Chapter Twenty-Four
Shelby
After receiving Jeff’s text messages last night, I’m feeling a little bit better. I was able to get to Bentley and function normally throughout my workday. It was helpful that I didn’t see Garrett at all. I walked around on pins and needles waiting for the moment he would appear, but thankfully I didn’t have to deal with it.
Even though I’m beginning to deal with all that’s happened, I still must have seemed off because Max asked me if I was okay on a couple of different occasions throughout the day. I told him I was just feeling a little under the weather. I had to say something to justify my absence yesterday and why I look like shit today. He seems to accept it at face value and for that I’m grateful. If he were to pester me about it, I might be tempted to give in and confide in him. I need to talk to someone about everything that’s going on, so I’m currently on my way to the condo Hailey and Cory own. I promised to fill her in when I’m there and she promised me there’d be lots of chocolate and wine to help make me feel better. I hope it works, God knows nothing else is.
Once I’m inside their swanky condo, Hailey enfolds me in a sweet hug. Of course, I instantly feel like crying but I fight the tears back. What good is crying going to do? Tears are not going to bring J home and they’re not going to keep Garrett out of the picture.
“I’m so glad I get to see you today, even if the circumstances suck,” Hailey says as she gestures for me to sit on their large sofa. Once I’m seated, she puts her hand on my shoulder and asks what I want to drink?
“I have wine, beer, water, soda or tequila. What’s your poison?” I think about what I’m in the mood for but I’m not really feeling in the mood for life right now.
“I’ll take some tequila, please.” I base my choice on the which will make me numb the fastest.
Hailey hands me two shots to knock back. She knows me so well. Once I’ve had them both she sits down next to me and hands me a bottle of water. I smile at her as I open the cap, taking a sip to wash some of the tequila taste away. She always knows just what I need and I’m so blessed to have her as my best friend.
“So what happened when you told Jeff about the kiss?” Hailey knows what went on the other night, in the hallway, outside of the club’s bathroom. I confessed all of my sins on the way home that night as I cried hysterically. I was feeling so torn up about what happened with Garrett and betraying Jeff, that it all came pouring out of me. I’m sure the amount of tequila I had consumed didn’t help. She tried to reassure me that Jeff loves me more than anything, but I knew what the outcome was likely to be and as it turned out, I was right.
“When I told Jeff about the kiss he was understandably pissed. He wanted to know how I could do something like that if I love him. Then he packed his bag and left. I haven’t seen him since.” I take a sip of the water and try to get rid of the dryness that’s coating my throat from having this conversation. Hailey’s mouth is hanging open in shock and it takes her a moment to realize it.
“Where’s he staying?” She asks me, her blue eyes open wide.
“He’s staying with Lee.” I glance at Hailey to see if she reacts to his name, but she doesn’t. She and Lee dated during our junior year of college and he was crazy about her. She kept putting the brakes on their relationship and she didn’t want to commit to anything serious, so he finally gave up and moved on. Well, I’m not sure he ever “moved on,” but he knew enough to cut his losses and stay away from her. At the time, she was still trying to get over Cory and how much he’d hurt her. I guess things have a way of working out for the best because she and Cory are deliriously happy now and I’m sure the right girl for Lee is out there, somewhere.
“Have you talked with Jeff at all?” She asks, a look of worry on her face.” I shake my head before replying.
“No, I haven’t talked to him at all. He did text me last night, briefly. He said he loves me, so at least there’s that.” Hailey comfortingly rubs my shoulder. Just sitting here with her and talking things out, is making me feel better.
“You know Jeff loves you. That man is crazy about you. There’s no way he’s going to be able to stay away from you for much longer.” I bite my lip and think about what she just said. I know how much he loves me, but sometimes people reach their breaking point and decide that they need a change. What if me kissing Garrett was his final point and we can’t come back from it? I can’t imagine a life without him by my side. He’s been a constant in my day to day routine for over three years now and even longer if you add the eight months we were friends with benefits.
I can still remember the first glimpse I saw of his gorgeous face on the first day of my sophomore year. He lured me in with his welcoming grin and his beautiful blue eyes that had a mischievous glint shining from them. Talk about a lethal pair. When he flashed me that megawatt smile and the dimple in his right cheek flirted with me, I knew I had to get to know him. It was one of those pivotal moments in my life that I think back on and realize destiny stepped in and steered me in his direction. If I had gone to any other table, we might never have met and my life would be so lacking without him in it. I thank God every day for blessing me with Jeff’s love. I may have some leftover attraction for Garrett, but Jeff owns me. I gave him my heart, what’s left of it anyway and he’s never given me a reason to regret it. Which only makes what I did to him even worse. I must be a heartless bitch to kiss another guy. I can’t even understand how it happened. It all seems like a blur and I know I was drinking a lot that night, but that’s no excuse.
“Why don’t you call him, sweetie?” Hailey interrupts my thoughts with her question. I shrug my shoulders.
“I want to, but if he doesn’t answer I’m going to feel even worse. I think I’d rather give him the time he seems to want and hope that he’ll come back home soon.”
