But who do you call when you screw your best friend? When the one person who understands you is the one who can’t even look at you?
“I have to go,” he had said, not bothering to say goodbye, ask if she was okay, or anything. The door slamming had felt like a hammer hitting her body.
She had sat in the silence, trying to even her breathing. Not really understanding why the experience hadn’t been as magical as she had heard it would be, and not knowing if she should tell someone or just lie there.
Her parents had been away on vacation, but little did she know that if she’d have called them, they wouldn’t have answered anyway. It had been the same night they’d died in a car accident on the way back from the airport.
A week later, Jake had mumbled an apology, then said he was going to be really busy with classes for a while.
He’d begun calling only once a week, then once a month, until finally she’d only received cards from him and his family on the holidays.
The pain washed over her anew. She hadn’t realized until now that she’d lost every loved one she had ever had in her life that fateful night.
Her parents, Jake, Grandma Nadine, and his family. Everyone, taken from her in an instant. And she suddenly wondered how she had made it so far without having a nervous breakdown.
With a shuddering breath she ran up the stairs. There would be time for self-pity and reflection later, but now, now she needed to get ready to hang on Jake’s arm, even though it was the last place she wanted to be.
Chapter Sixteen
Travis kept telling himself it wasn’t creepy or weird or even slightly strange that he was tailing Kacey and Jake to the brunch.
He had it all worked out. He’d hang out in the background, mingle, have a mimosa, and once he saw that Jake wasn’t making a complete ass of out himself and actually paying attention to Kacey, he’d leave.
Despite the hurtful things said between them, he still felt this raw possession for her. It was intense and strange, but he couldn’t fight it any more than he could tell his body to stop breathing. He needed to know she was going to survive the brunch. Even he wasn’t deluded enough to think people change that much after high school.
They boasted about their maturity, yet still gossiped on Facebook.
They said they’re above the drama, yet held grudges against one another when one became more successful. In fact, adulthood was almost worse than high school because for some reason it was suddenly okay to be manipulative. “Oh I’m so concerned about so and so. Did you hear what happened?”
How was that not gossip?
Or when his mother’s friends came over and asked about Jake because some of their daughters were still single. He’d never mentioned to Kacey what people said behind her back once she and Jake were no longer talking as much.
It was awful, to say the least.
Rumors ran rampant through their little social circle that Kacey had cheated on Jake, gotten pregnant by some other guy, and the worst of it was that he had downright rejected her and she was institutionalized.
That one was fun.
His poor mother nearly had a stroke, but managed to set everyone straight, because according to her, Jake and Kacey were just busy with work but still constantly in touch, though nobody ever saw her car at the house anymore.
People talked.
And Travis hated them for it.
So, yeah, he was following them, playing the crazy stalker, but if it meant that he could somehow jump in and save the day, he was okay with it. He didn’t want to see her hurt again. He wasn’t sure he could handle it. Jealousy aside, he truly just wanted her to be happy.
Even if it meant she was going to end up with Jake, the lucky bastard.
The family BMW pulled into the driveway for the River Walk restaurant. Travis pulled onto the opposite side of the street and turned off his truck.
He contemplated ducking in his seat, then realized his truck was already a dead giveaway, so it didn’t really matter much.
Kacey emerged from the BMW in a form-fitting white dress. It was completely open-backed except for a line of fabric by her neck, and had capped sleeves and a scoop neckline. His throat went dry when she turned to Jake, her body perfect.
Obviously Jake noticed, if his smug grin was any indication. Travis clenched his fist and watched as Kacey threw back her head and laughed. Her purse clutched tightly against her, she walked up ahead of Jake as he placed his hand on the bare skin of her back.
If Travis could have growled or roared or maybe even run into something with his fist, he would have felt a hell of a lot better. Instead he tortured himself by watching and imagining what it would be like if the roles were reversed. What if it was his hand? What if she laughed at his joke?
“Don’t go there,” he said aloud and cleared his throat.
Finally, after endless minutes of torture, they disappeared into the restaurant and Travis was able to relax, at least a bit.
He glanced in the mirror to make sure he looked all right. He hadn’t dressed up for the occasion much. But his style was different than his brother’s. It would be like comparing the finest of champagne against an expensive whiskey.
Jake’s suits cost more than most people’s house payments. He screamed money, from the Rolex watch to the perfectly pressed pants, the jacket, and the button-up, carelessly unbuttoned to show his tan skin. His glow-in-the-dark smile paired well with his short dark hair. Not to mention the fact that he had somehow perfected the art of smooth shaving.
In a word, Jake was like a girl.
Whereas Travis, well, he took off his sunglasses and threw them on the seat. He was more of a jeans and t-shirt type of guy. Yes, he liked good fits and name brands, but he wasn’t as feminine in his choices as Jake.
In fact, he found it quite funny that today Jake wore a khaki suit, while Travis sported Rock and Republic jeans with a tight black Armani shirt.
He wanted to show off his best assets if need be.
And he was vain enough to know his arms and chest did wonders for women.
