“Does she know how you feel? I mean, she’s leaving, so you might as well show her all your cards. Don’t you think?” She raised her brow.
“You’re right. I guess I have nothing to lose if I’m going to lose her, anyway.” I sighed. “I had decided against telling her because I didn’t want to guilt her into staying.”
“I understand that, but I think she needs to know.”
I nodded. “You’re right; she does.”
“I’m always right, and I’ve said this before, but the old saying, if you love it, let it go, is something I firmly believe in.” She smiled.
I jumped up and began to pace. “I did that, Grams. She left me eight years ago without so much as a goodbye. I waited! She didn’t come back when school ended. I waited! She had a child with another man. I still waited! It’s been so long, and I finally thought I had her back, but I’m going to lose her all over again.” Stopping, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I was getting way too worked up. “I’m sorry for raising my voice. I feel like my heart is being torn out.” I sat back down beside her and rested my head on the back of the wicker love seat, looking up at the sky.
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this again. I know how hard this must be for you, especially for the second time. But I promise, things will work out the way they’re meant to. God always has a plan for us, you may not like the path He chooses for you, but what will be will be.” She rubbed my shoulder while I stared up at the clouds passing by, quietly praying that God would finally answer my prayers after all these years.
“Thanks, Grams. I’m sure things will work out how they are supposed to. I’m just nervous that they won’t work out the way I want, though. I know that sounds selfish, but I need her in my life. Even if it’s just as a friend, I can’t let her leave.” I looked over at my grams, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.
“Tell her how you feel.” She kissed my cheek before patting it softly. “Now, let’s get some food into you.”
I helped her up and followed her inside. “So, what’s for brunch, Grams?” I rubbed my palms together. “Whatever it is, it smells amazing.” I closed my eyes and breathed in deep.
Grams was an amazing cook. I was pretty good, too. I’d learned all I knew from her, but coming home to her cooking was so much better than fixing it myself.
“Do I have a treat for you. French toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, oh, and of course, my famous cinnamon buns.” She smiled and started taking everything out of the oven and setting it on the table.
“Hey, don’t forget my freshly squeezed orange juice. Just made it this morning.” Gramps looked so proud as he puffed out his chest.
“I’m sure the OJ is great, Gramps.” I slapped him on the shoulder as I walked by.
I got the place settings ready for us as Grams got all the food set up. My stomach growled. I hadn’t had her cooking in a while, so I was going to savor every last bite.
We sat down to eat, and Gramps didn’t waste any time. “So, is everything okay with our boy here?” He was talking to Grams but looking at me. He gave us privacy to talk before, but he didn’t like being kept in the dark.
Grams eyed me, waiting for me to answer him instead of her. I took a large swig of my orange juice and looked over at him. “Jules told us that she’s going back to California.” I sighed, not wanting to continue, but Grams raised her brow, prompting me to continue.
I filled him in on the rest of what happened, his face turning more and more somber as I continued to speak.
Gramps shook his head in disappointment. “Oh, Hunter. I’m sure Grams has already told you everything necessary, but you need to tell her how you feel. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” He reached out and touched Grams’s hand and smiled lovingly at her. “Trust me, it’s the best thing I ever did.”
I loved my grandparents, and their relationship was something I had strived for my whole life. Their story was quite similar to mine with Jules, except they’d been happily married for almost fifty years.
“I know, I know. I was beyond pissed and was worried I would say something I’d regret.” I sighed and slouched in my chair.
“I will say that walking away before saying something you don’t mean is a smart move, but it’s been two days. What are you waiting for?” He was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t have one.
“Shit—"
Grams put her hand up. “You watch that mouth, boy.”
Gramps snickered, and she gave him a look. She didn’t allow cursing in her house, and Gramps thought it was hilarious when she scolded me.
“Sorry, Grams, I’m just frustrated. Can we just leave it at that?” I scrubbed my hands down my face in frustration. “I want to enjoy this meal before it gets cold, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, but make sure when you speak to her that it’s face-to-face, not over the phone. She needs to see you’re genuine when you speak. It makes all the difference.” Grams smiled and continued to sip her tea.
“Thank you. I’ll call her when I leave and make arrangements to see her. I just hope I’m not too late.” I picked at my food, having lost my appetite.
“It’s never too late, son. Just do your best, and know that you did everything you could.” Gramps was right, I just had to tell her.
We enjoyed the rest of our breakfast, and my appetite crept back in. What? I was a grown man and wasn’t about to pass up any of Grams’s food.
By the time I left their place, it was well past noon. Before leaving, they talked of my bringing Jules and Calum by before she left, and I prayed I was able to make that happen.
I drove around the corner to my old school and pulled into the parking lot to call Jules. I breathed in deep, trying to calm my nerves before I hit the green button. It rang and rang, and then I got her voicemail. Hey, you’ve reached Jules, text me, no one talks anymore. I hung up and sent her a text.
