Matt, who was one of the many that had been listening, told me, "Kourtney saw her come out of your tent naked."
Andy grabbed me and pushed me up against my locker and said furiously, “What the fuck is the matter with you? Why was she naked in your tent?"
I pushed him off of me. I realized that looked bad and I didn't want Andy to think I would do that to him, so I threw Maddy under the bus. "Will you calm down and listen to me? She threw herself at me! I told her no. Nothing happened."
I looked over at Maddy and she looked totally embarrassed. Andy looked at me. "Nothing?"
He looked at Maddy, "You threw yourself at Jake? What the fuck?"
She looked like she wanted to escape. She looked straight at him and avoided eye contact with me. "This is none of your business. You have no right to be upset or ask any questions. I am not your girlfriend." Then she fled the locker room.
I put my shirt on and went after her. She was standing right outside of the locker room. She looked defeated and I almost turned around to leave her alone but said, "What were you thinking?"
She looked up at me, "I was thinking you were telling everyone we had sex. It seems logical given your history. "
I looked at her, "I don't have to lie about getting laid, and why would I want anyone to think I slept with you?"
She just said, "Whatever," and started to walk away from me.
I followed her. "Don't mess with my friendship with Andy. I would never do anything to hurt him, and now you have him questioning me."
She stopped and looked at me with surprise, "Well it's nice to see you being loyal to a friend Jake. I didn't know you had it in you."
I just stood there and watched her walk away.
The school year ended and the summer began. Chris graduated from high school and of course had a party. I was surprised that Maddy didn’t show up.
I spent most of my summer hanging out with Andy at parties and working out in the oil field as a "roughneck". It was hard work, but I loved it.
It was kinda nice having Andy back. When he was dating Maddy, I didn't see him much.
He asked me a couple more times if anything happened with Maddy until he finally accepted that nothing did.
I didn't see Maddy at all that summer. She didn't go to any of the parties at the lake house and that's where I spent a large part of my time.
The first day of our junior year I was talking to Andy at my locker when we saw Maddy go to her locker.
She was tan and her hair was lighter from the summer sun. We walked over to her and she groaned, "What?”
I was curious where she was all summer so I asked, "How was your G rated summer, princess?"
Yeah, it was probably the princess part that pissed her off the most. "How was your summer Jake? Pick up any new STDs? Get anyone pregnant?"
Damn she was fiery. I just rolled my eyes at her. "Prude."
She didn't miss a beat. "Asshole."
She walked away. I knew I should leave her alone and just move on, but I couldn't be away from her.
For homecoming that year I decided to skip the dance. I went straight out to lake house after the game. I was hoping Chris would make it back home from college, but he sent me a text that he wasn't coming because he had too much homework.
I think he just didn't want to run into Maria. They were accepted to different colleges and the break up was really hard on him.
People started showing up and Andy and I were standing in the living room when I saw Michelle, Jackie, and Maddy walk in. She hadn't been to any parties since the night Andy and she broke up. So I was surprised to see her there. They went into the kitchen, and I continued my conversation with Andy about the game.
A little later Andy and I were still in the living room talking with Paul and Shelley. I saw Maddy in the kitchen, talking to a guy with our rival’s letterman jacket on. They looked like they were flirting, and I was instantly jealous. Andy saw them too and said, "Who the fuck is that?"
I tried to act nonchalant. "Who cares?"
He clenched his jaw, "I do. Why is she talking to him?"
He had been drinking too much and I didn't want him to start a fight. I tried to calm him down, "Why do you care? You're over that shit, remember. No more being teased, you've moved on. You don't need the headache that is Maddy Wright."
He took a big drink, "You're right. That poor bastard can have her."
I nodded. "Exactly."
Maddy and the guy moved into the living room and spent the next two hours on the couch. I couldn’t help occasionally looking over and watching them. She seemed really into him. I was relieved when he finally stood up to leave but was irritated when I saw them getting each other's phone numbers. It looked like this guy wasn't going to go away.
After the game the next Friday, Andy and I decided to go see a movie. We walked into the busy movie theater and I saw Maddy with the guy from the party waiting in the concession line.
Andy saw them too. "Are they on a date?"
I just shrugged. "Let's go see."
Maddy had a look of horror on her face as we walked over. I looked at Maddy’s date, sizing him up and then at Maddy, "What's the matter Maddy? No guys at school will date you so you have to date losers from Hutch?"
Andy chuckled next to me and the guy’s jaw clenched. He looked at us and with fake politeness said, "Why don't you guys go to your movie and we'll go to ours."
Andy was obviously pissed that Maddy was on a date and said, "Well, trust me man, you are wasting your time with this one. If you're smart you'll run now."
Now the guy wasn't so cool headed. He looked at Andy. "I don't know what your problem is, but no time with her is a waste." Then the asshole looked at me and smugly said, "And I'm sure there are plenty of guys at your school that would kill to date her. Luckily for me, she chose to go out with me and you two assholes are ruining it."