“I understand what you’re saying but I think you should reach out to him. He deserves to feel how much you love him and if you don’t call him, he’s going to convince himself that you don’t really care. You have to at least try and if he doesn’t answer you should leave him a message. He needs to know how much you miss him and that you can’t live without him, Shelby. Guys are notoriously insecure. He probably thinks you’re fine without him.” What Hailey is saying makes a lot of sense to me. He deserves to know how much he means to me and how much I want him in my life. When I get home, I’m going to call him and say all the things that need to be said, before it’s too late to.
“I think you’re right. I do need to call him and bare my soul. In fact, I’m going to get going right now so I can catch him as soon as he’s out of work.”
Once I’m in my car, I immediately dial Jeff’s number. We’ve been apart long enough and it’s time for my man to come back home, where he belongs. His phone rings four times before his voicemail picks up. I wait for the beep so I can leave him a message.
Jeff, it’s me. I was hoping to talk to you and not your voicemail. There are so many things I need to say to you, but the most important of them all is that I love you. I love you more than anything in this life or the next. You are the most important person to me and I need you to come home…I pause to take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my face before continuing on. I just need you. I barely get those last words out before I’ve run out of time. I hope he listens to my message and doesn’t just delete it. The words I spoke came from my heart and the emotion reflected in my tone was real.
When I open the door to our condo and walk inside, I find Jeff sitting on our couch. I freeze for a moment from the unexpected shock of seeing him. We look at each other; both our expressions are guarded. I suddenly hear Hailey’s voice in my head urging me to go to him. I drop my Burberry tote to the floor and run across the room to him. He stands up and I’m in his arms six steps later. I wrap my arms and legs around him and cling on as if I’m never going to let go. I’m sobbing in relief as he gently holds me up in his arms.
“I love you so much, Jeff. I don’t want
to spend another day without you. Please come home.” I open my mouth to continue begging when he places his finger over my lips.
“You don’t need to say anything else. I’m here and I'm not going anywhere, ever again. I’ve been miserable these past two days and I can’t spend another day without you right next to me. You are a part of every fiber of my being and I don’t even know how to get through my day without talking to you or running something by you. We’re a team, Shelby and it’s the greatest team I’ve ever been a part of.” He kisses me as if we haven’t kissed in weeks...as if kissing me is crucial to his very survival...as if he’s never going to stop. It’s the best kiss I’ve ever experienced because it means we made it. We survived our first giant speedbump in the road and as a result, we’ll be even stronger than we were before.
***
It’s been six weeks since Jeff and I worked things out and he came back home. We’ve been sailing smoothly along without any issues or distractions. We’ve been spending all of our free time together and his travel schedule has been light since the Beacon University football team has had home games for the past few weeks.
Garrett has been almost invisible at work. I’ve barely seen him and when I do he mutters a quick hello and that’s pretty much the extent of it. I’m not sure what sparked the complete turnaround in his attitude, but it definitely makes my work situation much more enjoyable. I like being able to be at Bentley each day and not have to worry about him popping in my room or finding some reason to talk to me. When I’m at work, I want to be able to put my complete focus on my teaching and how my students are doing. If they’re not succeeding, then I’m not doing my job properly. So far, most of my students have been doing even better than I originally hoped for. There are a handful of kids that I have to give some extra help to and ironically, the ones who need it most are usually the most reluctant to ask for it. Maybe they don’t want to ask for assistance because they think it will make them appear unintelligent or weak. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I do know that those are the students that I try to find a common ground with and help them emotionally as well as academically. Asking for help is an important life lesson and one that I learned the hard way. I don’t want anyone else to ever have to go through what I did and I’m thankful every day that Jeff found me in time.
It’s the end of the day and I’m meeting Hailey for our dress fittings at the bridal shop. I can’t believe that she and Cory will be married next month. It seems so surreal that she’s marrying her childhood crush and that they’re so perfectly suited for each other. I never in a million years thought they would ever end up where they have, but now I can’t imagine her with anyone else. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle and they make perfect sense. She’s the Yin to his Yang, as corny as that may sound. It makes me wonder if people think that when they see Jeff and me together. I like to think we fit each other that well. I know he makes me happy and the two days we were apart last month showed me the full depth of my feelings for him. I don’t want to be without him ever again. He’s my calm, my peace, and my tranquility, all rolled into a fun, flirtatious, physically perfect male specimen. I can’t breathe properly without him by my side.
It’s strange how you can be in love with more than one person in your lifetime and each experience has a different feel to it. When Garrett and I were together, our love was intense and exciting. I wanted him with an undeniable intensity and he made me feel equally desired and loved in return. His love was like riding in a fast car. It was thrilling and he made my heart race with just a simple look or touch. What Jeff and I have is completely different. The passion is still there and sex with Jeff is always beyond hot, but that crazy buzz or hum, just under my skin that Garrett gave me, isn’t present. I can think more clearly with Jeff and our love is solid and steady. We can build a lifetime on the foundation we’ve created and the thought of our future together makes me smile.
