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Picking up the Pieces

Page 15

by Louise, Michelle


  Everything is blurred as the tears fill my eyes and I race toward the door. I hear Preston call my name, but I can’t look back. Just as I break through the people and out the front door, I am grabbed from behind by a set of strong arms.

  “Get off of me! Don’t fucking touch me!” I start kicking and trying to swing my arms but I am just squeezed tighter.

  “Whoa, whoa. It’s me. It’s just me, babe.” Austin’s voice calms me from thrashing, but I don’t want to be touched.

  “Please, let me go. I need to get away from here. Right now.” It is taking all I have to hold in the tears that are threatening to dance on my cheeks.

  Austin releases his hold, but turns me to face him. The recognition of hurt in my eyes causes his voice to deepen and his eyes to darken.

  “What happened, Sawyer?”

  “I can’t talk about it right now. I just have to go.” I try to pull my hands away but Austin only releases one and pulls me to walk with him.

  “You are not walking home alone like this. My truck is right over here I will drive you.”

  When we reach Austin’s truck he opens my door and helps lift me up into the passenger seat. He is about to say something when we both hear Preston yelling my name looking desperately in all directions. He is standing near the door when he finally sees me in Austin’s truck and starts heading our way. Without a word, Austin closes the door and rushes to his side, jumps in, and we pull away. I didn’t have the heart to look up and see if Preston was still running towards us and I didn’t care.

  “Do the girls know you are leaving?” Austin asks.

  “No. I just kind of ran out. I will text Chey.” But, before I get it out of my purse, it starts ringing and Prettyboy flashes across the screen. I fumbled with the buttons frustrated to hell and finally got it to ignore the call. I quickly text Cheyenne and then turned it off completely.

  I couldn’t even process what just happened. Preston is married? It doesn’t make sense. Where has this so-called wife been all this time that we have been dating? And what did she mean she has been back for weeks? I’m so confused. I haven’t been to Preston’s since the day I surprised him after Thanksgiving. He has been coming to the apartment to see me and we have been hanging out there. Has she been living there this whole time? Is that why he wanted to always come here? My stomach is turning and I feel like throwing up. Everything starts adding up in my head...the time frame. A few weeks ago, was right before thanksgiving, when he got the phone call. The car…oh hell no, is the yellow Camaro hers? It was leaving his house that day and then shows up here minutes before I am confronted at the bar. Coincidence? I think not! He was so pissed off when he opened the door that day after the car left his driveway. Oh, I might be sick. Not only was he pissed… he was half naked.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” It’s not until Austin speaks that I realize we are parked outside my apartment.

  “I don’t think I can right now. I don’t even know what to think. And I’m sick to my stomach.”

  “Did you even drink?” he knew we had just walked in and there was no way I was sick from alcohol.

  I just shook my head.

  “I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry you’re hurt. Just know that I am always here for you, no matter what.” He squeezed my hand.

  “Thank you. And thank you for the ride.” Grabbing my purse I turn to open the door but before I can jump down, Austin is there reaching up to pull me out and place me safely to the ground.

  “Let me walk you to the door. I am a gentleman after all.” He gives me his best smirk.

  “Yes. Yes you are.” I say responding with a half-smile.

  The walk to door is quiet and I appreciate Austin for respecting my wishes and not questioning me. I can tell that he wants nothing more than to know what is wrong with me, but I don’t think I am ready to say it out loud yet. I am still processing.

  “Call me if you need anything.” He says and rubs the sides of my arms.

  “I turned my phone off after I texted Chey. I’m sure she will be here any minute and I am hoping we can leave tonight rather than the morning.” I don’t want to be here any longer than needed and I don’t want to risk the chance of Preston hunting me down here either.

  I can see the rise and fall of Austin’s chest with a deep intake of breath. “I’ll make sure the girls got your message if they haven’t left already. I’m really sorry you are hurting, babe.”

