eyes had lost their sparkle, and they now appeared hardened. She shivered at the sudden change in his demeanor. They obviously didn’t like each other though she had no idea why.

  “Amanda, are you ready?” Caleb addressed Amanda, but his eyes remained focused on Jared. “I’m hungry, and I'd like to get something to eat before the snack bar closes.”

  Neither man had moved; it was like watching a standoff. A really strange, uncomfortable standoff. Amanda looked to Jared, unsure of what to say to diffuse the situation. “Um, okay. Jared, I’ll see you Thursday, alright?”

  She darted to the back table to grab her bag, hoping they hadn’t started throwing punches while her back was turned. They remained in the same position, statues starting each other down. Amanda touched Caleb’s arm, breaking the stare and followed him out of the room.

  “What was that about?” she asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the room.

  Caleb waved a hand. “Ah, nothing. We liked the same girl last year, but she chose me, and I don’t think Jared ever forgave me.”

  Amanda’s instincts told her there was more to the story, but she decided not to press the issue. “What happened to the girl?” Pictures of some beautiful blond swooping in and stealing Caleb back paraded through her mind.

  He shrugged. “She moved. Back home, I guess. I’m not sure. We just... drifted apart.”

  The blond vanished in a cloud of smoke, and Amanda smiled. “Okay, as long as she won’t be coming back to steal you away.”

  Caleb’s blue eyes flashed, “Not much chance of that.”

  As soon as Caleb and Amanda left, Jared’s body began to shake. He sank into the chair and dropped his head into his hands. “Not again, Lord please don’t let this be happening again.” A seed of fury sprouted deep inside his chest and slowly clawed up his chest. He had to talk to Sarah; she’d know what to do. He texted her as he locked up the room and headed to her dorm.

  The warm air did nothing to dispel his anger, and he was sweating when he finally reached her door.

  “What’s going on?” Concern colored Sarah’s voice and face as she opened the door. He and Sarah had dated for a brief time before Jared met Nikki, but had quickly learned they were better friends. Still, Sarah had been his closest confidante when Nikki left.

  Jared stepped in and sat down at the edge of her blue bedspread. He rocked back and forth, rubbing his palms down his pants. “It’s him.”

  “Who’s him? I’m afraid you’re going to have to give me more to go on here.”

  “Caleb West, that’s who.”

  Sarah nodded, “Okay, so you ran into Caleb. I still fail to see the connection.”

  “Amanda. The guy she’s dating... it’s Caleb. Maybe I should tell her what happened. Maybe I should fight for her.”

  “Whoa, whoa, easy fella,”—she laid a hand on his arm as she sat next to him– “Have you even told Amanda you like her?”

  Jared ran his hand through his sandy brown hair. “No, I asked her out for coffee after the fair, but she told me she was seeing someone. I was disappointed, but kind of expected it. She’s beautiful, you know? But then the “guy” texted her today and I told her to have come over, and Caleb walked in. It was all I could do to keep from punching him. What can she possibly see in him?”

  “I don’t know,” Sarah said, “but that’s not the point now. Nikki made her own choice,”—she held up her hand as Jared opened his mouth to jump in— “and we don’t know what happened afterwards. Right now, it’s important to keep a cool head. Since we don’t know if the rumors are true, you want to be sure and stay friends with her in case things go awry. Getting all riled up will make that impossible, at least until you have proof.”

  Jared sighed, “You’re right, but I don’t want Amanda to get hurt. Is there any way to warn her without coming across, I don’t know... pushy?”

  Sarah shook her head. “Not really, but here’s what you can do. First, and most importantly, you can pray. Second, you become a listening ear. Maybe then she will open up to you. She had to sense the tension between you two and will probably want your side of the story. If she asks, then you tell her what happened with Nikki, but stick to the facts, Jared.”

  Though he nodded, Jared was still unsure. He didn’t know Amanda well, but there was something about her, and he didn’t want a repeat of Nikki. “I guess you’re right. Do me a favor though. Reach out to her too. I get the feeling she could use some good girl friends too.”