All women except the one he wanted the most.
“Stop,” he told himself again. With a curse he jumped out of the truck and slammed the door shut.
Now was as good a time as any to walk straight into Hell. He pasted a smile on his face and walked across the street.
What he saw when the doors opened should have shocked him, perhaps repulsed him, but he was so damn used to it, it almost didn’t faze him.
Jake was standing in the middle of the open bar to the right with about twelve girls all standing around him asking for his autograph.
Please, he did one shoot for GQ.
The girls around him giggled in unison, each of them leaning over so Jake’s eyes could easily blaze a trail across each and every one of their chests.
He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
And then he heard a different type of laughter. It wasn’t fake. It was hearty, rich. He whipped his head around just in time to see Kacey sitting at a table of women.
Most of them looked old. Not the type of women that would be at a ten-year high school reunion, but as he inched closer the faces became more recognizable. Funny how age does things to people. Lots of them had gained weight, some were pregnant, and a few had dyed their hair different colors and acquired face piercings.
She looked fine, absolutely fine, but where were all the men?
He looked around again and noticed a group of guys sitting directly behind Jake, drinking beer, belching and laughing heartily.
They looked like death.
What the hell kind of reunion was this? How depressing.
Some of them had wedding rings, some were starting to get thin hair and a great majority of them had bags under their eyes, and Travis suddenly wondered what had happened to the world.
With a shake of his head, he made a quick exit toward the restrooms to rethink his strategy.
A young woman came barreling out of the b
athroom and ran directly into him “Oh, I’m so sorry, si—” Her eyes widened as she slowly lifted her head in appreciation. A wide smile broke out on her face. “I’m not sorry.”
Travis laughed. “Why the sudden change in attitude?”
“Honey, you just let me stare at you for a few more minutes, and I’ll change more than my attitude.” She raised an eyebrow and ran a hand down his bicep. Was he being molested in the restroom hallway?
“You gonna be here a while?” She purred.
“Um, I’m not sure yet.”
“What can I do to convince you, sugar?” She patted his bicep with her left hand, and he noticed a large sparkling ring.
“Honey,” he drawled, reaching for her hand and bestowing a kiss on it. “I don’t need convincing when a pretty lady asks me to stay. Now you go on and have yourself a good brunch.” He winked.
She nodded her head and giggled, this time gaining attention from the table of women. He glanced up to see all of their jaws drop, all except Kacey, who had chosen that exact moment to dig for something in her purse.
He nodded once and walked into the men’s bathroom.
****
Where was her cell phone when she needed it? Crap, it was in Jake’s car! She needed to get out of there before she lost her mind! It was all about Jake today. People asking if they’d stayed in touch over the years. Oh, aren’t they so excited to be married after all this time? Oh, no one believed for one second that Kacey had been institutionalized! What the hell?
A classmate she vaguely remembered until this very day came rushing to the table. Her name was Joy, and Kacey thought it fit.
“I’m officially in love.” She plopped into her chair and downed her entire mimosa. Wow, Kacey wished her bathroom experiences were that exciting.
“Did you see him?” Sandy, a friend from senior year nudged her in the ribs. “He was hands down the hottest piece of man candy I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
“I want to lick him,” another girl piped up.
“I’ll lick him all day,” a guy shouted from across the room.
Good to know this guy, whoever he was, could bat for both teams. He probably was gay. All the good ones were gay.
“No offense, Kacey.” Joy reached across the table and patted her hand. “But he’s even hotter than Jake!”
Gasps were heard all around. “No! Are you kidding me? You don’t say?” people kept saying over and over again. Absolute silence took over as a man in a tight black t-shirt walked out of the restrooms and made a beeline straight for their table.
His eyes focused only on Kacey.
Her heart nearly stopped in those few seconds.
His bright smile was for her, and only her.
Damn him.
“Kacey, why is he looking at you? Kacey?” Sandy nudged her, but Kacey kept her eyes focused on Travis, her smile getting wider and wider.
When he reached her side he hunched on his knees in order to be face to face with her. He reached in to kiss her cheek, lingering an extra second before pulling back.
“I figured you may need rescuing.”
Sandy cursed next to her.
Joy giggled.
Another woman said, “How does she do it? Jake and the mystery man?”
“Thank you.” Kacey swallowed her pride and took his offer for what it was, a way to get out of that place, away from Jake’s admirers.
“Sorry, ladies.” Kacey pushed out of her seat and gathered her purse and sunglasses. “I forgot that Travis and I were going to go to…”
“The park,” he finished for her. “I hope I’m not stealing you away too soon.”
“No,” Kacey answered when everyone else said “Yes!” at the table.
“Wait,” Sandy interjected. “Travis? Travis, you look kind of familiar.”
“Bro!” Jake shouted. “Get over here!”
Kacey rolled her eyes.
Gasps were again heard around the table.
“You’re Travis Titus! Oh my word! Oh my word! Look at them both!” If Sandy didn’t watch it, she was going to have a heart attack.
