“So, are you..going to try?” I was no longer angry with him. I would understand if he said yes. It would probably end me, but I get it.
“I handed her the divorce papers the moment I saw her.” This caused a smile to tug at my lips. “The marriage had been over the minute she walked out and abandoned me. I just needed her signature to finalize it.”
“So that night at the bar, she made it seem like she had been living here. Was she?” I asked.
“She came up to the bar, to give me the signed papers. A few days prior, she showed up at the house and tried to talk me out of it. I told her to leave me alone, that I was seeing someone; the one.” He reached for my hand. “She finally left, pissed off, and then you showed up a few minutes later. She must have put two and two together when she saw you talking to me at the bar. Heather said what she did because she knew it would hurt you, which would hurt me. Sawyer, I really did plan to tell you, I swear. It just needed to be on my time, when I was ready.”
I could totally understand that and it all made sense. I believed him. He didn’t have a wife…he had a past; one that should have stayed in the past.
“Preston?” I said his name and the look in his eyes as they met mine, destroyed the wall I had built prior to walking in here. “I’m sorry I overreacted. I should have listened. I was just..so..so..mad. I didn’t--“
“No, please baby. You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just glad you gave me the chance to explain. I want you, only you.” He brushed a falling hair from my face and then a tear that I hadn’t realized was falling until his warm hand swiped it from my cheek.
“Why are you crying sweetheart?” He asked, wiping one from the other cheek.
“Austin made me promise. He told me to give you a chance to talk and made me promise. He trusted you.” The couple tears now had friends and I couldn’t hold them back. Preston reached for my hands and pulled me into his lap wrapping me in his arms.
He let me cry for a few minutes whispering encouraging words in my ears. The tears faded but I didn’t want to move, I was finally warm and comfortable. It had been so long.
“You’re going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.” He whispered in my ear before standing and carrying me to the bedroom, sitting me gently on the bed.
“Stay right here.” He said turning to walk into the bathroom.
The sound of the cascading water filled my ears. Preston knew exactly what I needed in this moment. He returned a couple minutes later, grabbing my hand to lead the way. Aromatic candles flickered in the dim light and the water was nearing the top of the tub. Standing in front of him, he reached for my shirt and pulled it up over my head slowly. He was taking his time to carefully remove the clothes from my body followed by his own.
Preston stepped into the tub and reached for my hand to guide me. With his chest against my back, I could feel the rise and fall of his breaths as we both relaxed into the warmth of the water. Not a single word was spoken, just silent bliss.
After an eternity in relaxation, we climbed into bed and I was drifting quickly to sleep. With his arms wrapped around me, I faded completely as I heard a faint whisper in my ear. It’s possible I may have been dreaming already, but the three whispered words were music to my ears.
At six in the morning, I awoke and climbed out of bed leaning over to kiss Preston on the cheek. I felt alive, wide awake and well rested. It was the first good night’s sleep I’ve gotten in weeks.
“I have to go get ready for work. Call me later?” I spoke quietly and kissed him again.
“Absolutely,” he yawned and pulled me down into a hug as he placed miniature kisses all over my face. It was so sweet and put a smile on my face that would be hard to wipe off. “Bye baby.”
“Bye, pretty boy.” With a wink and kiss blown his way, I leave Preston in bed and head home to get ready for work.
Another normal day at work, but my mood was much improved. The semester was already started; therefore most students had already picked up their course materials and books. The morning crowd came and went and by one the store was silent. The only thing left for my shift was to restock the shelves and clean up. I had been in the far back corner of the store as I heard the front door chime. Leaning to the right, I peak around the corner to make sure they didn’t need my help and to let them know someone was actually working. Instantly, we locked eyes.
“Hi, Sawyer..I..uh, didn’t know you worked here.” If I wasn’t crazy, I’d say she was being sincere. Alison didn’t have a nice bone in her body.
“Yep, sure do,” I replied, probably with a little too much attitude. There goes my good mood.
“Oh..cool. Uhh..so listen.” She shifted her weight and fidgeted with her hair. “I’m..sorry for what happened..and everything. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I was just…just so jealous. Of you..and..Austin.” His name lingered in the air and I felt my heart clench. “You were the one with his heart, and I couldn’t compete with that. I always get—“
“Alison, stop! It’s fine.” I snapped. I couldn’t do this right now. Not at work, not now. I saw her eyes glaze over with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. It’s just been…tough, you know? And you must be hurting too. He cared about you Alison and I know you felt the same. Let’s just put it all behind us, that’s what Austin would have wanted.” I gave her a weak smile and she gave one back.
“Yeah, he would. He had a big heart.” Her smile got bigger and so did mine.
“The biggest,” I replied. We stood in silence for a moment and the door chimed again, this time with a new customer who seemed to need help.
“I’ll let you get back to work. See you around Sawyer.” She wiped a tear and waved goodbye.
I smiled and nodded in acceptance as I went to help my customer, still in minor shock at what just happened. Alison actually had a heart, and maybe there was good somewhere in there after all.
