Always Us (The Jade Series #8)

by Everhart, Allie

  Garret and I check in, then go to the gate and find that they’re already boarding. We get our seats and Garret takes my hand, like he always does before we take off.

  I lean over, keeping my voice down. “Are you okay? I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m good. Everything’s good.” He squeezes my hand a little, his eyes straight ahead. “We’re gonna be okay.”

  Be okay? What is he talking about? Why wouldn’t we be okay?

  He leans his head back and closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “It’s almost over.”

  He said it so softly I think he was talking to himself, not me. But what does he mean? What’s over?

  The plane engines roar and I feel us taking off. I rest against Garret’s shoulder and fall asleep.

  When we get home, Garret brings the suitcase to the bedroom, then comes back out to the living room and turns the TV on. He’s standing behind the couch as he flips through the channels. He stops on a news channel.

  “. . . is still in critical condition,” the newswoman says. “Holton Kensington is well known by those in the financial world, but other people know him because of his grandson, Garret Kensington, who appeared on Prep School Girls, a reality TV show. Garret dated one of the stars of the show, Ava Hamilton. We spoke to Ava briefly and asked her about the news.”

  They cut to video of Ava coming out of a coffee shop. She looks different. Her hair is longer and she has on less makeup than normal. She’s wearing skinny jeans and a short black coat and sunglasses, a giant gold purse hung over her shoulder.

  “I was so sorry to hear about Holton,” she says. “I’m hoping he’ll make a full recovery.” She walks up to her silver Mercedes.

  “Do you ever talk to Garret?” the reporter asks.

  “Of course I do. Garret and I are close friends.” She gets in the car.

  “Have you spoken with him since this happened?”

  Ava doesn’t answer as she shuts the door and starts her car. The video ends and they cut back to the newswoman at the desk. “People close to the family say that Garret has been estranged from his grandfather since last spring. It’s not known if the two of them have reconciled, although our sources tell us Garret has not yet been to the hospital to see his grandfather. We’ll take a short break and when we get back we’ll be…”

  Garret clicks the TV off. “Where do they get this shit?”

  I take the remote from him and lead him to the couch to sit down.

  “I don’t know.” I really don’t, and it kind of scares me that they know all that. It’s like someone’s watching us or something.

  “And they ask Ava about me? Seriously? Why are they even talking about me? They should be talking about my grandfather, not me.”

  I give him a hug because I don’t know what else to do. I can’t tell what he’s thinking or how he’s feeling, and he’s not ready to tell me.

  I sit back and look at him. His eyes are heavy and his face looks tired. “Garret, maybe you should try to sleep a little.”

  He doesn’t answer. He’s gazing behind me at the TV that’s no longer on. I get off the couch and take his hand and pull on him to stand up. “Come on. Let’s just lie down for a few minutes.”

  He gets up, not saying anything, and we go in the bedroom and take off our shoes. We lie down on the bed and he pulls me against his chest. He’s holding me a little too tightly, which he’s been doing all week and I’ve been kidding him about it. But today, I don’t say anything. After a few minutes, he loosens his hold on me and his breathing changes as he falls asleep. I try not to move because I want him to sleep. He needs to. He hasn’t slept much all week and I don’t know why. Whenever I ask him about it, he denies it and says he’s been sleeping.

  His breathing becomes slower and heavier as he falls into a deeper sleep, his arm now relaxed around me. I’m not tired since I slept on the plane, but I remain there next to him so he doesn’t wake up.

  An hour later, I’m still wide awake, thinking about Garret’s family. I wonder how Pearce is doing. He didn’t get along with Holton, but Holton is still his father so I’m sure this is hard on him. I think about Lilly, too, and how she’ll feel when Holton’s gone. I hope someone’s there for her, comforting her. I know Katherine won’t do it. She’ll tell Lilly not to cry or act sad. And Pearce will be too busy planning the funeral to deal with Lilly.