This guy made me nervous, not because I thought he could beat me in a fight, but because he obviously really cared about Maddy already. Andy was a massive guy and I wasn't small by any means. It didn't look like he thought twice about telling us off. I just smirked at him and said, "Well you two have fun. I hope you love being teased, because that's all you're getting."
That got to Maddy, and she walked outside. Mr. Wonderful glared at Andy and me and went after her.
Andy watched him leave, "Maddy's dating?"
I looked at him confused, "Why do you care? You were dating other girls when you were with her."
He furrowed his brow, "Yeah, but I still don't like seeing her moving on. I thought you were on my side."
I turned to walk to get a soda, "I am. That's why I don't get why you care. You don't need her." He agreed, and we went in to watch the movie.
Chris came home for two weeks for Christmas and I didn't tell him, but it was great to have him home. My mom was rarely home and I hated when the house was empty.
He told me how great college was and about playing college football. He asked if I made up with Maddy yet. I told him I hadn't, and he called me a dumbass. It really was good to have him there.
After the holidays were over, we started our second half of our junior year. Andy had started dating Kourtney exclusively over Christmas break, so that meant I was spending a lot of time with Kelsey.
I had occasionally hooked up with Kelsey since the first time we slept together, but no part of me wanted to date her. It sure felt like we were dating now, and it grated on my nerves. Kourtney and Kelsey joined our lunch table and I was pretty sure that the conversations they had made us all dumber.
I heard from Shelley that Maddy was officially dating the Hutch guy, whose name was apparently Ryan. She told me that Maddy was really happy and told me not to ruin it. She made me promise, and I actually intended to keep my promise.
A few days later Michelle was waiting by my car in the parking lock after school. This couldn't be good. Michelle and I were never friends. We just put up with each other for Maddy. I looked at her
suspiciously. "Can I help you?"
She stood up a little straighter, "Yeah, you can keep your distance from Maddy."
I unlocked my door, "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't been near Maddy for months."
"Yeah, well, she's really happy and that's usually when you swoop in and fuck it up."
I opened my door and threw my backpack in. "Michelle, I’m not going near Maddy. I'm over it. Now will you get away from my car?"
She knocked into my shoulder as she walked away. "I hope you mean it, because I am crazier than you could ever dream, and I will make you pay if you screw with her relationship with Ryan."
I believed her and was actually a little afraid of her. Michelle was fiercely protective of Maddy, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to find out what she meant by "pay".
The fight with Maddy had gone too far, just because I couldn't undo the pain I caused didn't mean I should make it worse anymore. Even though Maddy drove me crazy and could be judgmental, she deserved to be happy and Ryan actually seemed like a nice guy.
Chapter 8
The months went by, and I stayed away from Maddy. I saw her every day when we were at our lockers but never said a word to her. It was insanely hard not to, but she seemed so happy and I was committed to moving on.
With prom coming up I knew I needed to find a date so I didn't end up going with Kelsey. I asked Ashley Monroe, who was a shy, artsy senior. She was pretty, but not the ditzy cheerleader type I usually went for. She agreed to go with me, and we made plans to go to dinner first and then to the dance.
A couple of days later and a week before prom we were all at lunch; Kelsey wasn't all over me like she usually was. She looked at me and huffed, "Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?"
I looked over at her and humored her, "What's wrong Kelsey?"
She sat back in her chair, "I heard that you asked Ashley to prom."
Kourtney looked disappointed, “What? No you can't take her! You have to take Kelsey so we can double date."
I looked at Andy, pissed that he was dating Kourtney and then back at Kelsey’s face. "Sorry, I didn't know you wanted to go with me, and I've already asked her."
She pouted, "Of course I wanted to go with you. It's a week before prom. How am I going to find a date now?"
I shrugged and stood up with my tray in my hands, "I'm sure you'll find someone." I went and put my tray away and went off to class.
Kelsey found a date to prom and I went with Ashley. She was actually really nice to talk to. She made it clear early on that she was aware of my reputation and that I shouldn't expect anything to happen with her.
I actually respected that, and it felt more like I went to prom with a friend than a date.
Maddy took Ryan as her date and she looked amazing in a purple dress with her hair up. She looked blissfully happy with him, and it made my heart ache.
We left the dance early and headed out to the lake house. Not many people were there yet when Maddy, Michelle, Jackie, and their dates arrived.
I hung out with Ashley and we talked about high school and our futures and had a really nice time.
At around one in the morning I saw Maddy leading an excited looking Ryan out of the living room. I wondered where they were going and, more importantly, what they were going to do when they got there.
I didn't think Maddy was the type of girl who planned to lose her virginity on prom night, but for all I knew they had already had sex.
The thought of Maddy with anyone drove me crazy, and I was tired of the party. I told Ashley I wasn't feeling well and went outside to my tent alone.
The rest of the school year was boring and I felt like I was just going through the motions.
I couldn't wait for the summer for two reasons. One: Chris was coming home for the entire summer, and two: I got to work on the oil rig again.
Our junior year finally came to an end, and I immediately started working as much as they would let me. It didn't take long to get back into the routine, and I had finally earned the respect of some of the lifelong "roughnecks".