The rest of the day flew by and I was home by five. Opening my bedroom door, the colorful arrangement caught my eye. The girls weren’t home, how did these beautiful flowers make it into my room? Leaning in close to enjoy the scent, I spot the small notecard attached.
One day at a time,
We’ll pick up all the pieces.
-Preston
Another smile that would be difficult to wipe off, spread wide across my face. He was so thoughtful and I am thankful that he is mine. The words were perfect. One day at a time was all I could handle and it was much easier to have him by my side every step of the way. I pulled my phone from my purse.
Thank you for the flowers and the smile they created.
PrettyBoy: Anytime, Beautiful. Dinner tonight? 8pm? My place? I’m cooking.
Sounds great, I’ll see you tonight. Should I bring something?
PrettyBoy: Just your gorgeous face and that smile. ;)
K. See you soon. Oh and P.S. I’m wearing my pajamas.
PrettyBoy: I’ll never object to comfort, see you soon!
That was a relief. I was really not in the mood to get all dressed up. We mostly lounge around watching TV anyways so now I will just be one step ahead. As I pulled into the driveway, my phone vibrates in my bag.
PrettyBoy: Doors open, come on in and meet me on the patio.
Oh boy. What has he got planned. I made my way inside and stepped on the patio admiring the candlelit table with a dozen red roses displayed in the center. I heard footsteps but before I could turn around, his arms were around my waist and his lips were on my neck planting a sweet kiss.
“You are so beautiful,” he said.
“Yes, I wore my best yoga pants for you.” I said giggling. “If I knew we were eating at a fancy restaurant, I might have classed up the yoga pants and wore a sequined top.” I joked.
He turned me around and flashed his panty-dropping smile. “You could wear a garbage bag and still be beautiful.” He kissed me sweetly on the cheek. “Dinner’s almost done, have a seat and I’ll get you some wine.”
“Thank you Preston,
this is wonderful.”
He winked and headed into the kitchen.
“So, I hope you like spaghetti. It’s my best recipe, well, my only recipe. But I swear it’s good.” He said as he poured my wine.
“As a matter of fact, I love spaghetti. It’s my go-to comfort food.” I replied.
He smiled and headed back to the kitchen returning with two full plates. We spent our dinner discussion catching up on everyday life, school and work. It was a hell of a meal.
“Preston, that was delicious. You can make that for me anytime your heart desires.”
“Glad you liked it.” He stood to clear the dishes and I followed in suit. “Sit down, baby, I got this.”
“No way, let me help. We can do it together.” I gave him the pouty lip. “Pleasssee?”
He sighed in defeat. “Fine, but only cause you’re adorable.”
I knew the look would get him. He tries to deny it, but I know his weak spot. I smiled and picked up our plates. We had the dishes knocked out in no time. He put away the last glass and hung the towel over the handle on the oven.
“Will you stay the night with me?” he asked giving me his best pouty lip.
“Ha! Nice one. It’s adorable, but unnecessary. I would have stayed even without it.”
“Good, how about we watch movies in the bedroom so we can fall asleep cuddled up on the bed rather than the couch.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. I’m not sure how long I can stay awake after that meal. I’m so full and oh so comfortable. I sure am glad I wore my stretchy pants.” I looked down at my belly sticking it out further. Preston laughed and we made our way to the bedroom.
Lying in bed watching a movie, my eyes began to doze. It had been a long day and I was regretting getting up so early. Preston turned on his side and brushed my hair behind my ear. My eyes were closed and I was drifting to sleep.
“Sawyer?” he whispered. My eyes opened and looked straight into his, revealing something different than I had seen in them before.
“Yeah, baby.” I whispered back.
“I love you.”
It was real this time. The three words I thought I dreamt the other night sounded just like that. He told me he loved me. My eyes opened wider and we locked into each other’s gaze.
“I love you too.” I replied without hesitation. I was in love with Preston.
He was the one who now had my heart. I would never forget Austin or the love that we shared. It was he who taught me how to love and give someone my heart. I trusted Preston with my love. He was the reason I smiled through pain, one day at a time. Every break, every crack, he would be there; picking up the pieces.
AUSTIN
I don’t know how many more times I can keep walking away from Sawyer. She is the love of my life and no other girl could ever compare to her beauty, inside and out.
She is perfect, and in every way made for me. I had the whole world in my hands when we were together, but the one dumbass decision ruined everything. The night I broke Sawyer’s heart will always be my biggest regret. I spent twenty minutes in my truck trying to convince myself to go back to the lake and apologize for being such an ass. To this day, I still don’t know exactly drove my decision to go through with it.
She was my best friend, the one person I trusted the most and I had grown accustomed to always having her around. The time away from Sawyer was hard, but we tried to make it work the best we could. We visited each other any weekend we could get available during the first year and spoke on the phone religiously.