Hailey’s already trying on her wedding dress when I get there. This is the next to last fitting and I can’t wait to see how it looks on her. I don’t have to wait for more than a couple of minutes when the curtain draws back and she comes out to stand on the dais in front of all the mirrors. Her dress is white satin and strapless. The top is fitted tightly to her large chest and the skirt which is made of a light and airy material flares very slightly from the waist down. There isn’t a train on the back of the skirt. Hailey didn’t want one and I can’t say I blame her. I’m not really a fan of them either. There are tiny pearls spaced out evenly over the entirety of the skirt. The whole thing is elegant and understated just like Hailey herself.
“Hailey, you look so beautiful. This dress is perfect for you and Cory is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you in it.” Hailey lets out a giggle at the image of Cory, I’ve conjured up. “I’m not even exaggerating, Hails. You look like a princess or a movie star. I can’t imagine what you’re going to look like with your hair and makeup done too. You’ll be the most gorgeous bride, ever.”
“Oh stop it. You’ll make me blush.” Hailey says and I notice that it’s too late. She has a nice red flush washing over her complexion at this very moment. I smile and think about how adorable she is.
“Shelby, why don’t you go get your maid of honor dress on while I get out of this thing.” I nod my head in agreement.
“Okay, I can do that,” I say as I turn and make my way to the dressing room, where my dress is already waiting. As I close the curtain and give myself some privacy, I think about how handsome Jeff is going to look in the tux that he has to wear. He and Cory have become good friends and he was chosen as one of the groomsmen.
Once I have the dress on I run my hands slowly over my hips, smoothing out the material as I go. The tea length skirt is full and sways as I move my hips from side to side as if I’m dancing. The deep purple of the taffeta has a nice sheen and shimmer to it. I know Hailey chose this color with me in mind. She knows it’s my favorite and she always tells me how good I look when I wear it. I’m really pleased with the dress she chose for me. It’s something I could actually wear again to a cocktail party or a semi-formal function. The bodice is tight with a sweetheart neckline and small, short sleeves cap the top of my arms. As I move around and test the dress for comfort, I notice that the bust feels a bit snug. I wonder if the seamstress took in that area. I’ll have to be sure to ask before I leave.
“Shelby, get your butt out here so I can see how it looks,” Hailey yells from the waiting room. It’s a good thing that we’re the only customers in here right now. I come from the dressing area onto another dais, this one is located toward the right side of the room. Hailey walks toward me with a large smile spread across her face.
“You’re absolutely stunning in that dress. I can’t wait to see Jeff’s reaction to it.” I snort out loud because I know what his reaction is going to be. I won’t even make it through the reception without him throwing my skirt up and having his way with me. It’s definitely something for me to look forward to.
“When do the rest of your bridesmaids have their fittings?” I ask.
“We’re doing it on a night next week. No one besides you could come this early today and I wanted us to have a chance to hang out without a million interruptions. Why does it seem like I haven’t seen you in ages?”
“That’s because you haven’t.” I giggle. “The last time I saw you was the day you told me to go home and call Jeff. Little did I know he would be sitting there waiting for me when I got there.”
“If you had known that, you would have left a lot sooner, I’m sure.” Hailey giggles.
“I know right. I’m sure I would have. I was done being without him, that’s for sure.”
“Okay chickie, go get changed so we can grab a cocktail or two.”
“That sounds like a plan I can get on board with.” I go back into the dressing room and change back into my clothes. As I’m buttoning up my pants, a wave of dizziness washes over me, making me feel nauseous and shaky. I sit on t
he bench seat and slip on my ankle boots before I stand up again. My legs feel less than steady but I’m not experiencing the extreme dizziness I was a few minutes ago. I must have gotten overheated. It’s only as I’ve almost reached where Hailey is standing that black spots dot the outer edges of my vision and then suddenly everything goes dark.
When I come to, I’m on a stretcher in an ambulance with an extremely handsome E.M.T. looking down at me. His brown eyes are intense as they watch me.
“Hey there, I knew you’d open up those pretty eyes for me. I’m Becker. You passed out for a bit there darling.” He says flirtatiously and flashes me a crooked smile. It’s only after seeing his smile that I realize I know him from somewhere. I look at his face some more and he’s definitely familiar to me.
“I know you from somewhere.” I say and I laugh inside knowing his ego is probably inflated enough to think that I’m using some pick up line on him.
“Sure darling.” He pacifies me.
“No, don’t be an ass. I’m totally serious. I never forget a face.” He’s checking my pulse and measuring my pulse oxygen level as I lay there, trying to hold still. I want to unstrap the belts that are holding me on the stretcher and sit up, but I know he won’t allow that. As he wraps the blood pressure cuff around my arm, it finally hits me where I know him from. I wait until he’s done taking my blood pressure before I speak.
“I just figured out where I know your conceited ass from. You work out with my brothers Greyson and Aiden.” His eyes go wide for a moment.
“Holy shit. You’re Seashell.” I nod my head and smile to myself. It cracks me up that my brothers all still call me that. It all started with Greyson when he was six and I was three. I can’t remember why he first said it, but it stuck and he’s hardly called me by any other name since then.
Waiting for Love ((Waiting) Book 2) Page 22