  My phone rings from the living room. Shit. It’s going to wake Garret up. It rings again and keeps ringing, then finally stops. It’s probably Frank. I forgot to call him to tell him we made it home. I lift Garret’s arm off me and slide to the edge of the bed and get up. He’s still sound asleep.

  I sneak out of the bedroom and gently shut the door. I check the phone and see that it was Sean who called, not Frank. I text Frank and let him know I’m home, then call Sean back.

  “Sean, it’s Jade.”

  “Hey. I saw the news and I wanted to check on Garret. How is he?”

  “He’s okay. He’s sleeping right now.”

  “When he wakes up, tell him I’m really sorry about last night. I drank too much and was being an ass.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We know you’re going through a rough time right now.”

  “Did you talk to Harper?”

  “Yeah. I told her you’re okay. She was really worried about you, Sean.”

  “I know. I just—” He stops and I know he wants to tell me what’s really going on and how he was threatened, but he can’t. “I just couldn’t call her back. She made it clear that we’re over, so I can’t keep talking to her. It only makes this harder.”

  It’s true, but I know Sean would still be calling her if he hadn’t been threatened like that. He wouldn’t care how much it hurts to hear her voice. He loves her too much to never talk to her again. So I know this is killing him, being forced to stay away from her.

  “Has she called you again since last night?” I ask.

  “Yeah. She left me a goodbye message on my phone. She cried through most of it so I couldn’t hear her that well. But she said she wouldn’t call again.” Sean’s voice cracks and he clears his throat. “Anyway, I should let you go. Tell Garret to call me when he’s ready to.”

  “Sean, you don’t have to hang up. We can talk if you want.” I feel like he needs to talk to someone. Garret is his best friend, and although Sean has other friends, I don’t think he talks to them about this kind of stuff.

  “I’m moving,” he blurts out.

  “To a new apartment?”

  “I’m moving to LA.”

  “What? When did you decide this?”

  “Last Friday. After I went to the hospital and they kicked me out, I knew Harper and I were done. I knew there was no chance of us ever getting back together.”

  It’s a lie. Sean would never give up that easily. He was definitely threatened.

  He continues. “So I called up my old boss from that place I worked at last summer.”

  “The one who offered you a job last September?”

  “Yeah. I wanted to see if he had any openings. I met with him at his restaurant in LA on Friday. He gave me a tour of the kitchen, introduced me to the staff, and offered me a job on the spot. So I took it. I told him I’d need an advance on my pay in order to get an apartment. He agreed to it, so I’m moving there next week. I leave Thursday morning.”

  “Is this really what you want?”

  “This job could actually turn into something, so yeah, it’s good. And I’ll get paid a lot more.”

  “But you don’t know anyone in LA.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ll meet people. And you and Garret will come and see me, right?”

  “Yes. Absolutely. And you can come up here. We don’t have a guest room but we’ll get you a place to stay.”

  “Jade, I hope we can still be friends even though I’m not with Harper anymore.”

  “Of course we will.”

  “You say that now, but things change when people break up. People pick sides.�
��

  “Sean, I’m not going to do that. And neither is Garret.”

  “I need to start packing. I still have some of Harper’s stuff here. What do you think I should do with it?”

  “Put it in a box and take it to Moorhurst. Just leave it with Jasmine. She’s the RA on Harper’s floor. Tell her to give it to Harper when she gets back later this week.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  I hang up and check on Garret. He’s still asleep. I hope he sleeps the rest of the day. He really needs the rest.

  I go back in the living room and call Harper. She left me several messages while I was on the plane.

  “Jade, how’s Garret?” she asks as soon as she picks up.

  “He’s okay. We’re back home now and he’s sleeping.” I almost start to tell her I talked to Sean, but then remember I can’t talk about him anymore.

  “Tell him I’m sorry. I know his grandfather was mean to you guys, but still, it’s hard when something like this happens to your family.”

  “The doctor said Holton probably won’t make it through the night.”