After the first year, our visits became less frequent and Sawyer seemed to become busier than ever. Knowing how important her family was and how hard she was trying to take care of them after the accident, I felt the need to try to take care of her when she was here. A few times, I even had romantic evenings planned with reservations at some of the nicer restaurants in town, only to have her call and cancel. The first couple times this happened I understood, but once I realized it was just to cover for her lazy sister, it was more difficult to mask my frustrations. It was deeper than anger, and mostly hurt that I felt. It began to cause unnecessary arguments, but I just wanted her to be happy so I backed off.
It didn’t take long before she stopped calling as much and wasn’t returning my messages. It was then that I realized I was no longer a priority in Sawyer’s life.
My schoolwork increased with each semester, and I was finding my grades beginning to slip. My counselor suggested that I get a tutor to help maintain my GPA. I was on academic scholarship and could not afford to have it drop. This is when I met Alison. She gave me her undivided attention during our sessions and it was obvious she was building an attraction to me. I know it makes me a dick, but I was really starting to enjoy the attention and did not stop her from careless flirtation. I would never cross the line and cheat on Sawyer, but being around someone who wanted me made me feel important. Something I had not felt from Sawyer in quite some time, and I missed that. Maybe I was just being selfish.
Prior to Winter break, I had put some space between Alison and I, determined to go home and try to figure this out with Sawyer to get back where we were. I would only be in town for a week or so and every day was a fight for her attention and time. It was never my intention to leave Sawyer that night at the lake, but it felt hopeless. I was starting to realize that things were not going to change. Her loyalty to her family ran deep and I can completely understand that, yet I also felt like family and couldn’t understand the distance between us.
My girlfriend lived next door, yet we barely spoke, while a girl I hardly knew, four hours away was begging for my attention. I didn’t break up with her to be with Alison, but when I was lonely she was there. She was the complete opposite of Sawyer, which meant I knew I could never get attached. Sawyer was never far from my mind; no matter how hard I tried.
Ignoring her phone calls was fucked up, but I was too much of a pussy to admit my mistake. I knew the minute I heard her voice would make me take it all back, but I also knew we needed our time apart. In the back of my head I think I always expected us to work it out and get back together. I now understand the hurt I caused her and the reality that we would never be the same.
I remember the first time I saw her again, while I was working the door at Penny’s. I swear she was more beautiful than the last time. Seeing her that night, so close to me, filled the void in my heart that had been there since the night I left her; a void that could be filled by no one else.
Of course, hearing she was there to see Wright thoroughly pissed me off. She was my girl. He had no right to look at her, much less anything else. I didn’t want any other guy to touch what was mine. No one knew her like I did or could give her the love she deserves.
Sawyer will always hold my heart; every piece of it. For a long time, I was the one who held hers, but slowly, Preston has been pulling pieces from my reach.
I hate the idea of them being together. He was the last person I would ever have thought she would choose. However, with time, I could see how much he cares about her and the way he admires her beauty and heart. I’m also not blind, and can see the same look in her eyes when she’s with him. Sawyer was falling for Preston and she was happy. Something I had taken from her and he’s given back.
Preston approached me at work the next day, wanting to clear the air after I made an ass of myself and embarrassed Sawyer on their date. Drunken anger got the best of me. He told me that he knew we had a past and it didn’t bother him. The only thing he cared about was making sure it didn’t bother Sawyer. The tension between Preston and I was causing her pain. After our conversation, I walked away with a new respect for him. It was clear that he only had her best intentions in mind and was mature enough to hold those pieces of her heart.
Within that same conversation, I also informed him that if he ever hurt her I wouldn’t hesitate to kick his ass. I made good on my word the night I drove her home crying. It took all my restraint to not kick his ass the minute I put h
er in my passenger seat, but knew I should take care of her first before confronting him.
I found him on the sidewalk when I returned to Penny’s and could tell how torn up he was. When I asked what the hell happened his only reply was that he hurt her. The acceptance on his face, as if he knew what was coming, made me almost feel bad for what would come next. One flash of her tear stricken face in my thoughts and all sympathy disappeared as my fist connected with his face.
After that, I knew there was no way I would still have a job at Penny’s and decided to head back to my apartment to pack up and head home early. I would leave in the morning and head to Sawyers to make sure she was okay. She’s had enough hurt the past few years, and sadly, a lot being caused by me.
Seeing her on the swing as I walked up to our spot by the lake was a familiar sight and brought me back to so many memories. It was the place she felt the safest and I knew I would find her here in this time of hurt. This night was no exception. My first instinct was to give her a push and wait for her to laugh or smile. She’s always had the greatest laugh.
Sawyer had tried to mask her hurt and ended up drunk on the swing. As cute as she was, I needed to use her lowered guard to find out what happened with Preston. Listening to her explain the confrontation with his wife had me stunned. It just didn’t add up. This guy is hopelessly in love with Sawyer, and anyone could see it. There is no way this could be true, and if so, there has to be more to the story.
Picking up the Pieces Page 19