Me: Hey, I’m sorry. Please call me. We need to talk.
I sat there, staring at my phone for what felt like forever. She didn’t respond. So, I texted again.
Me: Please.
I waited some more, still nothing. I tossed my phone onto the seat and pulled out of the parking lot. I decided to stop by the grocery store before heading home to grab a few things. It was going to be a long night if she was ignoring me. I couldn’t blame her if she was. She was probably pissed at me for ignoring her after storming out, but if I didn’t hear back by tomorrow morning, I was going to her.
An hour later, I was unloading the groceries and still hadn’t heard a word. I needed to distract myself, or I would end up calling her over and over, which I didn’t want to do.
Grabbing my phone again, I texted Emerson.
Me: Hey, bro. What’s up?
Of course, he texted back immediately. He was glued to his phone twenty-four seven.
Emerson: Nothing much. How’s it going? Where ya been?
Me: Around. Want to come by tonight?
Emerson: Nah, bro, but you should definitely come out to Tipsy.
Me: I don’t know. I’m not feeling a night out.
Emerson: Come on, don’t be a fuckin’ pussy. It’s been too long.
Me: Ugh. We’ll see, what time?
Emerson: Eight-ish.
Me: All right. Maybe I’ll see ya there.
Emerson: See ya.
I was not looking forward to a night out, but if I hadn’t heard from Jules, I’d need to keep busy until bed. I would have to wait this out until tomorrow morning, and then I could storm over there and demand we chat, well, maybe ask nicely.
5
Jules
Before heading to Taylor’s, I dropped Calum off at Margaret’s, then grabbed my dress, shoes, and makeup. Tossing everything into the back seat, I jumped into the car and took off to start girls’ night early.
Driving up to a set of gates that looked like something out of a movie, they were big and had scrolling metal patterns, I punched in the code Taylor gave me
. It beeped, and they opened right away. Creeping up slowly, I took in my surroundings. The driveway was long, winding, and lined with palm trees. The house came into view, and it was beautiful. It was modern and white with so much glass I could almost see through to the beach on the other side. Throwing the car in park, I stepped out of the car and stood there in awe. It was stunning.
She burst out the front door. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Get in here. I have drinks ready.”
I snapped out of it. “Holy shit, Tays, your home is gorgeous.” She waved me off. “No, seriously, it’s amazing.” I grabbed my stuff from the car and headed up the steps.
“Thanks, bitch.” She smiled. “Now get inside, and I’ll show you the rest while we sip my amazing cocktails.” She slapped my ass as I passed her.
“Yes, ma’am.” We walked inside, and the decor was perfect, from top to bottom. Calum would destroy this place. It was spectacular—a mixture of shabby and chic, the best of both blended perfectly. “Oh my God, can I live here? It’s just like, ugh, I have no words. It looks like something out of a magazine.” I follow her as she headed through the house.
“Thanks, it was the first place I ever bought, so this was a labor of love choosing every piece and finding the perfect spot for it.” We stopped in her kitchen, and she handed me a glass. “Let’s drink. You look like you need it.”
“Um, thanks, whore.” We both laughed. “I do need it, but I didn’t realize I looked like I needed it.”
“Aw, babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, you shit. You always look gorgeous. I always was jealous that you could pull off the messy bun, jeans, and tee without even trying.” She pulled me into her side. “Hashtag jealous.”
Rolling my eyes, I scoffed at her. “I’d rather be able to pull off the stunning, hot look, fuck you very much.”
We both laughed and took another sip of our drinks.
“Let me show you around. The others won’t be here for a few more hours, so we have enough time to chill on the beach if you want.” She knew I was not a fan of the beach. I’d never liked the feeling of sand underfoot. I was a weirdo.
“Sounds good to me. Now show me the rest of this place.”
She took my hand and led the way. We stopped in her room first so I could drop off my stuff since we’d be getting ready in there later on.
“I’m seriously in awe. Your bedroom looks like it’s fit for a princess.” I walked over to what I assumed was her closet and nearly fell over when I opened the doors.
“Bitch, I am a princess.” She laughed, coming up behind me as I opened the closet.
“Holy mother of God, this closet is my dream come true. I’m so not wearing my dress tonight. I’m raiding your clothes and doing a damn fashion show before we choose which one.” I ran my hand along the fabric.
“That’s what I was hoping for, some real girl time. It’s been way too long.”
I turned to smile at her and caught a glimpse of her shoe collection out of the corner of my eye. I dramatically pretended to faint. “Please tell me we still have the same size shoe because I might orgasm right here over all those shoes.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed at me. “Still a nine.”
“Yes!” I shouted and jumped into her arms.
“You’re such a dork. Can we go to the beach now? You can pick a swimsuit from the top drawer over there.” She indicated the tall set of drawers to the right.
I walked over and opened it. I immediately began to salivate over how many suits she had, all organized by color. I grabbed the first green one as that was my favorite color. I held it up. “This one. It’s super cute.”
