Saving Jenna

by Christina Butrum

  The words rattled out quickly, leaving no room for hesitation or concern. There, she said it.

  “Okay,” he said, hesitating over the choice of his next words. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, anything that wouldn’t shred her heart like yesterday’s words had. He looked over his shoulder, back at his truck where Todd and G2 were waiting for him. “Look, I gotta run. I have a few things to finish up today at the house.”

  “Okay.” Her heart sank.

  “Okay,” he mumbled, patting his pocket for his keys before turning to leave. “See ya later.”

  “Bye,” she whispered as tears welled. How was she supposed to change his mind? She had blown it. These last few days blurred and were spinning out of control. She had been the stubborn one, and because of it, he had made up his mind. She was going to lose him if she didn’t do something.

  Chapter 27

  Everything he had thought could go right this time had gone completely opposite. Everything was happening for a reason—karma. He was paying for thinking of himself the first go around. He should have never left in the first place. He should have stayed. He knew better now, but something still nagged at him, telling him to get his shit packed up and leave for good. No looking back. The love of his life wasn’t sure what she really wanted, but at the same time, wouldn’t accept his help to keep her safe. It fucked with his head. There was no way he could keep doing this even if he wanted to. He loved her—of course he still did. The love for Jenna would never die. A double-edged sword he’d been dealing with for several months.

  She needed space, and the last thing he wanted to give her was that space. Maybe in fear she would realize she didn’t need him…or even worse, didn’t love him.

  He wanted nothing more than to give her exactly what she needed. Leaving the situation she had lived in for God knows how long, the last thing he wanted to do was push her. Pushing her to make a decision that involved him might push her over the edge and away from him. He couldn’t take a chance at that.

  But those words she said about wanting him to stay…

  The trip down the road, back to the rental house was quiet. Todd let him get lost in his thoughts, while he smoked a Camel and blew the smoke out the window. Ian had noticed a change in Todd over the last few days. He’d cleaned up a bit. He wasn’t hitting the bottle as often as he had been recently. He wondered if Cat had something to do with that change. It’d be good for Todd to find a woman like Cat, but who knew what was up or down lately.

  “So, I’m thinking about pulling the old pipes in the bathroom,” he said, cutting the silent hum. “You think we could get the bathroom done in a few days?”

  “A few days, huh?” Todd asked, chuckling through a muffled cough.

  “Yeah, you think we could get it done?”

  “Oh, I think we could, but I thought you were leaving before then?”

  Todd was right. Ian had talked about leaving as soon as tomorrow came, but that damn bathroom needed to be fixed if he was serious about getting new renters in there by the end of the month.

  “I just got so much going on here, I need to get it fixed before I leave,” Ian said, knowing where this conversation could end up. As mixed up and torn as he was, he really didn’t care. Todd had his own shit to straighten out, so Ian wasn’t afraid of what Todd thought of it all.

  “Yeah, I hear ya, but some of that isn’t going to fix itself or go away on its own, ya know?” Todd wasn’t even looking in Ian’s direction now. He was staring straight ahead, almost as though he was deep in his own thoughts. “Trust me, I’ve been there, kid. You’ve got to do what you think is best. No matter how, you’ve just gotta do it.”

  Pulling the truck into the empty driveway, Ian assessed the situation he was currently facing. He could push Jenna to come to the rental, make her realize it was best for her. Whether or not he’d be there with her, it didn’t matter. She’d have a roof over her head and a dog to protect her. A home to call her own and a fresh start. Of course, John would have to be taken care of, but Ian would make sure that got checked off the list.

  Shrugging off the thoughts for now, he shifted the truck into park and killed the engine. Looking at G2, he opened the door and climbed out, waiting for the dog to hop out before closing the door behind him.

  Reaching into the bed of the truck, he grabbed his plumbing tools, along with a sledgehammer. It was demo time. Time to make a difference with this shitty bathroom, no pun intended. “I’ll let you do the honors,” he said, handing the hammer to Todd, who in turn grabbed hold of an ornery smirk. “I’m thinking of knocking out the shared wall between that spare closet in the hallway and bathroom. It’d give an extra four feet of room to work with in there.”

  Todd nodded as he made his way to the house. Ian patted G2’s head as he walked by him basking in the sun on the front step. That dog would stay outside all day and night if Ian would let him. No complaints from Ian, though. It was best for the dog to stay out of the way. Less chance of him getting hurt by debris. He didn’t need another distraction holding him back from getting this project done and getting the hell outta dodge.

  “Hey, are you getting a whole new setup in here?” Todd asked, pointing at the rusted tub and sink.

  “I’m already ahead of you, old man,” Ian said, laughing as he made his way into the bathroom. Yanking and replacing the necessities was top priority. The plan for the new bathroom involved a whirlpool bathtub, along with a long vanity with a spacious counter and mirror to match it. A bathroom any woman would love to have—plenty of space for makeup and all of that hair stuff they have.

  The thought of Jenna’s stuff crowding the space crossed his mind. Once this place was completed, and he was on his way out, he’d offer it to her one last time—with or without him included. The thought of what they could have nagged him as he unscrewed the fixtures from the wall and tossed them in the other room.

