“Oh.”
“Yeah, so other than the hottie, how’d the new job go?”
“It went well. I didn’t screw anything up last night, and Jessop and I talked all night about books.”
Alexis looked at me once more and shook her head. “Just be careful there, Keri.”
“I am.”
“I mean, I thought you were going to take a break. The whole Payton and Keri saga… I don’t think it’s over.”
“It’s over,” I said, and got out of my chair. “We broke up, remember?”
“But you still love him.”
“I will always love him,” I said, and then walked toward my dresser. “Payton and I, we’re best friends.”
“Sure, yeah, but there’s something there. I don’t think it’s something that can go away overnight.”
I knew Alexis was right, but I didn’t want to hear it. “Maybe, maybe not, but what will Payton and I talk about? Guys like Payton don’t have a lot in common with girls like me.”
As soon as I said that last part, I frowned. I didn’t realize how much the whole “college” thing got in the way until now.
“That’s kind of bitchy,” Alexis said, and frowned. “Payton’s smart, Keri.”
“Yeah, he’s smart, but not that smart. He’s staying home, working on his dad’s farm, and not going to college.”
Alexis’s eyes widened. “Hey, my parents didn’t go to college and they’re doing just fine. You shouldn’t…”
“I don’t mean it like that, it’s just…”
“You do, though. Keri, you know that Payton wants to be a rancher. You’ve known this. Why is it a big deal all of a sudden?”
“He doesn’t understand how college is. He doesn’t understand how difficult it is for me to be here when he is there. He just doesn’t get it. We will never have that in common.”
“What are you talking about? You do have that in common. He is there, and you are here. He misses you like crazy. That’ s why he acts so protective.”
“Why are you all of a sudden Team Payton?” I asked, horrified that my roommate was choosing Payton over me. I knew I was acting irrational, but she should be on my side no matter what.
“Somebody has to be, Keri. He’s a good guy. You don’t know this because you haven’t dated a lot, but Payton is pretty amazing.”
“Don’t tell me what Payton is, I know what he is.”
“And what is that?”
“He’s my friend. We got caught up in something, but it’s over now.”
“For you maybe.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I talked to him. It isn’t over for him.”
My eyes widened, and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. “You talked to him, when?”
“After you broke up. I wanted to make sure he was doing okay.”
“How is Payton your business? You have Todd!” I yelled. It was becoming a complete girl fight, and of course, that’s when Todd walked in.
“What’s going on?” Todd asked. He leaned in and kissed Alexis on the lips and stood by her side. “Why are you two yelling?”
“Your girlfriend has been calling my boyfriend!”
“I didn’t think he was your boyfriend anymore!” Alexis yelled back and Todd turned toward her.
“What’s…” Todd started, but Alexis interrupted.
“Oh, you know, Keri is acting like a baby again.”
“A baby!” I yelled, and started toward Alexis. Todd moved in front of her, and my hand went out toward his chest to move him out of the way.
“Ugh,” Todd said, and then backed up, Alexis right behind him. “What’s happening.”
“Get out of the way, Todd!” I yelled, wanting to bitch slap Alexis right in the mouth.
“Yeah, get out of the way, Todd!” Alexis cried.
“Nope. I think you both need to calm down and tell me what’s going on here.”
“Why aren’t you at work?” I asked, miffed.
Alexis huffed. “Don’t you talk to my boyfriend that way!”
Todd blew out a breath and then spoke. “It’s okay, honey,” he said to Alexis and then turned toward me. “I just went to pick up my check, and then had to come back. I left my ID on the dresser.”
I folded my arms on my chest and shook my head. “Tell your girlfriend to stay away from Payton.”
“I don’t have to do what you say, Keri. You’re no longer dating him, so he’s a free agent.”
Just the thought of her saying that made me want to pound her face in, with or without Todd blocking her.
“Now just wait a minute,” Todd said, and then turned toward Alexis. “What’s going on?”
Alexis’s features softened. “I called Payton a few nights ago to make sure he was okay, that’s all. He was sad, I just told him not to give up.”
I gasped at that. “Why would you do that?”
“Because we’re friends, you idiot! You were upset, but you love the guy. I know you do, you know you do; hell, even Todd knows you do!”
“I broke up with him!”
“You did, and you needed to, but that doesn’t mean it won’t all work out in the end.” Alexis grabbed Todd’s hand and squeezed. A few tears escaped my eyes.
“I don’t want to date him anymore, and now you’ve done this.”
“But you are still going home for Christmas?” Alexis asked, and quirked her eyebrow up.
“Yeah, because my mom lives there!”
“No, I don’t buy it, Ker. You are hung up on him, but you just haven’t dealt with everything that goes with it yet.”
“Oh, so you know me better than I do apparently,” I said sarcastically. I shook my head and headed toward the door. I didn’t want to be in the same room with Alexis.
“I do, and I know you’d do the same thing for me if the role was reversed.”
“What, butt in, you mean?”
Alexis laughed in disgust and pulled Todd toward their bed. “Grow up, Keri.”
“You first,” I said childishly as I pulled the door open and slammed it on its hinges.