We both got ready and headed to the beach to lie out and talk for the next couple of hours. By the time we headed inside, it was nearly dinnertime, and the girls would be here in a few. So we both grabbed a shower before getting some drinks ready for the girls’ arrival.
At five on the dot, we opened the door just as Macy, Courtney, and Carley were getting out of what I assumed to be an Uber by the big logo in his windshield.
“Ahhhh. Jules! Bitch, get your ass over here.” Macy squealed as soon as we stepped through the door.
I ran up to them, so excited to hug my girls. It’d been way too long. We had a big group hug, and it felt so good.
“God, I’ve missed you guys.” I pulled back and looked at them. “You all look amazing. How are you?”
“We look amazing? Your ass had a kid, and look at you.” Courtney waved her hand up and down my body like Vanna freaking White.
“The whore probably isn’t eating.” Carley piped in and burst out laughing. “Just kidding. You look fabulous.” Leave it to her to crack jokes, I didn’t think that girl had ever been serious about anything a day in her life.
“Come on in. We have cocktails waiting. Time to get this party started. We can chat on the back patio for a bit before we start getting ready.” Taylor wanted to get her drink on.
We all went into the kitchen and grabbed our drinks before dropping the girls’ bags off in Taylor’s room. We then watched the sunset out back over the ocean with our drinks.
We talked about everything from jobs, to guys, to family and everything in between. I showed off pictures of Calum, and they all got gooey over adorable videos of him doing silly things.
I yawned, and I got the stink eye from all four of them. “All right, ladies, I’m a mama. I need to get this party moving, or I’ll crash and burn before we even get to the bar.”
They laughed and made fun of me, but we all went inside to grab a new drink before starting the grueling process of getting ready. But with Taylor’s closet, it was way more fun since it was like having a whole store at your fingertips.
We all picked one of her outfits, nothing fancy. This was McKinney, not New York. Each of us had some form of denim on but a little sparkle, too. Everyone stood in front of the mirror, and we did each other’s hair and makeup.
“Can I just say that we are looking sexy as fuck? I honestly haven’t felt this good in years. Thanks so much for taking me out tonight. I really needed this.” I smiled at the best friends a girl could ask for. It may have been a long time since we’d all been together, but today I felt like I’d never left.
“Girl, now that you’re back, we can do this all the time. Well, as long as you have a sitter, of course,” Carley said, and everyone laughed, but Taylor gave me a side-eyed glance. We weren’t laughing.
Carley noticed the look on Taylor’s face. “What did I say?” Her face was all scrunched up, wondering what was going on.
“Listen, guys, I—” I took a deep breath. “I'm heading back to California as soon as my mother’s affairs are in order.” I looked down at my hands that I was wringing together in my lap.
They collectively gasped but didn’t say anything.
I looked up to find three shocked faces staring at me. “Can someone please say something?” I wasn’t sure what they could say but something was better than nothing.
Macy was the first to speak. “Are you for real? We just got you back. You can’t leave again. You’ll miss out on all of this.” She looked heartbroken, just how I felt.
“I know, Mace. I just need to get away from the memories of Mama.” I blinked back tears, not wanting to ruin the amazing job Carley had done on my eyes.
Courtney moved in closer to me with a serious expression on her face. “I get your logic; I really do, but having your friends close in a time like this is really important. I’m not saying you don’t have friends out west, but we are your oldest friends. The five of us have been a team for as long as I can remember, and we want to be here for you now, too.” She pulled me in close, and the others came over and joined in.
“I love you guys so much, and I truly appreciate your support.” I kissed all of them on the head and pulled back. “Now can we go out for fuck’s sake? I want to dance and drink my face off. I haven’t been able to do this in forever.”
They whistled and shouted in unison
before we grabbed our bags and headed to the car. I volunteered to drive and figured I would just leave my car overnight since it’s not too far of a drive to my place.
With her phone plugged in, Taylor took control of the music. She went straight to the country jams and started with Sam Hunt. God, I loved that man. We cranked up the sound on Body Like a Back Road while we cruised down the streets of the small town we all grew up in.
It didn’t take us long to arrive at Tipsy Cattle. I dropped them off since it had started to rain. Since I most definitely wouldn’t be driving tonight, I parked in the back before quickly running for it in the drizzle not wanting to ruin my hair.
6
Jules
As soon as I walked through the door, I stopped dead in my tracks. My friends were at a table with all of Hunter’s friends. My heart hammered. As much as I’d been dying to talk to him, I’d been looking forward to tonight more than I realized. Not having my phone to check every five seconds had been my saving grace.
I released the breath I’d been holding in when I didn’t see Hunter with them and started toward their table.
“Holy fucking shit. If it isn’t little Julianne Davis. Where the fuck have you been, girl?” Before I knew it, massive arms were wrapped around me and spinning me around. Emerson Bromfield had been the captain of our high school football team and Hunter’s best friend.
Saved by Him Page 3