“I am a little.”
“Don’t be. Your resume is very impressive for a new grad and I would love another woman in this workplace, which is why I called.”
My eyes widen. Is she going to offer me a job?
“I’m hoping you’ll consider working with Young Construction. We’re a smaller company, but I have big plans for the next year, and I think you’d be a great addition to the team.”
“Oh, wow,” I say.
“We have been outsourcing many of our architectural and engineering needs, and it’s time to officially have our own on staff. I have the formal job listing typed up and can email it to you if you’re interested.”
“Yes,” I say, trying not to sound too eager. “I am very interested.”
“Great. I will have Rachel send it right over along with some information about salary and benefits. I look forward to hearing back from you, Nora.”
“Thank you,” I say and hang up, immediately going to my email. In my mind, Rachel had the information already written up and was waiting with the mouse hovering over ‘send’ the entire time Karen was on the phone. Two minutes and no new emails later, I know that wasn’t the case.
“Holy shit. I got offered a job,” I tell Binx. He’s sleeping by the window and doesn’t open his eyes. My first instinct is to call Jack and tell him the good news. I press his name on my phone and wait.
My call goes to voicemail after two rings. Did he hang up on me? I stare at the phone. He did by accident. He’s going to call back any minute now.
Only he doesn’t.
Not a minute later.
Not two.
Or three.
My email alert sounds on my phone, and I shake myself and open my emails. Rachel sent over the job description. I scan through it, too impatient to read the whole thing. I miss too much and have to go back and scan it again, only to run into the same exact problem.
Third time’s a charm, and I read through it at a normal speed. I’d be a manager and would start out on the lower end of the pay scale for new grads, but it’s more than what I’d make as an intern. The benefits are good, though, and the health insurance is actually affordable.
I’m going to accept. I call Karen back and get her voicemail, telling me she’s out of the office and won’t be back until the morning. Before I can call Stephanie, Becca comes out of the bathroom, asking why I didn’t wash my face yet. I need to let the moisturizer sink in before she can do my makeup. I set my phone done, mind whirling, and go into the bathroom to wash my face.
“I got offered a job in Dale Hollow,” I tell her, rubbing the cream into my skin.
Becca leans out of her doorway. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No. Doug arranged an interview for me at a construction company. The owner retired, and his daughter took over. She called while you were in the shower and offered me a job.”
Becca blinks, and I know she’s sad at the thought of me leaving. Then she smiles. “That’s amazing, Nora. You took the offer, right?”
“I haven’t yet, but only because the owner is out of the office now.” I frown. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“I don’t want to leave you either, but…” She bites her lip. “I’ve been thinking about going back to L.A. My heart is in acting and I want to give it one more shot. My dad’s going to start working for the CW and there will be lots of open doors from there.”
We stare at each other, realizing we’re both at a crossroad. It’s exciting and sad at the same time.
“No matter where we end up, we’ll still be friends,” I assure her. “And L.A. is closer to Dale Hollow than Berkeley is.”
“That’s true.”
I grab Becca’s makeup bag and sit in our small kitchen, waiting for her. She lays everything out on the counter and starts working on my face.
Half an hour later, I look amazing. I carefully curl my hair while she gets ready, and by the time Liam gets here, we’re running late.
And Jack hasn’t called me back. Something terrible happened, one way or another. Either he’s pushing me away again, or something actually happened to him. If I don’t hear from him by the end of the night, I’m calling Veronica to make sure Jack is at least okay.
The tacos are good, and I enjoy being out with my friends. It’s loud in the restaurant, and I obsessively check my phone. Becca orders a pitcher of margaritas, and when I pour a glass for myself, she calls me out.
“What the hell is going on? You’re picking at your food, you’ve hardly talked, and now you’re drinking?”
I bring the drink to my lips and take a few big sips. It’s strawberry, and oh so good. My eyes fall shut, forcing back tears. I take another big drink and look at my friends.
“History is about to repeat itself.”
Chapter 43
Nora
I’m drunk.
For the second time in my life, my head swims in a sea of alcohol, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why I haven’t done this more often. I’ve only had half a margarita, and the effects of the alcohol would probably go away if I had something more in my stomach than a few spoonfuls of vegan cookie dough.
But I don’t want it to.
“What are you talking about?” Becca’s hazel eyes reflect her concern.
“Nothing.” I finish my drink and force a smile. “This is really good.” I go to refill my glass and Liam stops me.
“You don’t drink. This has a lot of tequila in it. Eat something before you get sick.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” I pick up my spicy ranch taco.
“I think I’m going to break up with Ray,” Becca says.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Liam sticks a straw in his margarita.
“Yeah.” Becca nods. “I like him, but there’s no spark.” Her eyes go to me. “I want that crazy, I-still-love-you-four-years-later kind of relationship like you have.” She smiles. “I want a soulmate.”
I divert my eyes. Jack is my soulmate, but am I his?
“That’s the dream,” Liam agrees. “When are you going to break the news to him?”