***
Payton
I read the instant messages over and over, and smiled. She wasn’t over me. She had to have had some kind of feelings for me, even if she wouldn’t admit it. She did say she missed me, and I missed her so much. I finished my work hours ago, and had a couple more hours until I had to go back out and feed the animals again.
Ranching was a constant job. There weren’t any vacation days, or spontaneous outings, but it was rewarding, and I liked everything that had to do with It since I was just a kid. Everything except being away from her.
She didn’t understand how hard it was for me to be here, all the way in Texas, and for her to be in Ohio. Ohio felt like a whole other continent. It may as well have been for all of the distance she’d put between us.
But she emailed me, and she said she missed me. Life was good.
I pulled up my mail and put her information in, and looked to see if she was on the internet. She wasn’t, so I just started typing.
Keri,
Hey there. I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you. I really do miss you a lot. Today I worked on the old tractor, and I think I finally fixed it. You know the rusty one that dad always says works, but hasn’t ran in years? Yep, it’s running now. I used it this afternoon. You should’ve seen the look on dad’s face. I’m still smiling—hours later.
Mom says hi, by the way. I haven’t been over to your mom and dad’s for a few days, but I saw your mom in town the other day. She looks like she’s doing well.
I bet she can’t wait for you to come home for Christmas. I know I can’t.
When you come home, I was thinking we could go out and see the new Star Wars movie. Let me know.
Yours,
Payton
I finished typing the last of my email and then closed my laptop and lay back into the pillows with a smile on my face. I had to think of something to get Keri
for Christmas. Something that would hopefully make up for the last few weeks of stupidity. I’d acted like a total ass, and I knew it.
***
Keri
I arrived at the library for my shift thirty minutes early. I didn’t want to go back to my dorm room for fear of running into Alexis and Todd again. Of course, I’d eventually have to go back there, but I didn’t want to do it so soon.
I still couldn’t believe Alexis called Payton. There had to be a rule against that in some girl code dictionary or something. I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad at anyone. Even Payton.
Payton.
I walked over to the student computers and put my student number in the login. Once I was in, I pulled up m y email account, and right away I saw that Payton sent me a message.
He missed me. He still couldn’t wait until I came home for Christmas. He saw my mom at the grocery store. He asked me out on a date.
He just didn’t get it.
We weren’t dating. We were just friends.
Stupid Alexis had to give him some kind of hope. I wanted to smash her skull into the nearest boulder.
I typed my reply.
Pay,
What’s up. Glad to see that you got the old tractor working. I bet your dad’s relieved. Those things are expensive.
Say hi to your mom for me.
Alexis and I are going to see the movie in a few weeks. I’ll let you know how it ends…
Keri
I pushed send and cringed at how cold my email was. I had no interest in Star Wars whatsoever, and I certainly wasn’t going to see it with the traitor, Alexis! I didn’t want Payton to think we were going to just date when we got home. I didn’t want to date him. I just wanted to go back to being friends.
Alexis didn’t know me.
She shouldn’t have butted into my life. Now Payton thought he had a chance, and she gave him hope.
Ugh.
I just logged out when I heard my name being called.
“Keri, Ker, Ker,” a masculine voice came toward my ear. I turned and “Jessop the Manbrarian” came into view.
He looked extra good. Khacki pants, black polo shirt, hair brushed back with his sexy black framed glasses making him look all ‘Clark Kent’.
“Hey,” I said, laughing. Okay so it was a bit flirty, but I was allowed to flirt. I wasn’t dating Payton. I was nineteen-years old and I was single.
“So, you ready to get your literature on?”
“I am.”
“I love confidence. So, I had fun playing the lit game last night. Want to make the time go by faster again?” Jessop smiled and I couldn’t help myself I just stared at his mouth as if it was mesmerizing.
“Ye…yeah. Let’s.”
He bumped his shoulder into mine like we were pals. I stiffened.
“You first though.”
“Okay,” I said, thinking of something to ask. “Okay, in 2015 what author put out a book about the twin towers and other disasters involving terrorism and made it a mystery book?”
Jessop thought for a few seconds and then grinned. “Agatha something. She’s Polish.”
“Yeah, but what’s her last name?” I asked, and walked with Jessop toward the return carts. He skipped ahead of me and then turned around.
“Rae?”
“Yep. Nice. Your turn.”
“How old was EL James when she started writing Fifty Shades of Grey?”
My face reddened at the mention of the book and I thought of Jessop tying my hands above my head and using the brown flogger.
Jessop saw my reaction and laughed. “What’re you thinking about there, Ker Ker?” Jessop asked, using Payton’s playful nickname for me.
I laughed gruffly and shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Yeah, right. So…”
“Um, let me think. I saw this on a Twitterview a few months back…”
“Give up?”
“You wish,” I said, and then picked up one of the books. It needed to go into the P section. “Hmm…. I think 45 was when she started writing fan fiction.”
“I can’t believe you even know that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, laughing.
“I just wanted to see if you’d blush. You did, so I won that question.”