  “Me too. Thanks again, Austin. I will see you back home.” I hug Austin and he kisses my forehead. He doesn’t turn to leave until I have unlocked the door and I am inside the apartment. In the distance, I hear his footsteps, hard and fast on the steps like he is running and then his tires squeal as he leaves.

  It’s all too much right now. Finally alone, I let the tears fall. After a few moments, I pick myself up and begin to gather my bags. I want to go home, tonight.

  Quicker than expected, the front door opens and slams shut. The girls must be home. My message to Cheyenne as short let her know I had left and to tell Preston he could go fuck himself. I should have known that would get her moving.

  I am zipping up my last bag as Cheyenne and Becka both walk into my room.

  “What the hell happened?” Cheyenne asks, completely out of breath.

  “Preston looks crushed. When we left he was outside sitting on the ground against the building. He wouldn’t say what happened but just that you left.” Becka says, sitting down the edge of my bed.

  “So he didn’t say anything about why I left?” I don’t know why I would think he would. I mean he couldn’t be honest with me, why would he be honest with my friends?

  “No, he just said you left with Austin. Don’t worry though; I still gave him your message. He didn’t take it too well. I think I might have seen tears in his eyes. What the fuck happened in the ten minutes I left you at the bar?” Cheyenne says kicking off her heels and walking towards me.

  “Well, I met Preston’s wife. Real lovely lady.” I say, watching the color drain from their faces.

  “I’m sorry… What? I thought you just said his wife?” The minute I hear the words I break down and throw myself at Cheyenne who holds me as I sob, rubbing the back of my head. “Holy shit. Sawyer I don’t even know what to say.”

  “You’re sure? What did Preston say?” Becka has now joined us and is standing behind me rubbing my back gently as I unleash all my tears on Cheyenne’s shirt.

  Lifting my head I wipe my face, which I am sure is a hot mess right now. “That’s just it, he didn’t say anything. Well other than this isn’t how he wanted to tell me. And, that was enough for me. I just took off.”

  “Wow. What a prick. He even had me fooled.” Cheyenne looks just as hurt. It takes a lot for her to accept someone new. Preston was the exception. He was always so genuine and kind, why wouldn’t we trust him.

  “I don’t want to be here any longer. Can we just go tonight, please?” I say still crying.

  “Absolutely, friend. My shit is already packed. Let’s load the car and haul ass.” Cheyenne was already pulling away and heading towards her room.

  “Thank you.” I tell Cheyenne before she walks out. Turning to Becka I hug her. “I hope you have a nice time on break.”

  “Oh girl, if you need anything, please call me. I love you.” Becka squeezed me tight and walked out of my room.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The rays from the sun pierce through the window and bare down on my cheeks. Squinting to see the time on the alarm clock, I am stopped by a sharp pain in my head. One similar to the ache after too many drinks the night before, however, this morning I would gladly welcome a hangover.

  I roll over to avoid the warmth on my face only to find the hot breath of Cheyenne directly in front of me. Without a chance of falling back to sleep, I ease out of bed trying not to wake sleeping beauty. She drove straight through the night to get me home and then decided to stay since it was late. Though I’m sure that wasn’t the only reason. Alw
ays by my side, especially in the down times. Standing on my tiptoes with my arms stretched high I take a deep breath and my nose fills with the hearty scent of breakfast. Oh…and coffee, I can’t wait to melt this headache, one sip at a time. But first, a shower will start the process.

  My head is pounding and there’s still a tightness in my chest. I can’t believe I let another guy rip me to pieces. How did I not see this coming? Out of thin air, POOF! Preston is married and I’m the other woman. This is just ridiculous. The aches in my chest are relentless and it’s something I can’t shake. I don’t want to feel weak or let another man affect me the way Austin did but I am finding it difficult. With Mama down stairs, I need to relax and let it go for now. I’m still not ready to discuss the situation when I honestly can’t explain it to myself.

  Just as I am stepping out of the shower, there is a quiet rap on the door.

  “Sweetheart?” my Mama says quietly.