  “This place will look great once it’s done,” Todd said, swinging the sledgehammer over his shoulder and slamming it repeatedly into the adjoining wall. “Maybe you should think about selling it instead of renting it.”

  “I’ve got other plans for it, Todd,” he said, keeping his hands busy at yanking the fixtures and tossing them aside. “One that involves Jenna.”

  “You think she’d take you up on that offer?”

  Shrugging, Ian wasn’t sure what she’d do with the offer. “It’ll be her choice, I suppose. So whatever she decides, it’ll be fine with me.”

  “You’ve been thinking a lot about this, huh?” Todd asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

  “Not much else to do around here at night,” Ian said, laughing at the desperation in his voice. Desperate wasn’t even the right word. Maybe something different, like loneliness, or a desire to have what he once had with the woman he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Damn. “Besides, it’s just a house. Nothing about it holds anything sentimental to me, so it is what it is.”

  “Well, when you put it that way,” Todd said, shrugging before slamming the hammer, making another hole in the wall. He was making fast progress with that hammer of his. He’d have that wall knocked down and cleared out before Ian had these fixtures out of there.

  “Tell you what I’ve been thinking?” Todd said over his shoulder.

  “What’s that?” Ian looked up from the sink where he was trying his damnedest to pull apart the plumbing.

  “I say the two of you should kiss and make up, move in here and start one of those family lives everyone’s been talking about,” he said, serious as a heart attack, no grin, nothing.

  “That’s easier said than done, old man,” Ian said, finally able to tear the sink away from the wall.

  Chapter 28

  The day was long and Cat had kept the conversation short and sweet about Ian and what she felt Jenna should or shouldn’t do. Jenna couldn’t disagree with her, because she knew in her heart that what she truly wanted was to be free to fall in love all over again with Ian,
but as long as John was in the picture, she and Ian wouldn’t be happy—and even if they were happy, they wouldn’t have peace, because John was going to make Jenna’s life a living nightmare and she didn’t want to put Ian in the middle of it all. There was a slim chance John would pack up and move back to New York, and though the thought was nice, Jenna refused to get her hopes up.

  The last thing she wanted was for Ian to get into trouble with the cops for protecting her, for standing up for her. She was fully capable and ready to stand her ground. Being away from John the last few days, she regained her strength. Her once weakened, low confident mindset was now stronger than ever before and there was no chance John was going to ruin her life any longer. A year was a year too long and it was time for him to get lost. Time for her to stand up to him.

  He had been released earlier this morning, and even though her mind had failed at avoiding thoughts of him coming into the diner, she wasn’t as frightened by the thoughts. She was ready to set him straight. She would have done just that yesterday if Ian hadn’t stood in the way. What Ian felt was the right thing to do had only prolonged this never-ending nightmare.

  “What are you thinking about over there?” Cat called her attention back to the kitchen. Rinsing off her hands, Cat dried them on her apron and approached Jenna, who was now leaning against the counter.

  “To be honest, I’m thinking about going back home and setting John straight,” Jenna said, regretting telling Cat the truth for only a moment before feeling refreshed at the thought of going ahead and leaving John once and for all.

  “Back home? As in? John’s?” Cat’s eyes widened, showing more than concern. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

  Offering a slight shrug, Jenna pushed off the counter and paced the kitchen. The space was small, not much walking room, at least not enough for pacing. “I think if I did, it would make it official and he wouldn’t bother me. You know? Give him closure. Maybe tell him to fuck off?”

  “I’ll go with you,” Cat said, shrugging out of her apron and hanging it on the hook next to the back door. “You can’t be serious, Jenna. There’s no way you’re going there alone, if at all.”

  Pushing her way through the entry into the dining area, she turned the lock on the front door, flipped the sign from open to closed, and flicked the lights off. She made her way back to Cat, who was now standing with her arms crossed, a stern mother look etched on her face.

  “I’ve got no choice, Cat. You don’t understand,” she said. Her words were out of her mouth without filter and a sharp sting added to them. She didn’t want to argue with Cat. The last person she wanted to have a problem with was Cat, but right now, she needed to do what she felt best and that was to set John straight. The only way she could think of that would work was to actually go to the house and have a one-on-one conversation with him.

  “At least let me go with you,” Cat pleaded, grabbing hold of Jenna’s shoulders and looking her in the eye. “I’ll stay out of the way, but I want to be there. I don’t feel good about this, Jen.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve made it this far, I’m certain I can handle this much by myself.”

  The attempt to calm Cat’s worries failed miserably. Cat wouldn’t settle with the assurance that Jenna would be fine. Hell, Jenna didn’t blame her, but there was no way having someone tag along would make the situation any better.

  “What about Ian? Why not tell him your plan? See what he has to say about it?”

  Shaking her head, Jenna grabbed her keys from the pocket of her apron and hung it back up on the hook, then turned to Cat. “The chances Ian would agree to my plan are slim to none, much like the chance you won’t call him once I walk out this door.”