On Maddy’s birthday I walked into my house late at night covered in oil and dirt. Chris was awake watching TV. He glanced over at me, "Take your boots off. Mom will kill you if you track that shit in the house again."
I slipped my boots off, "What are you doing up?"
He was flipping channels, "Couldn't sleep. It's Maddy's birthday you know?"
I knew. I had thought about it all day. "Yeah I know."
He nodded. "I went to her house to tell her happy birthday, but she wasn't home."
"She was probably celebrating with her boyfriend.”
He looked at me curiously, “She has boyfriend? Another asshole like Andy?"
I swallowed hard, the words hard to say. "No he's a good guy. She's really happy with him."
He looked deep in thought. "Hmm, well that's good I suppose.”
I agreed. "Well I gotta go wash this stuff off. I'll see ya later."
He went back to watching TV. I went in my room and stripped down. My mind wandered to Maddy, and I thought about what she was doing for her birthday. I tried to shake it off and hopped in the shower.
I didn't see my friends very much that summer because I was so busy, and before I knew it our senior year was beginning.
I hadn't seen Maddy since the last day of school the previous year and when she walked in I glimpsed over at her hoping she had somehow gotten ugly over the summer.
Of course she hadn't. She was as beautiful as ever. She didn't look too happy to be in school again either, but I assumed that was because her boyfriend was probably about to go to college. I knew he was a senior last year, and last I heard he was going to start K-State that fall.
Thank God for sports. They were a great distraction and kept me busy. I just wanted to be done with school.
I was excited for homecoming that year. It was my last homecoming in high school and I was pumped for the game. I begged Chris to come and was thrilled when he showed that afternoon before I left for the game.
We massacred the other team, and I was on a high when I reached the lake. I decided to skip the dance and chose to catch up with Chris instead.
He told me that his second year of college was going great, but he missed Maria. He said that he was hoping she would come to the party. He had invited her, and she told him she would try to stop by.
We were relaxing on the couch, drinking beer. "I'm sure she will be here, Chris. I can't believe you let a girl wrap you so far around your finger though."
He rubbed the stubble on his chin, "Oh, little brother you have a lot to learn. You don’t know the half of it. If she shows up tonight and is single I'm going to see if she will take me back. I've already looked into transferring to her school."
I was in awe of his devotion to one girl. He was willing to change his whole life to be with her again. "What about football?"
He looked at me amused, "There is more to life than football, and my grades are good enough for tuition grants. I'll take out loans to cover what they won't."
I sat up on the couch, "Well, whatever makes you happy."
He sat up next to me and messed up my hair with his giant hand, "Well thanks buddy."
I fixed my hair, and we sat there talking, waiting for everyone else to show up.
The party grew quite large, and I had a great time. I finally felt like I was getting out of the funk I had been in.
I spotted Chris and Maria among the crowd, looking pretty cozy at around midnight. It looked like she had accepted him back.
I didn't see him again that night. So I assumed they went to one of the bedrooms or something. I played beer pong with some people in the living room and then passed out.
The next morning I drove home hoping to find out exactly what had happened with Chris and Maria, but he wasn't home yet.
I went to my room and crashed until a loud banging woke me. I looked at the clock; it was three in the afternoon. I got up and drudg
ed out of my room.
My mom was standing at the door looking distraught and there were two uniformed police officers standing in the door way.
I walked over, fearful of what they were doing here. I looked at my mother. "What's going on?"
My mom was too hysterical to form words and one of the policemen cleared his throat, "I'm sorry son, your brother was in an accident. He didn't make it."
I stood there frozen. I was numb and felt horrific pain all at the same time. This had to be some kind of messed up joke.
They suggested we all sit down, and then they explained that Chris had dropped Maria off at her house at around three in the morning. She lived in a desolate area outside of town on a gravel road at the top of a steep hill. There were some days in the winter that we would have school, but Maria missed school because it was so treacherous.
Apparently they had talked to a few people from the party and Chris seemed fairly drunk and upset when they left. It didn't make any sense. The last time I saw him he had been so happy. I knew that he had been drinking, which also made no sense whatsoever. He hated drunk drivers.
He wrecked a half mile from Maria’s house and was found early in the afternoon by some farmer. Chris could have been out there for days in that area.
The thought of my brother lying there alone was too much. I got up without saying another word, grabbed my keys and went out to my car.
I drove around for an hour or so and contemplated going to Maria’s to find out what the hell had happened the night before. I decided against it because I knew she was in agony. Even if they had fought she loved Chris.
I ended up at the only place I could think of: a place that had only good memories. I drove out to the lake house and parked my car.
I got out and walked about a half mile to the rundown barn that Chris, Maddy and I used to hang out at when we were younger.
I opened the creaky old door and looked up at the loft. I went up the ladder and was amazed. It was the exact same as when I was here the last time. There was an old dusty mattress, a radio and a quilt Maddy had brought here because she was always cold.
My phone had been ringing like crazy. I had missed calls from my mom, Andy, Paul, Shelley, and even Jackie. I couldn't answer. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want it to be real.
Fate (Soulmates Book 2) Page 5