Just then her husband came around the corner, his pudgy stomach all the more evident next to Travis’s perfect physique. “Hey, baby.” He tried to kiss her on the cheek, but Sandy pushed him away.
Kacey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.
“Hey, Kace, where you going? Travis, what are you doing here?” Jake tried to act happy. Kacey could tell because his lips were twitching like he wanted to scowl and then punch his brother in the face.
“Grandma wanted me to take Kacey to the park, something about the wedding or something.”
Well, that was a lie. On both accounts, but Kacey wasn’t going to argue.
“Oh, well, um, I guess I’ll go too.”
“No!” The girls all but yelled. “Jakey, stay with us.” A girl came up to his side and pouted. “She’ll be fine. We haven’t seen you in years!” She rolled her eyes.
Kacey wanted to pull her hair out.
Jake opened his mouth to speak, but another girl looped her arm with his. “Please Jake, you still haven’t told us about your trip to Africa to help the nomads.”
Seriously? They were buying this? Really? Kacey wanted to scream. He chuckled and nodded his head. “Sure, I’ll stay, but only for a little bit.” His eyes turned back to Kacey. “I hate to be away from my love for too long.”
Kacey wondered if slapping him or choking him would be more satisfying.
Jake leaned in and kissed her cheek. “See you soon.”
“Yup.” Kacey gave him a lame side hug and attached herself to Travis’s person like a leech.
Once they were outside she mumbled, “I’m still mad, but thank you.”
“Of course.” He put on his sunglasses.
“And I didn’t need saving.”
“I know.”
“Okay, I just want you to know that I was handling things fine and—”
“Kace, I know. Now, do you want to go have fun or sit here and argue?”
“Fun,” she mumbled.
He laughed. “Right. Well, let’s see what I can come up with.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jake watched their disappearing forms. Well, actually he watched Kacey’s. His brother could go to hell for all he cared.
What was he doing here anyway? It wasn’t his high school reunion.
Just as he was ready to go after them, a hot blonde tugged at his shirt and smiled up at him as if to change his mind. “Are the rumors true, then?”
“Rumors?” He gave her a dazzling smile.
“That girls cry when you leave them in bed because they want you so badly.” She was trying to be sexy, but honestly the minute she said cry and bed together, he lost all his sexual appetite in one giant rush.
Kacey.
God, he was stupid.
He should have apologized.
Or at least done something, anything other than just sit there with his head in his hands, ready to burst into tears over ruining the most important friendship in his existence.
It had destroyed him.
Most people talk about straying, how choices eventually led them to be the people they were, how it was a slow fade into what was now their lives.
But with Jake it was different. He knew the exact time. Three o’clock in the morning. He knew the exact date. February third. He knew everything.
The way the room smelled like coconut from one of Kacey’s ridiculous candles from Bath and Body Works. The feel of her jersey sheets across his legs.
Her smooth skin under his hand.
Yes, he knew the exact moment when he gambled and lost everything dear to him.
It was the very same day he decided he couldn’t do it anymore. A crossroads had appeared that day. He could have chosen to be the good guy going after the girl and apologizing, living a safe life with 2.5 children and a house with a picket fence.
Or he could have chosen to be an ass.
/> The choice he’d made was obvious, but he’d felt trapped and alone, and it wasn’t any help that his friends had told him the easiest way to get over a girl was to get with a new one. So he had, again and again, until he was so numb and disgusted with himself he hadn’t even wanted to live anymore.
Eventually the pain faded when Kacey started her own life.
It was easier for him to ignore it ever happened. To pretend it didn’t really matter. But it did. Oh, how it did.
Kacey didn’t know.
How could she?
It had been his first time as well as hers. He’d never told a soul that he’d stayed a virgin through high school. It was easy to keep the secret though; girls had wanted him so bad that they lied about his skills in the bedroom. Granted, he’d never been an angel, but he’d always known he wanted his first time to be with someone special, with a girl he truly cared for. He’d thought he loved Kacey, but she’d had a way of making a man feel like more than he was, and for Jake that was difficult. He’d known he’d wanted more than he could give Kacey. He’d wanted to sow his wild oats, make mistakes, get crazy, be famous. Kacey would have been happy dropping out of school and having kids right away.
Nothing makes a guy run faster than knowing he could have it all, and lose it all, with one woman.
To be frank, it had scared the hell out of him.
What if? What if he had apologized? Loved her as she deserved? In his mind he would have still destroyed her. It was so much easier being who he was.
Which is why, when the hot blonde stuck her hand into his belt loop and whispered something naughty in his ear, he left with her. Not caring if people whispered behind his back that he was cheating, and not caring as she took off her top in the car, that what he was doing was stupidity at its finest.
He just wanted to be free, to live. To separate himself from the boy he was so long ago.
Chapter Eighteen
Travis tried not to look at her legs. Really he did. It was a gargantuan effort on behalf of men everywhere. In fact, several times he wished someone was documenting the extreme self-control he was exhibiting by biting his lip, breathing in and out, and keeping the truck between the yellow and white lines of the road.