  “You got it, and I’ll be praying too.”

  Jared knew she was right, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that encompassed him. Though no one really knew exactly what had happened to Nikki as she hadn’t stayed on campus after the incident, the rumors had flown from person to person. If Caleb wasn’t involved, his fraternity certainly had been. Jared knew Caleb well enough to know that he would get Amanda at that fraternity house one way or another, and he could only hope and pray that history would not repeat itself.

  Chapter 10

  As Amanda entered the Students for Life office on Thursday, she was surprised to see Emily sitting next to Jared on the couch. They were deep in conversation, not having noticed her yet.

  “Hi, Did I get the date wrong?” she asked as she knocked on the doorjamb.

  They both jumped and turned guilty faces her direction. What had they been talking about? Had it been about me?

  Jared smiled, rising from the couch. “No, I just thought since we had been so slow on Tuesday that we could brainstorm ways to keep the group going and growing. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s more than okay, but how come I get the special planning meeting? I’m brand new.” Amanda’s gaze wandered from Jared to Emily and back. She appeared calm, but he kept balling and un-balling his fists, as if he were nervous about something.

  “I uh thought that you might have ideas from your clinic time in Mesquite. Plus, you’re new, so maybe you have ideas of how to reach new people that we’ve forgotten about.”

  Amanda narrowed her eyes. Emily was only a Sophomore and Jared a Junior. It wasn’t like either of them were exactly “out of touch.” Amanda didn’t know what they were hiding, but she had been thinking the last few days about ways to help, and she was happy to share them. “Actually, I do have some ideas.” She grabbed a folding chair and joined them at the back of the room.

  As Amanda shared her ideas, Jared’s and Emily’s faces lit up. Wheels were turning in their heads as well, and the three hammered out some concrete ideas to present to Tracy. When the discussion began to simmer, Amanda chanced a glance at her watch and was surprised to see her shift time was almost over. She had hoped to get Jared alone for a minute to ask for his version of the rift between him and Caleb, but that didn’t appear to be an option today. She would just have to try to get him alone another time.

  Surely, it was nothing important. Men fought over women all the time. Amanda could remember fights breaking out in the High School cafeteria at least once a month and usually over a girl.

  As she gathered her bag and waved goodbye, her phone rang. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said, hitting the call button as she exited the room. “Hi Caleb. Yeah, I’m on my way.” All thoughts of talking to Jared exited her mind as visions of Caleb filled it.

  The leaves crunched under her feet as she crossed the campus, and she breathed in the fresh air. Fall was her favorite time of the year with the bright orange and yellow colors of the leaves and the crisp chill that whispered in the air. Today was especially quiet outside, allowing her thoughts to roam as she crossed the campus. Everyone must still be in class or partaking of some other indoor activity.

  Caleb was waiting when she arrived at
his dorm, and after a kiss hello that set her entire body aflame, they walked together to his car.

  Amanda turned to him as he pulled out of the parking lot, “Hey one of the people I met at Students for Life attends this church on Indiana Ave. Do you want to try it with me on Sunday?” While it wasn’t a total lie, she felt just a tiny bit guilty not telling him the person was Jared, but she didn’t want Caleb to say no just because of their history.

  Caleb’s eyes fell to the floor. “Oh, I would, but I promised my friend I’d help him move into an apartment on Sunday. I forgot we were planning to find a church.”

  Disappointment surged through Amanda, and she frowned. How did one forget about finding a church? “Oh, okay.”

  “Listen, why don’t you check it out this week and next week I promise I’ll go with you.” He patted her thigh with his right hand before returning it to the steering wheel.

  Amanda nodded, but her previous elation faltered a little. Tiny nuggets of doubt crawled into her head again. What if Caleb wasn’t who she was supposed to be with? Shouldn’t he want to be at church as much as she did?

