Believe in Forever (Jett Series Book 3)

by Amy Sparling

  My chest heaves and my hands are shaky. Without another word, I turn on my heel and rush out of the tent. I need air. Cold air, fresh air. Air away from all of these people.

  I bump into a few shoulders but I don’t care. Soon, I burst free from the tent and I’m in the dark, running into the parking lot. I make it all the way through the rows of cars until I’m standing near the road. The music is just a soft thumping sound in the distance. I am finally alone.

  I pitch forward, resting my hands on my knees. This gravel parking lot has probably ruined my black velvet heels, but I don’t care.

  Between Dawn calling me for the first time in months, and seeing some bitch take advantage of my boyfriend and then tell me I’m not good enough—the one fear I can’t ever seem to shake—I can’t handle this.

  I need to be alone. I need a moment to breathe.

  “What’s wrong there, girly?” The slurred male voice startles me. It seems to have appeared out of thin air.

  “Nothing, I’m fine,” I call out, without turning around. I stand and wipe the tears from my eyes as I gaze out the county road in front of me, the vast endless horse pastures beyond. The moon overhead casts a glow on a small pond in the distance.

  “Looks like somethin’s wrong,” the guy says. He sounds closer.

  “I’m fine, really.” I wave a hand through the air. “You can leave.”

  A sweaty hand wraps around my wrist, pulling it behind my back. I stiffen, my entire body going into panic mode. Warm breath hits my ear. “You look like you could use some cheering up, darlin’.”

  My heart seizes in my throat. Another hand grabs my ass, squeezing it so hard I wince.

  “Let me go,” I say, my voice trembling. I need to run. But my feet won’t move. I am stuck, dammit. I am frozen. Move.

  I’m spun around against my will and a guy in his twenties, wearing ratty clothing and no mask at all gives me a look that chills me to the core. His grin is pure evil.

  “What do we have here?” he says, his eyes roaming down my body. With a death grip on my wrist, his other hand grabs my boob.

  “Get off me!” I yell, happy to have found my voice. I strain to move but he holds me against him, the air smelling like stale cigarettes and body odor.

  He grabs my dress and pulls it up until my whole hip is exposed. I wriggle and struggle to get away but he’s too strong. “You’re a hot mess,” he says, running his hand up my thigh.

  Tears burn my eyes and I pull so hard it feels like my wrist is going to break. Good, I don’t care. I just want away from this creep.

  His rough hand inches up my thigh and I scream. I scream as loud as I can. His grip lessens and then he’s throw backward.

  Jett’s mask flies to the ground and he plummets his fist into the guy’s face, then kicks him right in the stomach, making him fall to the gravel.

  “Call the police,” Jett tells me, meeting my eyes for just a second before he unleashes on the guy, pounding his face into the ground. He flips him to his stomach and pulls his arms around his back. Jett’s knee digs into his shoulder blades and he uses the guy’s own arm to choke him.

  I take out my phone and wait for it to power up, which seems to take forever. My fingers are shaky but I get the numbers pressed. I tell them I was attacked by a strange man.

  Soon, police cars show up and the guy is arrested. It all happens so fast.

  Jett talks to the officers and then they talk to me. It turns out the guy was home hobo and also a criminal. He wasn’t invited to the party; he had just been passing by when he happened to see me walk to the road. He’s assaulted women before. The police ask if I’d like to press charges.

  Jett holds my hand and looks me in the eyes. “He shouldn’t be allowed to hurt people and get away with it,” he says.

  I look to the officers. I tell them yes.

  Chapter 26

  It feels out of place being so full of rip-someone’s-face-off anger while wearing a fancy suit. Once the police leave, I can tell Keanna is still shaken up. If I hadn’t arrived when I did—well, I can’t think about that. I might actually rip someone’s face off.

  I can’t believe my girl got attacked because of some bitch who tried to trick me into making out with her. If that hadn’t happened, she would have never run outside, prompting me to look everywhere for her. That homeless criminal would have never gotten his hands on her.