“I’m not sure. He’s going camping with his brother this weekend, so I’ll probably wait. I don’t want to ruin the trip or anything.”
“But you could be keeping him from hooking up.”
“Dammit. Now I don’t know what to do.”
I trade my taco for a cheese enchilada. The spice was just a little too much for me. I eat half of it and pour myself another margarita. Liam gives me a sideways look but doesn’t say anything. We finish dinner and walk back to the apartment. Jack hasn’t called, no surprise there.
“Time to fess up,” Becca says the moment I walk through the door. “What the hell is going on, Nora? You’re freaking me out.”
“Me too.” Liam shuts the door behind him. “What’s wrong? You said history is going to repeat itself.”
“Jack.” The one word brings up a maelstrom of emotions.
“What happened?” Becca asks.
“Every time we get close, he pushes me away, and I think it’s happening again. I can’t go through this.” I break, and Becca throws her arms around me.
“Come here,” she urges, and we sit on the couch with her on one side and Liam on the other. “Why do you think he’s pushing you away?”
I wipe my eyes. “He thinks I should intern up here again instead of moving home. I haven’t heard from him all day. I keep thinking of reasons why he hasn’t—”
“Don’t make excuses for him,” Liam interrupts. “He has commitment issues. You do not want to mess around with guys like that. Trust me.”
“He does, but he’s not afraid of committing to me. He has issues with me committing to him.”
“What kind of bullshit baggage does he have?”
I reach for Becca’s iPad on the coffee table. “Jack’s baggage isn’t bullshit.” I enter his name in a Google search and pull up an article from years ago about the shooting. I give the tablet to Liam.
/>
“Oh my God,” he says as he reads. “Were you there?”
“No. It happened at the end of his sophomore year, and I met him the beginning of his senior.”
“He got shot? And then shot the shooter and saved a gym full of students?”
“Yes, but the article doesn’t tell you Jason—the shooter—was Jack’s childhood best friend.” The heartbreak catches up to me and my eyes fill with tears again. “He has no idea why Jason did it, or how he was able to pull the trigger on him so easily. He told me Jason looked him right in the eyes and showed no remorse before he shot him.”
“I can’t even imagine. God, his best friend? I feel sick. I am so sorry.”
“I don’t know what to do. I love him, and I want to be there for him, but I don’t know if I can survive going through this over and over. How do I help him when he won’t let me in?”
Becca puts her arm around me, pulling me to her. I crumble and start crying again, heart hurting for Jack more than myself. Someone knocks on the door.
“Oh, fuck,” Becca says. “Ray said he might stop by and I spaced.” She rests her hand on my back. “Can you tell him now’s not a good time?” she asks Liam.
“Of course.” Liam gets off the couch and goes to the door. I hear the chain lock swing against the frame. The door is behind me, thank God. I’m not up for seeing Ray right now.
“I don’t want to give up on him,” I say hoarsely. “Should I go to him?”
“Becs,” Liam calls.
Becca twists, looking over her shoulder. “It’s not a good—” She cuts off, and I can feel her body tense. “No, you don’t have to go to him. He came to you.”
“What?” I sit up, turning so fast I almost fall off the couch. Jack is standing in the doorway, face strained. I stare at him, heart beating so fast it might explode.
“Nora?” he whispers.
My hand flies to my mouth and I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. Becca gets up, going to Liam.
“We’re going to get out of here.” She grabs her shoes and purse and tugs on Liam’s arm. They leave and Jack steps in, closing the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I go around the couch, stopping a few feet from him.
“I came to see you.”
“Why?”
“I realized you were right. The light and dark need each other to exist. But I don’t just need you. I love you. With everything inside of me, I love you.”
Nerves prickle down my spine. “But you pushed me away again.”
“I know. And as soon as I realized it, I got in the Jeep and drove. I didn’t bring my phone or my wallet that has my license in it, and I got pulled over for speeding. I had to pull the my dad’s a cop card.”
I sniffle and smile. “I’m sure he loved that.”
“He’ll bring it up every chance he gets.” Jack takes a tentative step toward me. “Nora, I love you. I don’t want to live a single day without you in my life. I thought letting you go was for your own good, but what good is having half a heart?”
I’m choking up again, but this time not from sadness. He holds out his hand and I take it. The second our fingers interlace, I feel better. He pulls me to him, holding me tight against his chest. I slip my hand under his shirt, gently feeling his scar.
“Nora?” He loosens his grip and looks down at me. “Free fall with me?”
I smile. “Yes.”
Chapter 44
Jack
“So this is Binx.”
“Isn’t he pretty?”
I hold my hand out for the cat to rub against. “He’s fat.”
Nora playfully swats at me. “He might hear you! You’ll hurt his feelings.”
I laugh. “I can’t even make fun of you because I’ve said the same about Charlie.” We’re in Nora’s bed and just got done having make-up sex. I’m pretty sure her roommates came home halfway through, but we didn’t let that stop us. The door was closed and it’s not like they’d care anyway.
“Was he in here the whole time?”