  She left, turning the knob in her hand, pushing forward as she took a breath of fresh air in an attempt to calm her nerves.

  The drive to the house would have gone a lot quicker if she hadn’t stalled numerous times on her way there. Changing her mind a dozen more, she pulled her car into an empty spot and shifted into park. Killing the engine, she looked at the dark house. Not a single light was occupying the space inside. The only light assisting her venture was coming from the street lamp cattycorner from the house.

  Having failed calming her nerves, she inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly. Only when she felt confident to make a move, she turned the key in the ignition and reversed slowly from the driveway.

  Recanting her decision of showing up at his house, she drove a good distance before another thought crossed her mind. Turning the car around, making an illegal U-turn, she headed back the same way she had come from several minutes ago.

  Another darkened driveway waited for her, with the only light coming from a distant streetlight at the end of the block. She had made sure no cars followed her here, but at this hour, the chances of being followed were slim. But then again, she had horrible luck and chances were never in her favor.

  Shutting the car off, she unhooked her belt and climbed out of the car. Walking up to the dark house, she could hear movement inside—a subtle noise that would’ve been missed had it not been late at night and a quiet neighborhood.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked onto the front porch and tapped her knuckles on the door. A low growl, followed by a fierce bark responded on the other side, then a light flipped on above her and the door swung open.

  “Jenna? What are you doing here?”

  The nerves she had tried so hard to settle became restless once again, but this time, they were far beyond controllable as her heart bound rapidly, pounding fiercely against her chest, cutting her breaths short and anxiety overtaking her thoughts.

  Thoughts that had somehow made sense a few moments before. And now, here she stood on the front porch, wondering what the hell she had been thinking.

  “Jenna, what’s going on?” When she didn’t budge, he took hold of her arm and nearly dragged her inside. “Jenna, talk to me. Are you okay? Cat just called me and told me you left the diner a while ago. I was just getting ready to come look for you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, threatening their escape as she stood just inside the door. “Ian, I had it in my mind to go to John’s. I was going to set him straight. I was going to tell him the truth about us. Let him know he can’t have control over me, over us.” Words rambled, tears fell. Ian’s arms found their way around her. A simple gesture causing a sense of security she needed. “I was going to tell him to leave us alone. To let us be happy and let me love you, Ian. To let me go.”

  “Jenna, are you crazy? He would’ve killed you if you had gone through with that plan!”

  She hadn’t thought of John’s reaction. Maybe she had thought he would have let her go without a fuss. Had she gone crazy? How would she have not thought it through?

  “I wasn’t thinking about me,” she admitted, knowing the consequences of her actions would have been devastatingly brutal. “I…” Her breath caught as the thought of how close she had come, along with the realization he might have seen her in the driveway. “Ian, I…”

  A loud crack sounded near the back of the house. G2 leapt off the couch, fully alert, with fur raised and teeth bared.

  “He’s here, Ian,” Jenna said, her voice barely heard above the barking dog and thunderous banging against the side of the house.

  Ian shoved her into a nearby room, covered her with a blanket, and cut out the lights. His military defense training kicked into high gear and she could tell the adrenaline was coursing through his veins as he took a stance next to the narrow doorway. She couldn’t see much, but she knew Ian was there—the sense of security surrounded her as it had done before.

  “Jenna!” the shouting of a man followed pounding of fists on the siding.

  There was no doubt left in her mind now that she heard his voice. It was definitely John. She had been such an idiot for going to the house.

  “Jenna! I know you’re in there! You must be too busy to come out here. You must be screwing him, huh?”

  The
fear she had once felt at the sound of his booming voice turned into sheer panic of the unknown. A man, a monster at that, as unpredictable as John, she had no idea what to expect. He must have seen her pull into the driveway. He must have followed her back here. What had she been thinking?

  She threw the blanket off her shoulders, standing abruptly at the sound of breaking glass. G2’s barking echoed throughout the house, and without a light on, there was no telling exactly where in the house the dog had staged himself.

  Ian pointed toward her, motioning for her to sit back down and take cover. She refused to cover herself. She wanted, needed, to see what was happening. In order to keep from freaking out, she needed to have a view of her surroundings at all times.

  “Jenna! Come out and talk to me!” John yelled, breaking several more windows as he made his way to the front of the house. For whatever reason, he hadn’t come inside. She knew full well he would have been inside in a matter of seconds if he truly wanted to get her, but also knew he was just getting started.

  Ian placed a firm hand on her arm, keeping her in place and sending a wave of comfort through her. She wasn’t going to do anything stupid now, regardless of how she had acted earlier. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  “I know you’re in there! I’m coming in!” His voice boomed over G2’s nonstop barking and growling.

  “I don’t think that’d be a good idea, John,” Ian shouted back, turning in the direction John’s voice had last come from. “I don’t think my dog likes you, and I don’t either. Why don’t you just head back home before you get yourself hurt?”

  Jenna squeezed Ian’s hand, keeping close to his side. She hated how far this had gone. “Should I call the police?” she whispered in Ian’s ear, and he responded with a quick shake of his head.

  “No, I’ve got this taken care of. He’ll regret coming through that door.”