My face reddened even more. “I didn’t know this was a contest.”
“I don’t know the answer to the last question, by the way, I just thought it would be funny if you squirmed a bit. But, you’re a bookworm just like me, so this is going to be a little harder than I thought.”
“Har har,” I replied and then shelved the Diana Palmer book. She was one of my favorite romance authors.
“Your turn,” Jessop said as he shelved a James Patterson novel.
“Okay, what is book two of the Terry Goodkind, Wizard’s First Rule series called?”
“That’s easy. Stone of Tears. I can’t believe you know Goodkind!”
“I can’t believe you do.” And I couldn’t. Terry Goodkind was my favorite fantasy author next to JK Rowling. “I love The Confessor.”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” Jessop said. “I seriously can’t believe you know those books. You’re the first girl that I’ve ever talked to that does.”
“Yep I sure do. Your turn.”
Jessop picked up two more James Patterson books and placed them in order then looked into my eyes. “What’s your favorite Xanth novel?”
I grinned. “Wow, I haven’t thought of those in a long time.”
“I knew you had to have read them. I swear we are the same person only you’re the female version.”
“I’d have to say A Spell for Chameleon.”
Jessop put his hand up to his chest and swooned. “A girl after my own heart.”
I grinned, and then shook my head. He had a girlfriend. This was just nerdy stuff. Nerd flirting. Nothing serious. He had a girlfriend. I kept chanting the ‘he had a girlfriend’ thing over and over.
It didn’t help.
I had a crush.
Chapter Six
*Use the Force…*
Keri
I got off of work fifteen minutes earlier than I was scheduled, so Jessop offered to take me back to my dorm. In his car!
I was so nervous. More nervous than I had ever been. I, Keri Richards, had a crush on someone else’s boyfriend. I sat stiff in the passenger seat and didn’t say a word. I was nervous. The small space was getting to me, and I was afraid I would say something stupid like blurt out the fact that I thought he was the sexiest thing since sliced bread or something, and he’d just remind me that he had a girlfriend and I was his friend. His clone, only in girl form, Jessop 2.0.
“You okay over there?” he asked, and he tapped me on the shoulder. I felt the zing again and flinched. He grinned.
“You don’t have to be so nervous.”
“I’m not,” I said, and then fiddled with my hands as if that were perfectly normal and not just a nervous reaction.
“Yes you are, and it’s cute.”
I turned my head so fast that I nearly go whiplash. “Huh?”
“You, you’re cute, but I have a girlfriend.”
I closed my eyes and could feel my skin heat. I don’t think I’d ever felt so incredibly stupid in my life. “Yeah…I know.”
“You know you’re cute?” Jessop teased.
I closed my eyes once more and nervously laughed. “No, I know you have a girlfriend.”
“It’s just as well anyway. You know how the old saying goes, opposites attract. We’d drive each other crazy. But, we’ll make the best of friends.”
I swallowed. Friends. Yep. Makes sense. “Yeah.”
Jessop laughed again. “Don’t make this uncomfortable. I think you’re cute, I know you think I’m cute, and now that we both know and it’s all out on the table, we’ll be able to talk and have fun at work without the whole sex thing over our heads.”
The way Jessop said that last part was so matter of factly that I alm
ost choked. “What?!”
“You know, the whole sex thing. Sex just gets in the way, and since we obviously won’t be having it, and you know it and I know it, we’ll be able to relax.”
“But I’ve…”
“Really?” he asked, his eyes wide. “I can hardly believe that someone as cute as you has never…”
“I didn’t…”
“So you have?”
“I…” I bit my lip and knew I was so incredibly red that I could barely speak. “I…”
“Don’t sweat it. So, you need a ride to work tomorrow?”
I couldn’t believe he could be so casual about all of this. I hurriedly shook my head. He laughed.
“Friends?” he asked, and put his hand out. I swallowed then took his hand in mine. He shook and I felt the zing and he laughed once more at my reddened face. “I miss this,” he said and then touched my cheeks. “My Gloria used to blush all the time, and now she…” He let the last bit trail off, and I looked away. He dropped his hand.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded, and then got out as quickly as I could without making an even bigger fool of myself.
***
Payton
I logged onto my email and read her email three times. She sounded cold, and withdrawn. She didn’t want to see the movie… She just gave quick little answers without giving anything personal away.
She changed, and I hadn’t. I was still the same old Payton, and she was different. She was in college, experiencing new things, different cultures, different people…different relationships.
I shook my head. No. She wasn’t dating anyone. She’d just broken up with me, and there wasn’t enough time for her to have found someone yet. Was there?
I quickly shut my laptop down and headed down the ladder in the tree fort. I didn’t want to hang around waiting to see if she’d send me another email. She wouldn’t. I wouldn’t either. What was the point? She’d be home in another week, and instead of torturing myself with the whole will she or won’t she, I’d just wait. Wait for Christmas. Everything would be better by then. She’d be here with me in the fort, in my arms, and we’d kiss. She’d fall for me again, and then we’d forget about all of the little misunderstandings.
The Boy I Love (Falling for You #2) Page 5