  Caleb must have sensed the change in Amanda’s mood because he turned the car off, but made no move to unlock the doors when they arrived at the movie theater. Instead he turned to her and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. His feather touch sent her nerves tingling and ground the nuggets of doubt to dust. He tilted her face up so Amanda’s eyes were locked on his.

  “I’m sorry I forgot about our plans, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  His voice flowed like silk over her bruised emotions and her doubt. She nodded, trancelike, as the familiar tingling sensation took over at Caleb’s touch. Her lips parted and he leaned down to kiss her. Caleb’s hands pushed at the back of her neck, urging her to respond in kind. As the tingling sensation pulsed and her breath grew labored, she pushed back on Caleb’s chest, breaking the connection that was threatening her self-control.

  “We’ll miss the movie.” She smiled up at him, hoping he would understand.

  A fire of desire flared in his eyes, and for a second he looked like he wasn’t going to stop, but then he took a deep breath, nodded, and unlocked the doors. Amanda’s breath gushed out in relief as she climbed out of the truck.

  After buying the tickets, they entered the brightly lit foyer of the theater. The hum of conversation filled the air along with the salty, buttery smell of fresh popcorn. As they surged forward into a line, a man yelled out and waved to Caleb.

  “Oh hey, come meet my good friend, Trevor.” Lacing his fingers through hers, Caleb pulled Amanda over to the dark-haired man standing in the next line over. He had chiseled features though his nose was a little too big for his face. A blonde with long legs and short shorts stood next to him, running a hand idly through her hair and twirling the ends, while her pouty pink lips smacked some gum. “Trevor, I want you to meet Amanda. Amanda, Trevor.”

  Amanda smiled and put forth her hand, but before he took it, Trevor’s eyes roamed up her body. His eyebrows raised slightly, and a smile spread across his face. When he touched her hand, a feeling of nausea bubbled in Amanda’s stomach, and she quickly retracted her hand and excused herself, citing a need to use the bathroom.

  As she entered the black and white bathroom, she rushed to a sink. Turning on the water, Amanda splashed some on her face and then scrubbed her hands. Trevor’s gaze and touch had left a dirty film, and she couldn’t seem to get it off even with all the scrubbing. How could he be friends with Caleb? Was there a side to Caleb she didn’t know?

  Jared’s reaction to Caleb returned to her mind. Caleb had said it was over a girl, but what if there was more to it? The questions that had plagued her earlier returned with force, pounding like a raucous parade in her mind.

  A stinging sensation in her hands shifted her attention, and Amanda realized they were red and smarting from the scrubbing. She turned off the water, and after drying them gingerly with the paper towel, she headed back to Caleb, hoping he was no longer talking to Trevor.

  He was, in fact, waiting right outside in the hallway. “Everything okay?” he asked, handing her a drink.

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Amanda bit her lip as they sauntered down the carpeted hallway to the theater, trying to find the words to ask what was weighing on her mind. “How good of a friend is Trevor?”

  He turned to her, his eyebrows cocked. “Why do you ask?”

  Amanda shrugged and ran her free hand over her opposite arm, which had broken out in goosebumps. “Just the way he looked at me; it kind of bothered me.”

  Caleb smiled. “Oh, he’s harmless. He just knows a pretty girl when he sees one. In fact, he’ll probably tell me later how jealous he is that he didn’t meet you first.”

  “I guess.” The explanation didn’t soothe Amanda’s nerves; instead it opened even more questions about Caleb in her mind.

  Chapter 11

  "Hey, how’s your friend Sandra?” Jade asked from the other side of the room. Though still not close friends, Jade had begun talking more to Amanda the last few weeks. She had even asked a few questions about the Bible and Amanda’s faith.

  “Huh?” Amanda finished composing the text to Caleb and glanced up at Jade.

  “Sandra, I haven’t heard you call her lately. Are you no longer doing the prayer list thing?”

  Her voice held just the hint of a challenge, and Amanda was about to retort back when she realized she hadn’t called Sandra lately or Kate or Callie. Snatching the prayer journal off the nightstand, she flipped to the last page. Her eyes widened at the date. Was that right? It had been nearly three weeks?