  “Really? I thought maybe he’d get better.”

  “It doesn’t sound like it.”

  “Well, tell Garret I’m really sorry and I’m thinking about him.”

  “I will. So when are you flying back to Connecticut?”

  “On Wednesday, as long as I get the okay from the doctor.”

  “Sean is leav—” Shit. I wasn’t supposed to say that. This is really hard. I’m so used to talking about Sean with her.

  “Sean is what?”

  “Nothing. So how are your parents?”

  “What were you saying about Sean?”

  “I’m not going to do this, Harper.”

  “Do what?”

  “I’m not going to tell you stuff about Sean now that you two are broken up. It will just make you sad, and you both need to move on.”

  “Please just tell me if he’s okay.” She sniffles. I think she’s cried almost nonstop since they broke up.

  “He’s okay.”

  “Is he really, or are you just saying that?”

  “He just needs some time.”

  She sniffles again. “I can’t do this, Jade.”

  “Can’t do what?”

  “I can’t be without him. I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. I didn’t realize how much I loved him until I didn’t have him anymore. I kept telling myself that something was missing. That he wasn’t the one. I guess because my parents didn’t approve of him. But now that he’s gone, I realize I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting him go. I know that he’s the one, Jade. I know it now. I know it with all my heart.”

  Now she figures this out? Now? When she can’t have him?

  “You’ll find someone else. Maybe not for a while but—”

  “Jade, didn’t you hear me? I don’t want anyone else. I want Sean.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I want him back.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “I’m not speaking to them. Let them disown me. I don’t care. I don’t need their money. I’ll get a job to pay for college. After everything they’ve put me through, I’m not even sure I want them in my life anymore.”

  “Harper, I know you don’t mean that. You’re really close to your parents.”

  “Not anymore. They lied to me, Jade. They said they’d support me in whatever I wanted to do. They always told my sisters and me that all they wanted was for us to be happy. And they know that being with Sean is what makes me happy. Happier than I’ve ever been. And yet they’re still trying to take him away from me. They know how much I love Sean and they don’t care. I had a huge fight with them last night.”

  “You did? With both of them?”

  “Yes, and it was really bad. There was screaming and yelling and then my dad stormed out of the room and my mom followed him. I’m done, Jade. I love my parents, but I can’t let them do this to me. They have no reason to. I’ve asked them a million times why they don’t like Sean and the only thing they can come up with is that he’s not right for me. And they can’t explain why. So I’m done trying to please them. I’m getting Sean back.”

  “But you just left Sean a goodbye message.” Damn! I did it again. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut?

  “How do you know about that? Did you talk to Sean today?”

  I sigh. “Yes, but we didn’t talk long.”

  “I’m calling him as soon as we hang up. I’m going to apologize to him a million times or however many times it takes for him to forgive me.”

  “He won’t take your calls, Harper.”

  “Then I’ll go to his apartment as soon as I get back in town. I’ll surprise him.” Her voice sounds happy just saying it.

  “You can’t. He won’t—” I seriously need to stop talking.

  “He won’t what? Won’t be there? Why? Does he have to work? Then I’ll go there the next day.”

  Maybe I should tell her he’s moving. She’ll find out in a few days, anyway. And then she’ll know I was keeping this from her, which will make her mad at me. What do I do? Garret told me not to talk about Sean, but he also told me to encourage Harper to stay away from him, so I guess this is my chance.

  “Just let him go, Harper.”

  “Jade, why would you say that after what I just told you?”

  “Because Sean’s moving. He’ll be gone when you get there.”

  “Moving where?”

  “To California. He got a job at a restaurant in LA. It’s a really good opportunity for him, so you need to let him go.”

  She’s quiet.

  “Harper, are you still there?”

  “Yes.” She sniffles. “I don’t want him to leave. What should I do, Jade?”

  This is so hard. I know what they both want, but I also know they can’t have it.

