you a car or do I have to go wake up Nick?” he asked. “I need to run to the store and I can’t haul everything on my bike.”
“Matt took the car,” she said. “Wake up Sleeping Beauty.”
“Where’s your Mustang?” I asked.
Jake lifted his cup to his lips.
“He totaled it,” Greta said, narrowing her eyes in her brother’s direction. “Drunk.”
“Jake,” I sighed.
“Hey,” he said, setting his cup on the counter to lift his hands. “It was stupid, I know. I haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet. Nick’s been staying here since I got out of rehab so he drives me around unless I get on the bike.”
Shaking my head, I turned to Greta, but she was still staring at Jake with a soft, grateful expression on her face. I read her like a book – she was mad at him for his recklessness but so happy he was still around.
“Guess I’ll have to go wake up the beast,” he said as he strolled out of the room and to the new addition.
“So, what’s this about Nick and divorce?” I asked Greta.
Grunting, she rolled her eyes. “She’s another Cyndi. She just basically used Nick and he let her. He was devastated by Jake’s addiction so he hung on to her like she was a prize. He later found out that she, too, used but wasn’t nearly as bad as Jake.”
“He left her?” I asked.
“Jake was in rehab when Nick married her. They’d only been together a few months. Needless to say, they were filing for divorce eight months later. He tried to get her to stop and to go to rehab, too, but she wouldn’t listen,” she sighed. “Poor guy couldn’t take it. He’d just gone through it with his friend and then his wife turns out to be using. And cheating on him. The whole thing is a mess.”
My heart went out to Nick. He’d been a true friend to me when I’d needed him – was a true friend to everyone. And to go through all this heartache alone…
Nick stumbled into the room, more rumpled than Jake, and flashed a smile at the table.
“Morning, ladies,” he said as he poured a cup of coffee. “Any good gossip?”
“Just about you,” Greta said.
He shook his head as Jake stood next to him. “Give me a second to wake up and then I’ll run to town with you.”
“Take your time,” Jake smirked. “Make sure you get all pretty for the checkout girls.”
As they bantered back and forth, my heart swelled. Although I knew that I’d somehow regret coming, I was still glad I came.
***
Sunday was glorious. The weather cooperated, warming to the upper seventies while still providing a refreshing breeze. Matt, Ronnie, and Carly returned that afternoon and once again we feasted on grilled food and cold salads. The laughter never ended and the tension from the previous day was gone. Greta regaled us with stories of the band when they were teenagers and just starting out – stories I’d heard before but still enjoyed.
I sat in a chair across the deck from Jake but caught his gaze several times. My heart sang as my pulse raced. I wanted him and I wanted him badly.
And, judging by the looks he was flashing my way, he wanted me, too.
I didn’t want to look at him. I didn’t want to fuel the flame. I was engaged and nothing could ever happen between us ever again.
My heart clenched at the thought but I kept it in my mind, not letting it disappear in the fog.
Although I really didn’t want to drink in front of Jake, I relented when Nick offered me a beer. I drank it slowly, not needing anything to let my guard down.
As the afternoon bled into evening, I became more and more aware of Jake’s heavy gaze. I’d limited myself to three beers before switching to soda in order to keep my wits about me. When Ronnie and Carly decided to leave, the party broke up. Matt and Greta followed suit, claiming to be tired. Greta offered to come over the next day to help clean up but Jake wouldn’t hear of it.
“I can handle it,” he said as he gave her a hug. “It’s not that bad, anyway.”
Greta
“Matt took the car,” she said. “Wake up Sleeping Beauty.”
“Where’s your Mustang?” I asked.
Jake lifted his cup to his lips.
“He totaled it,” Greta said, narrowing her eyes in her brother’s direction. “Drunk.”
“Jake,” I sighed.
“Hey,” he said, setting his cup on the counter to lift his hands. “It was stupid, I know. I haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet. Nick’s been staying here since I got out of rehab so he drives me around unless I get on the bike.”
Shaking my head, I turned to Greta, but she was still staring at Jake with a soft, grateful expression on her face. I read her like a book – she was mad at him for his recklessness but so happy he was still around.
“Guess I’ll have to go wake up the beast,” he said as he strolled out of the room and to the new addition.
“So, what’s this about Nick and divorce?” I asked Greta.
Grunting, she rolled her eyes. “She’s another Cyndi. She just basically used Nick and he let her. He was devastated by Jake’s addiction so he hung on to her like she was a prize. He later found out that she, too, used but wasn’t nearly as bad as Jake.”
“He left her?” I asked.
“Jake was in rehab when Nick married her. They’d only been together a few months. Needless to say, they were filing for divorce eight months later. He tried to get her to stop and to go to rehab, too, but she wouldn’t listen,” she sighed. “Poor guy couldn’t take it. He’d just gone through it with his friend and then his wife turns out to be using. And cheating on him. The whole thing is a mess.”
My heart went out to Nick. He’d been a true friend to me when I’d needed him – was a true friend to everyone. And to go through all this heartache alone…
Nick stumbled into the room, more rumpled than Jake, and flashed a smile at the table.
“Morning, ladies,” he said as he poured a cup of coffee. “Any good gossip?”
“Just about you,” Greta said.
He shook his head as Jake stood next to him. “Give me a second to wake up and then I’ll run to town with you.”
“Take your time,” Jake smirked. “Make sure you get all pretty for the checkout girls.”
As they bantered back and forth, my heart swelled. Although I knew that I’d somehow regret coming, I was still glad I came.
***
Sunday was glorious. The weather cooperated, warming to the upper seventies while still providing a refreshing breeze. Matt, Ronnie, and Carly returned that afternoon and once again we feasted on grilled food and cold salads. The laughter never ended and the tension from the previous day was gone. Greta regaled us with stories of the band when they were teenagers and just starting out – stories I’d heard before but still enjoyed.
I sat in a chair across the deck from Jake but caught his gaze several times. My heart sang as my pulse raced. I wanted him and I wanted him badly.
And, judging by the looks he was flashing my way, he wanted me, too.
I didn’t want to look at him. I didn’t want to fuel the flame. I was engaged and nothing could ever happen between us ever again.
My heart clenched at the thought but I kept it in my mind, not letting it disappear in the fog.
Although I really didn’t want to drink in front of Jake, I relented when Nick offered me a beer. I drank it slowly, not needing anything to let my guard down.
As the afternoon bled into evening, I became more and more aware of Jake’s heavy gaze. I’d limited myself to three beers before switching to soda in order to keep my wits about me. When Ronnie and Carly decided to leave, the party broke up. Matt and Greta followed suit, claiming to be tired. Greta offered to come over the next day to help clean up but Jake wouldn’t hear of it.
“I can handle it,” he said as he gave her a hug. “It’s not that bad, anyway.”
Greta
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