  My fist aches to punch something.

  “You okay, son?” Dad’s brows are pulled together. He’s been out here since the police arrived, helping Keanna and me get through the whole ordeal. We’d insisted that everyone else stay at the party, keeping up the fun so that the whole night wouldn’t be ruined.

  I squeeze my shoulders together then relax them. “I guess. I’m just pissed.”

  “That’s normal,” he says, lowering his gaze on mine. “But you need to be strong for Keanna, okay? She’ll probably be freaked out for a while.”

  He has no idea. Now not only does she have to deal with being groped by some asshole, she’s also hurt from watching another girl kiss me. But Dad doesn’t know that part and I have no intentions of telling him.

  I nod once and let out the breath I’d been holding. Staying so pissed off won’t help anything. “I need to find Keanna,” I say. Dad steps out of the way and I walk over to where Mom and Becca are talking with her.

  When she sees me, her sad eyes look straight into mine and she walks into my arms.

  “Sorry for all the drama,” she mumbles into my chest.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

  Becca and Mom watch me like I’m some kind of puppy or something. I don’t think they’ll ever treat me like an adult after seeing me as their kid for so long.

  “Honey, ya’ll take some time alone and if you feel like getting back to the party, we’ll be here, okay?” Mom smiles and hands me my face mask. I don’t know where I dropped it earlier, I only remember throwing it out of the way. Our two moms leave and then I’m left alone with my girl, near the entrance to the main tent.

  “Can we just not talk about this anymore?” Keanna says, gazing up at me. Her eye makeup is all streaked from crying, but she lowers her mask back over her face, and now it doesn’t matter. “I want to at least try to have some fun tonight.”

  My hands slide down her arms, my fingers weaving with her fingers. “Of course. It’s almost midnight.”

  “Good,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I am ready for this year to be over.”

  I chuckle. I want to kiss her so bad, but I’m not sure if that’s the right move after she was just traumatized. The little box in my jacket pocket is burning a hole in me. This was supposed to be a magical party full of love and romance, where I gave her this gift under a moonlit night of perfection. Instead, it’s all kind of gone to hell.

  But maybe I can still salvage the night.

  “Will you walk with me?” I ask, holding out my elbow like they did in the old fashioned movies.

  She links her arm in mine. “I don’t see the harm in walking when I have you with me.”

  I grin. “Nothing will ever happen to you when you’re with me.”

  Her head rests against my arm as we walk through the party, then head outside near the bleachers. I consider bringing her out to the back of the track where we had that picnic one time, but it’s too dark and we’re not wearing the right clothes for a dirt bike ride. I think the bleachers will have to do.

  I glance behind us to insure that we’re alone. The party rages on behind us, everyone keeping inside the tents because that’s where the portable heaters and booze are.

  “So,” I say, swallowing. There was a whole speech I’d had planned out, an entire thing. I’ve been reciting it in the shower for a week and yet now, it’s all gone. Not a single word remains in my memory. I look over at her, hoping to glean some inspiration from her beautiful face.

  Only, she’s crying.

  I stop just short of the fi
rst row of bleachers. “Baby, why are you crying? Is it because of that asshole, because he’s going to be locked up for a long time. Plus, we’ve got a restraining order—”

  “No. It’s not that. It’s not him.” She lifts her eye mask off her face and sets it on the bleachers, then she dries her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “Can we sit?” she asks, gazing up at me with those innocent but pained eyes.

  I sit on the bottom bleacher and she joins me, leaning toward me so that our knees touch. My heart thumps like a freaking jackhammer. I have no idea what she’s going to say but it’s terrifying.

  She frowns and looks at her lap. “Earlier, before that girl—”

  “Honey, I swear I had no idea she wasn’t you at first. It was like two seconds and then I realized it. I shoved her away.”

  She shakes her head. “No, I know. I saw it all. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Okay, now I’m even more freaked out. “Go on,” I say. “Whatever’s on your mind, I want to know.”