  “Let him go. He’s already given up a lot for you. And what if you change your mind? You can’t do that to him.”

  “What do you mean? What has he given up for me?”

  What is wrong with me today? I keep telling her things I shouldn’t. I must be tired or too distracted thinking about Garret.

  Now that I’ve hinted at it, I might as well tell her the truth.

  “Sean was offered a job last fall. Back in September. The guy he worked for last summer told Sean he was so impressed with him that he wanted him to work at one of his restaurants. He told Sean he could see him being head chef someday.”

  “And he turned it down? To be with me?”

  “I shouldn’t have told you this. Sean didn’t want you to know. But Harper, I only said it because I don’t want him missing out on another opportunity. He was lucky this guy gave him another chance and still wanted to hire him. Sean needs this job, Harper. He needs to go.”

  “You’re right.” She says it quietly, almost whispering it. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Wait. You don’t want to talk anymore?”

  “I can’t right now.”

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “No. Not at all. I just need to go.”

  “Okay, but call me if you want to talk.”

  “I will. Bye, Jade.”

  This day just keeps getting worse. It’s six now, so at least it’s almost over. I turn my phone to vibrate and go back in the bedroom and lie next to Garret.

  He stirs a little, then notices me there. “Where did you go?”

  “I was just getting a drink of water.” I don’t want to tell him I talked to Sean and Harper. If I do, he’ll ask me about it and then he won’t go back to sleep.

  “I missed you.” He whispers it by my ear and kisses my neck as his hand moves under my shirt. Does he want to have sex? Now? I hope he’s not thinking he has to because of what I said last night, telling him how it’d been too long since we did it.

  “Garret, we don’t have to. I know you’re probably not in the mood with everything that’s goi
ng on.”

  “I want to.” He sits up, his face hovering over mine. “I need to be with you.”

  He looks into my eyes, his hand on the side of my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. He’s thinking something but I’m not sure what. The way he’s looking at me reminds me of how he looked at me last March, when I was at his house after I learned about the plans for his future. Garret thought he’d lost me, but then he had hope again after we made that plan to destroy his image.

  Why would he look at me like that again? Maybe he’s not. Maybe he’s just sad. I can’t really tell.

  He leans down and kisses me, softly, just once. He sits up and reaches behind his neck and yanks his t-shirt off, tossing it aside. Then he kisses me again, this time on my stomach as he undoes my jeans. He slowly undresses me, leaving kisses where my clothes used to be. Gentle, loving kisses like he’s savoring every inch of me. The touch of his hands, the feel of his mouth, and the warmth of his breath cause tiny bumps to rise up on my skin and heat to well up in my core. I want to speed this along, my body aching to be with him. But he’s not in a hurry so I let him continue, kissing and caressing me.

  I don’t know how he’s holding out this long. Usually we’d be done by now, especially since we haven’t done it for almost a week. But it’s different this time. I’m not sure why.

  Garret takes off his jeans and his boxers, then lies over me, his lips covering mine, his tongue teasing my mouth. He kisses me for several minutes, then finally puts himself inside me. Again, his movements are slow. Gentle. I love our usual fast, can’t-get-enough-of-you type of sex, but I love this kind, too.

  After a while, his thrusts get harder and faster until I finally get the release I’ve been waiting for. He stops for just a moment and kisses my forehead, then my cheek, then my lips. He starts up again, until he gets his own release. And then he lies on his back and holds me against him.

  “I love you,” I hear him say. I feel his lips kiss the top of my head as his arm tightens around me.

  “I love you, too,” I whisper back.

  We fall asleep, and when I wake up, it’s midnight. My stomach is growling because we missed dinner, but I don’t feel like eating. We’re both still naked on top of the bed. I feel cold, but if I get under the covers I’ll wake up Garret. I quietly sneak to the closet and grab a blanket and take it back to the bed, laying it over us. Garret’s sound asleep but he instinctively puts his arm up when I get next to him, letting me into my spot.