by J K Ashley
Now it’s my turn to smile. He’s completely lost it, letting his pride and anger take over. I don’t think he’s used to having someone speak to him like I have—defy him. But I’m not about just lie down and roll over when it comes to Rachael and our future. He didn’t know what he was getting into, walking in here like he owned the place.
He certainly doesn’t own Rachael.
I’m still smiling at him, I realize. He’s looking at me with those narrowed eyes again, but now I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to intimidate me. He’s trying to use his power and his usual suave nature to make me feel inferior, but that’s not going to happen. It took only a few moments for me to figure this guy out, and I must admit I’m rather disappointed. I expected better from a man I’d heard so much about.
“You’re beyond pathetic,” I hear myself saying as a sneer curls across my face. “You thought you could come in here and just whisk Rachael away. You thought she’d swoon at your feet. You thought you could whatever you want. But that’s not how it works. You’re a sad little man who can’t get over the past.”
John gets back to his feet. He doesn’t look at me, but rather dusts off the front of his jacket as if he’s gotten something filthy on it. I can tell he’s cooling himself off, taking deep and slow breaths to calm his raging temper.
“It was nice speaking to you, James,” he says. He walks towards the door and pulls it open. He looks over his shoulder at me and we lock eyes for just a few seconds.
Then, he leaves.
I stand there in my office and stare at the open door. He didn’t bother to shut it on his way out, and frankly I’m not surprised. After a few moments I shake my head and grab my jacket off the back of my chair. I shrug it on and exit the office.
I linger and chat with Genna for a few moments. She’s a nice enough girl, but I also don’t want to risk running into John again in the parking lot. I know nothing good can come of that, and I want to avoid any further confrontation for the time being. I’ve never reacted like that, the way I did in the office. I’ve never felt so angry that it felt like my blood was pounding through my veins and my very body was shaking.
I’ve certainly never spoken to a person that way I did. Not ever. Even thinking back to the words I said to John I cringe, but then I remind myself what kind of person he is and I feel better. He deserved every word I said.
I finally break off the conversation with Genna and bid her a good day. She nods and smiles and I meander towards the parking lot, still dreading stepping foot outside the building. For all I know John is lurking outside, waiting for me to emerge. Hopefully he’s not that psychotic.
I do nearly run into someone as I’m leaving, but it isn’t John.
“James!” a familiar voice squeals. I look down in surprise and blink at the woman standing before me, nearly six inches shorter.
“Samantha?” I look around. “What are you doing here?”
“Why, coming to visit you, of course.” A wide smile spreads across her freckled face.
Samantha is my little sister. Despite being four years my junior, we’ve always been very close. That changed a bit over the last couple years, since she decided not to work for the family business any longer. It created some tension amongst the family. I tried to stay out of it, but ended up getting caught up in my work and didn’t see much of her anyways.
Samantha brushes her bangs out of her eyes, which are the same color as mine. She’s dyed her hair a deep black color, but it used to be just a shade or two lighter than my dark brown hair. I pull her into a hug, and she squeezes me tightly.
“I never see you anymore, big brother,” she says, her voice muffled by my front. I release her and she steps back. “We need to hang out more.”
“Yeah.” I run a hand through my hair sheepishly, and my eyes scan around the parking lot. My nerves are back. “I know. I’m sorry.”
She notices me looking and turns her head to gaze around as well. No one is around. She looks back at me, perplexed.
“Is something wrong, James?” she asks. “You look worried.”
I sigh heavily. I do need someone to talk to about this. Who better than my sister?
“Have I ever told you about John Keeton?” I ask.
She shakes her head, narrowing her eyes.
“He’s Rachael’s ex-boyfriend, the only other person she dated seriously. It was back in high school but I guess it was pretty significant. He broke her heart, upped and left to study abroad then just stopped speaking to her.”
“Well that’s terrible,” Samantha says. “But what does that have to do with you?”
“I just met him,” I say grimly. “He came to office, looking for Rachael.”
“What?” Samantha looked bewildered. “But high school was years ago for you guys. Why was he here?”
“He apparently wants to get Rachael back, and he won’t stop until he does so.” I shake my head, smiling wryly. “Normally I wouldn’t be worried, but I think Rachael saw him yesterday. She went to a high school reunion and came home all flustered and not feeling good. She was distracted, like someone was on her mind.”
Samantha bites her lip. “I’m not gonna lie, James,” she says. “This is bad news. He sounds a little crazy.”
“Yeah, I got that vibe from him,” I say ironically. “He was trying to intimidate me, act like the big man. He really thinks he can get whatever he wants, and from what I’ve heard that’s usually how things go with him. He’s manipulative and he knows how to play peoples’ emotions. I didn’t let him walk all over me and he got real mad, he completely lost his cool. He was crazy.”
“What did he do?” Samantha’s eyes were wide now.
“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head. “He just got all wild-eyed and started shaking a bit, real psycho, then he calmed himself down. It looked like some sort of coping mechanism angry kids learn in therapy. And then he just left.”