  She swallows and looks up at me. “Dawn called me today.”

  My jaw tightens. Of all the days to call the daughter you threw away, she had to pick this day? The last day of the year that I had planned to make special for my girlfriend.

  “I know,” Keanna says, after seeing my reaction. “And you know the worst part? She just wanted money. No apology, no asking how I’m doing. Just asking for money.”

  I take in a breath through my nose and let it out in a huff. “You are too good to be born to someone like that.”

  “I agree with you on that one,” she says, making this sad little smile. “Even if I was really poor and alone and couldn’t afford a kid. If I had one, I’d love it and take care of it. I know I would. I don’t know how anyone could put their own happiness over a child’s. It’s not like I asked to be born.”

  “You are not like her in any way.” I bend down and kiss her. To my surprise, she takes my head in her hands and deepens the kiss.

  “Now that’s more like it,” she says, grinning as she pulls away. “Only my lips get to touch yours.”

  “You seem a little happier now.” I take her hand and bring it up to my lips.

  She nods. “I don’t really want to waste all this time talking about Dawn. I basically told her to fuck off and then I blocked her number, so we’re good. I just wanted to let you know that it happened but now I want to forget all about it. Does that make me weird?”

  “Not at all,” I say. There’s a loud cheering coming from the party so I check the time on my phone. “Two minutes until midnight.”

  “What is it you wanted to say?” Keanna asks, nudging me with her elbow.

  I lick my lips. “How’d you know I wanted to say something?”

  She gives me a look. “You were stuttering and tripping over your words the whole way over here, Jett. I’m not stupid.”

  I sigh and look up at the sky, gazing at the bright moon above us. “You are too smart for me,” I say, shaking my head. “But, you’re right. There is something I needed to say.”

  I know I shouldn’t get down on one knee—this isn’t exactly that kind of thing. But sitting on the bleachers feels weird, too.

  “Keanna,” I begin, as I stand and take her hands to pull her up next to me. “I have a present for you. It’s more of a promise, really.”

  Her eyes widen in curiosity. The moonlight makes her look like a damn angel and in this moment, my chest hurts so bad. I am so lucky to have this girl in my life, to have her be mine. She loves me, and I love her.

  Words pour of out me, and they aren’t exactly like I’d rehearsed but I think they get the job done.

  “You are my soulmate, Keanna Park. I love you and I love everything about you. In less than a minute, we’re going to start a new year together, and I want you to know that this is the start of everything for us. Not just one year, but every year, forever.” I reach into my pocket and take out the small box. “I know we’re too young for actual marriage, so I’m doing something else.” I open the box, and Keanna gasps. Tears fill her eyes, but for once tonight, they are good tears.

  “This is a promise to you,” I say, taking out the pink gold ring. Its heart-shaped diamond sparkles like crazy beneath the stars, and Keanna lifts a shaky hand to me so I can place the ring on her finger. “It’s a promise that you’ll always be mine, forever and ever, and that one day,” I say, gazing into her eyes, “one day I’ll marry you.”

  From back at the party, everyone begins the countdown to the New Year. “Ten . . . nine . . . eight!”

  Keanna watches me with a look of awe. She looks at the ring on her finger and then throws her arms around me. “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “Four! Three!”

  She pulls back and we gaze into each other’s eyes while the crowd at the party counts down to zero. A roar of cheers bursts out and I kiss her, long and passionately, bringing us into the New Year in the most perfect way possible.

  Epilogue

  Five months later

  I burst into the waiting room, startling not only Jett but the random couple in the corner. “Sorry,” I say, giving them an apologetic wave. Then I dive straight toward Jett, who’d been sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital chair.

  “He’s here!” I say, unable to contain my excitement. “He’s here, he’s here, he’s here!”