  I wrap the towel around my body and crack the door open revealing her beautiful smile. “Hey, Mama,” I reply.

  “I was surprised to see you girls come in so late, everything okay?” she asked.

  “We were just ready to come home and didn’t want to wait.” I tried for sincerity, but only managed a weak smile. One I am sure she read right through. But didn’t press the issue.

  “Oh, ok. Cheyenne still sleeping?”

  “Like the dead.” My usual response to this question. We both share a laugh knowing she could literally sleep though almost anything.

  “What do you girls have planned for the day?” She asks.

  “Well, Chey is going to head home and spend time with her mom and Bill, so I thought you and I could spend the day together.” My smile was most certainly sincere this time. I was so ready to spend time with my Mama.

  “Ok, sure. I need to meet up with Theresa to finish up some last minute arrangements for the Winter Festival, but you are more than welcome to come along. We could always use the help.” Mama loved this stuff and I could definitely use the distraction.

  “Sounds great,” I reply.

  “Alright, it’s a plan. Go get ready and grab some breakfast. I put it in the oven to stay warm. Everyone’s already ate and gone, but there is a fresh pot of coffee brewing. I have a few errands this morning and then I’ll meet you back here.” She said.

  “Ok, see you in a bit. When is Martha done with school?” I ask.

  “Today is the last day. I thought she might want to meet up with us afterwards, what do you think?”

  “Absolutely, I’ll text her in a few. Love you.” I lean over and kiss Mama’s cheek. I was excited for the day and ready to keep busy.

  We had spent the better half of the day hanging decorations and were officially glittered from head to toe. Martha and I were together most of the day and as a huge surprise, we didn’t fight, not one time. It was a change in pace but I was glad for it. Maybe being away from home will actually help make us closer.

  Aaron would be picking up Martha in a couple of hours, so we told Mama good bye and headed back to the house. I promised her I would do her hair in my famous fish tail up do. It was my specialty. Never spending much time in the mirror, I learned to braid quickly and could usually get it to last more than one day’s wear.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Aaron?” I ask, taking full advantage of our sisterly bonding from earlier.

  “I don’t know. We’ve been hanging out for a while I guess.” She replies.

  “Hanging out? Come on now.” Please don’t let her idea of hanging out be the same as crazy Cheyenne’s. “I’m not Ben, I’m your sister. We can talk about these things.”

  “I know, we just never have before. So it’s weird.” Martha puts on a silly face and we both laugh for a second.

  “Yeah, well things are different now. I miss you and want to try to have a better relationship.”

  “Me too.” She glances over with a smile and then locks her eyes back on the road ahead. “Ok, well, as you know, Aaron transferred to Rosewood High last semester when he moved. Nearly every day he would find a way to ask me out. But I would never give in. He just moved here and I just wasn’t sure about it at first. He’s hot and all, but I guess I wanted to make him sweat.”

  “Oh my gosh, you’re too much. So, what made you say yes?” I ask, curious to see what he could have possibly done to persuade her.

  “Well, see what had happened was…I heard he was going to ask out Liz Poole and you know how I feel about her.” She was dead serious.

  I couldn’t help my laughter. “So the green eyed monster got the best of you?” There is only one person I know who probably had a hand in this one. If I had to guess, I would say he never really wanted to go out with Liz, but merely needed to show Martha he had other options. This method is straight out of Cheyenne 101, dating for dummies. I can’t wait to talk to her later about this.

  “No way, I was not jealous. I just wanted to save him the embarrassment of getting involved with the town slut, so I told him yes instead.”

  “Martha May!” I was now laughing hysterically. Such denial in a teenager.

  “It’s true. But, on a serious note, I really do like him Sawyer. Like a whole lot! He is so sweet to me and I’m pretty sure I’m falling hard.” She sound just like me at her age. Oh boy.

  “You’re still so young though, and have so much time ahead of you. Take it slow.” I pleaded, not wanting her to get hurt.

  “I just can’t see myself feeling this way about anyone else.” Yep, way too familiar sounding.