“You need to tell Rachael about this,” Samantha says. She looks very serious, her eyes big and mournful. “He doesn’t sound like a safe guy. She needs to know he showed up looking for her at work.”
“I don’t want to upset her,” I protest. “She was really messed up last night, believe me. I’ve never seen her like that before. I couldn’t get through to her or anything, it was like she was in a totally different world. I don’t know what he did or said to her.”
“All the more reason to tell her,” Samantha insists. “It’s not like you’re surfacing bad memories for the first time in years. She already saw him. She already knows he’s here, and she probably still has him on her mind. You don’t just forget running into someone from your past like that overnight.”
I shrug helplessly. “I guess . . .” I trail off. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea.
“You’re always so stubborn,” Samantha says with a heavy sigh. “You don’t want to mess with a guy like this, James. If you let him do whatever he wants without warning Rachael, something bad will happen.”
“No.” I shake my head. “No, we’re just overreacting. Everything is fine. It’s all under control. If Rachael loves me the same way I love her—which she does—then she’ll never leave me, not for some guy like John.”
Samantha raises a brow at me. “Do you have someone from your past like this John guy?”
“Well . . . no.”
“Then you have no idea what she’s really thinking,” Samantha says with a note of finality in her voice. “But whatever, I can’t force you to do anything.” She throws her hands up in the air and takes a step back.
“Listen,” I say, suddenly remembering why Samantha had shown up in here in the first place, and desperately needing a change of subject. “I was just leaving work for the day. I’ve got the day off, but they called me in for an emergency meeting. I’m going to get Rachael now from her in-laws. Wanna come along?”
“Ooh, yes!” Samantha cries, a smile returning to her face. I let out a sigh of relief. That’s just how I like to see my baby
sister: happy and excited. “I’d love to see Rach,” she continues. “It’s been so long.”
We walk over to my car, chatting and catching up. I realize quickly just how much I missed her, and my chest fills with warmth to be spending time with family. She was always my favorite of the family.
We drive back to the in-laws, and tromp up to the front door. I knock and a minute later Rachael opens the door. She smiles at me and then her eyes fall onto Samantha.
“Sammy!” she cries, embracing my sister in a hug. “It’s been so long!”
Rachael still has that distant look in her eyes, but she’s happy. A genuine smile stretches across her face, creating the cutest little crinkles in her nose. I haven’t seen her smile like this in a long time, and a matching grin splits my face as well just looking at her. Clearly things have improved since last night, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I hate seeing Rachael upset.
We walk inside and sit down in her parents’ living room. She tells us her father is taking a nap upstairs and her mother is working out back in the garden. Samantha insists on going out back to say hello, but Rachael shakes her head. Her mother hates to be interrupted when she’s working on a project, and apparently should be back in soon.
I watch as the two women chat. These are two of the most important girls in my life. I know Samantha won’t say a word to Rachael, even if I were to leave the room. She’s trustworthy and faithful like that. Even if she thinks a thing is right to do, she wouldn’t dare intervene in our relationship like that and break my trust.
Eventually Rachael’s mother pops back into the house, but she doesn’t linger to chat. She’s covered in dirt from head to head, and looks absolutely thrilled by it. She kicks off her boots onto the tiled floor and discards her dirt-caked gloves onto the front counter and pauses to chat for a few moments, before departing to hose herself down in the shower.
We then get up to leave and I part ways with Samantha. We make plans for later in the week. Soon enough it’s just Rachael and I in the car, and she’s still smiling.
“You’re in a better mood,” I say, reaching across to squeeze her hand. She smiles at me and my heart flips with happiness. “What’s made you so happy?”
“You’ll find out later,” Rachael teases, before gazing out the window happily.
I chuckle to myself and put the car in reverse, twisting around to guide us out onto the road. But as I start to drive, hands clenching the steering wheel, a darker thought enters my mind.
Rachael’s never refused to tell me something about her emotions like this. She’s never been secretive about things, whether it be good or bad. Why won’t she tell me why she’s in a good mood? There’s no reason to hide something like that. No reason at all.
Unless she’s happy about John . . . What if he managed to contact her again, after he left the office? What if she’s falling for him again?
A dark pit forms in my stomach, and I pray that that’s not the case.
Chapter Six
Not much is spoken for the rest of the drive. The longer the silence stretches out, the more apprehensive I become. Things were so good just minutes ago, and now I’m worried again and for altogether different reasons. It’s beyond frustrating.
I look over at Rachael every few minutes, letting my eyes dart away from the road before returning. She’s staring off into the distance the same way she was last night, though now she has a pleasant smile permanently curled across her face.
I pull into the driveway, and the car is barely in park before Rachael unbuckles her seatbelt and swings the passenger door wide open. I watch he in surprise as she bounds out of the car, shutting the door behind her and practically skipping up to the front door.
I get out of the car and walk behind her, watching her cautiously. I’ve never seen her this animated, and the thought that it could be another man making her act this way makes my heart twist in my chest.
She’s waiting for me at the door, still smiling. She watches as I put the key in the lock and twist, before jumping ahead of me to open the door and walk inside.