  Amanda glanced up at Jade who had an eyebrow raised awaiting a response, and her face flamed. “No, I still am. I guess I’ve just been a little busy with class.” Or Caleb. “I’ll call her tomorrow, I promise,” she said, defending herself against Jade’s knowing look.

  “Why not now?” Jade challenged.

  “I promised Caleb I’d help him study for a big test.” The vibration of Amanda’s phone punctuated her sentence. “There he is now.”

  “Uh huh,” Jade said with a shrug. “Well, have fun.”

  A tiny kernel of guilt erupted inside Amanda as she exited the room. Amanda shouldn’t have to justify her actions to the girl, but something in Jade’s face sent her subconscious spinning. Was she spending too much time with Caleb?

  Caleb was her first boyfriend; it was only natural that she’d want to spend a lot of time with him, right? Jade was probably just jealous because she had stopped seeing her “friend,” or at least Amanda assumed she had as the man hadn’t appeared in the room again and Jade hadn’t mentioned him recently.

  Caleb was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, and at the sight of him, the guilt flew from her mind. He pulled Amanda into his arms and touched his lips gently to hers. Warmth radiated through her body, and her head grew light.

  “Jade is in our room,” Amanda said. “We’ll have to find another place to study.”

  “Let’s go back to my dorm,” Caleb suggested.

  Somewhere at the back of her mind, alarm bells sounded, but they were distant and timid. Ignoring them, Amanda agreed and took his hand.

  When they reached his room, Amanda made sure he left the door cracked. Though she was nearly certain she was falling in love with Caleb, there was no reason to open the opportunity to play with fire.

  He took the desk chair, leaving her to sit on the bed. After rummaging in his bag, he pulled out a large textbook and passed it to Amanda. Flipping to the marked page, she drilled him on business terms and procedures.

  An hour later, she closed the book, feeling as mentally worn out as he looked. He took the book from her hands and then joined her on the bed. As he brushed a hair behind Amanda’s ears, a tingle traveled down her spine.

  “My fraternity is having a party to celebrate Halloween. Will you come with me?”

  His blue eyes bore into hers, scattering her thoughts. Amanda tried to foc
us; she did want to go, but she’d heard stories about frat parties.

  “I don’t know,” she said in a hesitant voice. “Don’t people just get drunk and... you know.” Amanda’s face flushed and she looked down at her hands at the innuendo she was alluding to.

  “Some do, but ours aren’t like that. Please.” He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face upward, turning his puppy dog eyes on Amanda. It was like he knew she was a sucker for those eyes.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  His eyes danced, and he dropped his head, placing his lips on hers. Nerves in Amanda’s body ignited, and she leaned into him. Her hands slid up the hard muscles of his chest and around his neck. His hands dropped to her low back, pulling her closer.

  As the kiss deepened, Caleb leaned Amanda back. When her head touched his pillow and she felt his hands breach the safety of her shirt, the alarm bells finally blared loud enough to grab Amanda’s attention. She pushed against his chest until the kiss broke. He stared down at her with wild and hungry eyes.

  “Stop. We need to take a breath,” she said, panting.

  Ice flickered in Caleb’s eyes. Amanda flinched at the hardness that radiated from them. Had she gotten him all wrong? Another moment passed, and then his eyes softened, and he sighed.

  “You’re right. I just can’t help it when I’m with you.” He leaned down to kiss her again, but Amanda pushed harder.

  “I’m serious.”

  “Fine,” Caleb dropped his hands and rolled off her.

  “I should go,” Amanda said, sitting up and smoothing her shirt. Her emotions were running wild, and she needed time to think.

  “No, don’t.” He reached out to her but made no move to get off the bed.

  Amanda shook her head. Neither of them would get any more studying done tonight, and the promises she had made to herself earlier flared in her mind. “No, I promised Jade I’d do something with her tonight anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”