  “I can completely relate. Trust me. But we both know how fast things change. You really may never feel the same about another guy, but there is always the possibility that you will, or you might find someone who makes you feel different all together, but still good. Better even. Listen, all I’m saying is take it slow and see where it goes before you give your heart away.” There was a brief pause; followed but a question I had left myself wide open for.

  “Is that what happened to you? I always thought you and Austin would get married, have babies and live on a ranch together.” Martha voice is lower this time.

  We are pulling up to the house just in time to avoid this awkward conversation, but it does sit with me for a second.

  “Yeah, I thought so too, but people change.” I say truthfully.

  “So, do you feel more for Preston? Are you and Austin over for good?” she asks.

  Had I been asked this two days ago I would say definitely, but so many things have changed, and there’s no way to really answer this.

  “It’s all still new.” That is the best I can come with. “Now get inside and shower, we need to get you ready for your hot date.” I tease, getting out of the car and walking towards the house.

  “Since I am riding with Aaron you are more than welcome to use my car tonight to get to the festival.” I think this day needs to go in the record books for the longest period of time that we been civil. Martha offering me her car is a first and I can now mark this day down as a success in the sister-bonding chapter of my life.

  “Thanks that would be awesome. I hate not having my own car here.”

  The bottle on my lips is the only thing that feels good right now. The moon is high and I’m not sure how I even got down here tonight. Oh yeah! I opened the fridge to get some water, but then noticed the glimmering bottle of wine in the back. This is what lead me straight to the lake and changed my plans for the night. Martha would be with Aaron practicing puppy love. Ugh, gross. And Cheyenne had mentioned meeting up with Sam this morning and those two I certainly did not want to be around.

  Instead, I will sit and enjoy my peace and quiet, admiring the reflection of the moon on the water. This was always my place of refuge. Even after having my heart broken here, I couldn't stay away. This was my place and everyone knew it.

  Trees ruffled and the ground cracked behind me. Maybe this wine gave me a sixth sense or something, but I knew exactly who would walk up behind me. This wouldn’t b
e the first time he found me here alone, or even a little tipsy.

  “I thought I might find you here." Austin says from behind me as he gives me a gentle push on the swing.

  "You know me oh so well." I reply with a slight slur of my words, dropping my head back to continue the momentum of the swing.

  "How much have you had drunky?" Austin laughs, stopping the swing and walking around to stand in front of me.

  "Not much." I say holding up the nearly empty bottle.

  "Holy shit, Sawyer! Is that your dad's homemade wine? You know that stuff is strong."

  "It was sitting in the fridge just calling my name." I laugh, imaging the talking bottle. "Why aren't you at the festival?"

  "Ah, wasn't really feeling it this year."

  "Me either. Well, I planned on going but I, uh, got distracted." I laugh.

  "I see that. Come on lets go sit by the lake." Austin pulls me up by my hands and walks me to sit by the water’s edge.

  "I just love it out here." I say.

  We are sitting side by side staring out at the water. I lay my head on his shoulder thinking how comfortable he is.

  "How are you? Besides drunk?" Austin asks rocking his upper body to the side.

  "I am not drunk, silly." I swat him in the stomach. "I am just feeling good right now and even better now that you’re here."

  "Are you ready to talk about it?" He asks.

  “About what? Preston? It's a funny story actually." I say thickly coated in sarcasm. "Did you know Preston was married?"

  "No fucking way." Austin says in complete shock.

  "Yep."

  Sitting up straight with my knees bent, I wrap my arms around them. "I had no clue, until his wife, Heather, introduced herself last night. So you can imagine my surprise."

  "Damn. I wish I did more to him." I feel his body tense next to me.

  "What are you talking about?" I ask confused.

  "I warned him, Sawyer. After I left your apartment, I went back up the Penny's. Preston was standing outside and I asked him what the hell was going on. He looked upset and all he said was that he hurt you. That's all I heard, then I hit him."

 

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