“Probably. He’s pretty quiet and likes to sleep under my bed.” Nora snuggles closer, head resting on my chest. She’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. “What happened?” she asks gently. “After I left.”
“I missed you like crazy, went for a run, and worked. I was fighting with myself the whole time. Out of all the fights I’ve been in, the ones with myself are the hardest.”
“You know your own moves.”
“Yeah, and every time I thought I had it figured out, something else would come up.”
“How’d you win?”
I smile. She’s right. I did win this one. “I was up until four-thirty working on the fucking cover. I let Charlie out and looked up at the stars. It hit me: you were right. I passed out, woke up around eleven and left.
“So you weren’t ignoring my calls?”
“No. I’d already made it an hour and a half before I realized I didn’t have my phone. Or wallet. Luckily I had cash in the glovebox or I wouldn’t have been able to get gas.” I kiss her forehead. “I had to get to you.”
“I was so scared you were pushing me away again.”
“Never again.” I brush her hair back. “I promise.”
“I believe you.” She pushes herself up and the blankets fall off her breasts. “I have something kind of exciting to tell you.”
“Really?” Street lights outside illuminate her face. We’re three stories up and the noise from the street below filters in through her open window.
“I got another job offer.” She bites her lip, smiling. “At Young Construction in Dale Hollow.”
* * *
“Guys, this is Jack. Jack, this is Liam and Becca.”
“Hi.” Becca smiles. “I feel like I should hate you. Just a little.”
“That’s fair,” I say. I’m sitting on the couch with Nora. She ordered me a pizza and now is introducing me to her friends.
“But Nora is happy again, so you get a pass.” Becca looks at Nora. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Nora smiles. “It is.”
“Good. We are going to go out for drinks. You two are welcome to join us.”
“I think we’re good staying here.”
“That’s what I thought. I guess I’ll see you in the morning?”
“I’ll still be here,” I answer. “It was nice to meet you guys.” I pick up another slice of pizza once Liam and Becca leave. “Your friends are nice.”
“They are.” Nora rests her head on my shoulder. “Do you need to use my phone to call and have someone take care of Charlie?”
“I talked to my dad a few hours ago when I got pulled over, I told him to go get Charlie. But I do want to check on him.”
Nora laughs and moves Binx away from the pizza box for the third time. He’s worse than Charlie with trying to steal food.
“What do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” I answer. “When are you coming back to Dale Hollow?”
“As soon as I can. I need to talk to my boss at the coffee shop and figure out what to do here. Becca and I pay monthly, so we don’t have to worry about a contract or anything, but I can’t leave her with my portion of the rent.”
“Right. It sucks being an adult sometimes, doesn’t it?”
“It really does. I want to go home with you tonight. I miss the cabin.”
“I do too,” I admit. “Though it is nice seeing how you lived before.”
“It’s nothing fancy, but it worked.”
“It’s very you. I like it.” I finish my pizza, wipe off my hands, and take a drink of water. “When you do come back, where are you going to live?”
“I don’t know. I want to live with you and part of me thinks it’s too soon to move in together but at the same time I’ve loved you since I was sixteen. Do the years apart count against us?”
“I don’t know either. Maybe…maybe we should stop doing what we think we should do and do what we want this time around.”
<
br /> “I like that idea.” She stretches out, yawning. “Are you tired?”
“Yeah. I can tell you are.”
“I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night, and well, you always wear me out.” She smirks. “You didn’t bring the cock ring, did you?”
I laugh. “I left my phone and wallet but brought the cock ring.”
“Priorities, Jack.” She laughs too. We put the leftover pizza in the fridge, take a shower, and get into Nora’s bed.
“I love you, Nora.”
“I love you too, Jack.”
* * *
“Hello, random customer I do not know.” Nora smiles, leaning over the counter for a quick kiss. It’s ten AM and after waking up at five-thirty with Nora—then falling back asleep for another two hours—I had breakfast with Becca, which wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be. She’s a good friend to Nora, and that’s what matters in the end. I hung around the apartment for a while, staying in Nora’s room watching Netflix on her laptop.
“Hey, babe. Did you talk to your boss?”
“Yes,” she says, and I can already tell she got good news by the way her eyes light up. “He can take me off the schedule by the end of the week. I already called Karen and told her I accept her offer.”
Things are falling into place. Again. How they should be. This time I won’t let them fall apart.
“That’s great.”
“Stephanie and Doug are going to be so happy when I tell them.”
“You haven’t yet?”
“No, I wanted to get all the details first. It’s more fun that way.”
I smile. “Yeah, it is.” I order a coffee and sit at a table by the window, waiting for Nora to go on break. She said she takes it around ten, but the exact time varies depending on how busy they are at the time.
Once she’s able to leave, we go outside. Before Nora eats lunch, she calls Stephanie, putting the call on speaker so I can share in the excitement.
“Hey, honey,” Stephanie says when she answers. “I was just about to call you.”
“My psychic powers are working again.” Nora holds the phone between us.
Small town romance boxed set Page 66