  Jett rises and wraps me into a massive bear hug. Becca had insisted that I be in the delivery room with her and Bayleigh. Park and Jace decided to stand just outside the door so that the room wouldn’t be too crowded, and Jett had kindly offered to sit in the waiting room. I think the idea of a baby being born is kinda gross to him.

  “His name is Elijah,” I say as I take Jett by the hand and pull him toward Bayleigh’s delivery room. “And he’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

  “Someone sounds like they’re already an impeccable big sister,” he says, bumping into me.

  I can’t stop my grin because I am truly so excited for my new family. We enter the room at the same time Park and Jace are leaving, both of them wearing these proud fatherly grins. There is so much more than friendship between these two married couples. It’s like we’re all one big family.

  I poke my head in the room and Becca motions for us to enter. She’s standing, holding her new baby in her arms. Bayleigh is in the hospital bed, looking tired yet somehow still radiant. Jett walks over and hugs his mom and then comes to see the baby.

  “You’re right,” he says, watching Elijah with sense of pride in his eyes. “This is one adorable baby.”

  “Thank you, dear,” Becca says. She kisses her newborn on the forehead and then turns to me and smiles. “Last year I had no kids and now I have two.”

  The way she says it brings tears to my eyes. I lean against her and watch my baby brother, who is fast asleep. He hasn’t even been on earth a whole hour yet, and here I am feeling more love than I’d ever known was possible. I know for a fact that I’ll never let anything or anyone hurt this little guy.

  Later, Park brings in an enormous amount of Chinese takeout and we all sit around Bayleigh’s hospital room and eat it, family style.

  “So was it easier or harder having a baby the second time?” Jett asks his mom.

  She considers it for a moment, her egg roll dangling over the sweet and sour sauce. “You know, I think it was easier. But only because I wanted to do a really good job for my best friend. I wasn’t about to let this labor take forever,” she says with a laugh. “I wanted Becca to get her son ASAP.”

  Becca laughs and Elijah yawns from his clear plastic nursery bed.

  “Are you already tired, little man?” Jett asks him. He looks up at Park. “We need to get your kid in shape if we want to make him the next motocross superstar,” he says with a smirk.

  Park nods. “I made an appointment with his personal trainer for tomorrow morning.”

  Becca swats at her husband. “Oh hush.

  “So,” Bayleigh says, looking over
at Jace. “We have a little announcement for you all.”

  Jace hurries to finish his bite of food and then gets up and sits next to her on the hospital bed. “Are you telling them or should I?”

  They stare at each other for a moment, lost in their own little world. Finally, Bayleigh grins. “I’ll do it.” Then she turns to us, her smile stretching across her whole face. “We want to have another baby!”

  Stunned silence fills the room and then Becca breaks into a cheer. “Oh my God! We’ll have babies at the same time!”

  “I know,” Bayleigh says, a child-like excitement on her face. “I figure our two older kids are all grown up now, so why not?”

  “I am so excited,” Becca says, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

  “Keanna,” Bayleigh says, looking at me. She points her fork between Jett and me. “You two need to figure out your wedding dates because I refuse to be pregnant and fat at the wedding, okay? We need to work around it.”

  My cheeks flush. I glance down at my promise ring, a gorgeous piece of jewelry that probably cost more than most people’s engagement rings. “Um,” I say, but Bayleigh waves a hand at me.

  “Don’t play cool, girlfriend. We all know you and my son are meant to be together. Hell, Becca and I have practically planned your whole wedding already.”

  I turn to the left and bury my face into Jett’s shoulder. My cheeks are so red hot right now I’m afraid they’ll get a third degree burn.

  “Don’t worry,” Jett says, patting my back. “The first thing we’ll do after we get married is move far far away from these lunatics.”

  “HA!” Bayleigh says. “Keanna’s not going anywhere, son. She loves us. Isn’t that right, Becca?”

  “It’s right,” Becca says, giving me a wink. “You’re stuck with us forever, Jett.”

  “Yep,” Bayleigh says. “Forever.”

  ***

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