“I’m going to make dinner tonight!” she exclaims, disappearing into the kitchen.
I watch in bewilderment, before turning back to the door and shutting it, depositing the keys back into my pocket.
I walk into the kitchen and lean against the countertops, watching her bustle around. She opens cabinets and pulls things out seemingly at random until the counters are completely cluttered with foods and bowls and pots and spices. She then stops and stares around at them all, narrowing her eyes before selecting what she wants and putting everything else away.
“I’m making lasagna,” she says simply.
“I’ll help.” I step forward and we work together in relative silence for the next ten or so minutes.
She steps back from the counter, wiping her hands clean on a dish towel. I look over at her and see that’s she’s scowling lightly.
“I have to tell you something,” she says. She won’t meet my eyes.
“Yes?” I ask. I stop what I’m doing as well, setting down a bowl full of ricotta cheese.
“I saw John yesterday.”
I try my best to act surprised. I am a bit, surprised, truly, that she told me about it. I was beginning to think she never would, that she’d just act like it had never happened.
“John from high school?” I ask.
She finally looks back up at me, and nods. The happiness has left her eyes and I can see how distraught she is.
“He was at the reunion,” she said slowly. “I didn’t know he would be there. I thought he was still far away from here, but apparently he moved back to the area recently.
“Did he talk to you?” I ask.
“Yes.” She winced. “He asked me to dance with him, and I did—just for a few moments. That was the only way to make him go away.”
An awkward pause stretches out between us.
“Do you have any plans to see him again?”
The words leave my mouth before I realize what I’m saying. I’m not even sure if I want to know the answer, but before I can dwell on that too much, Rachael looks up at me with shocked eyes.
“See John?” She lets out a bark of a laugh and shakes her head emphatically. “James, are you worried? When I saw him my stomach dropped down to my feet, and not in a good way. I felt like I was going to throw up all over his shoes while we were dancing. Everything about him repulsed me—the stupid way he wears his hair, that arrogant smirk, the way he thought he could just swoop back into my life . . .” she pauses and her eyes go wide. She claps a hand over her mouth.
“He wants you back?” I ask, though my question is rhetorical.
“Apparently so.” She shrugs. “I told him it was out of the question, though. I don’t think he’ll be back.”
I hear Samantha’s voice in the back of my mind, yelling at me to tell Rachael what happened at the office that day. But I just can’t bring myself to do it.
“Of course I’m not worried,” I say with a smile, answering her initial question. “We’re getting married, baby. John can try whatever he wants, but nothing will break us.” I hold out my arms to her, and after a moment’s hesitation she walks into them.
I wrap her in a hug, and she burrows into me. I let out a sigh of relief. She doesn’t want him back.
Rachael
The next day, I wake up feeling like a weight has been lifted.
I told James about John. I’d been dreading this. It had been running over and over in my mind all day, but finally I’d decided. I knew that I needed to tell him, or else I’d feel immensely guilty. I just couldn’t deal with those feelings, not now.
But I’d told him, and it had felt amazing. It was great to let him know what was going on and tell him I wasn’t going back to John, no matter what. It was the truth, of course, but it also gave me a sense of accountability. I could not even be tempted to talk to John again, not ever. I decide that I want to see Lucy again. I know I’ve been
a bit standoffish with her, and really do want to thank her for what she did at the reunion. She stood up for me and tried to get John to go away, even years after what had happened. That was true friendship and true loyalty, and I would be terrible if I didn’t express my appreciation.
I call her up and remake plans to go out for coffee. I roll out of bed and tidy myself up, putting on a simple grey dress with a little black belt around my waist. I slip on a short pair of wedge heels and let my hair tumble down around my shoulders, tousled and unbrushed. Then I pop into the living room to find James lounging on the couch, flipping through the TV in his pajamas. Clearly someone’s taking advantage of their day off.
“Do you mind if I use the car?” I ask, already reaching for the keys which are hanging beside the front door. I know he won’t say no.
He glances over at me, blinking in surprise at my appearance before a smirk slides across his face. “Sure thing, Rach,” he says. “Can I get a hug first, though?”
I roll my eyes and saunter over. He pulls me into an embrace and gives me a peck on the lips. I smile before pulling myself away, and practically skip out to the car. He didn’t even ask me where I was going, not even after finding out about John yesterday. It feels amazing to be in such a loving and trusting relationship.
The coffee shop is just a few minutes drive away, and when I get there Lucy is already waiting. She greets me enthusiastically, and we’re standing in line to order when I see him.
John is sitting at the back of the cafe, pursuing a newspaper. He glances up from his read as he brings his coffee up to take a sip, and we lock eyes. He freezes, and my heart drops.
I turn around swiftly. My stomach is churning and now I feel too nauseous to even think about coffee. But I step up and place my order anyways, before moving off to the side to wait while Lucy orders hers.
“Rachael.”
I hear his voice and close my eyes, taking a deep breath and willing myself not to lose my cool. Then I turn around and level a fierce gaze on him. I don’t say a word.