Maddy
“That boy, Jason, climbed into your daughter’s window last night,” Daddy announced over breakfast, earning a giggle from Annabelle and a worried glance from my mom.
My parents knew how hard it had been for me to leave, and Mom understood more than anyone how much I’d loved him, how much I still loved him.
The day I found out he was engaged to Jane, I called my mom, sobbing.
The day of their wedding, I had a bottle of wine and Netflix for companions, only to find out that the wedding was off.
Bittersweet was how that felt. I was sad that he was probably upset, but happy for myself. Even though I knew I’d messed up too much with Jason, I still felt like I had hope.
I shook myself from my memories. And after last night, I had more than just hope.
I had a real reason to think things could be different between us again.
I had the whole weekend off and a whole lot of time to think about what that meant for both of us.
I ignored my parents and helped Annabelle get dressed and ready for the day. A knock sounded on the door shortly after.
“Officer Caro,” Daddy snorted. “Come on in. You want some coffee?”
Jason’s green eyes latched onto mine with such intensity, it felt as if our lips were already touching as we breathed each other in.
“No, I was just coming to pick up Maddy.”
He held out his hand.
A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I took it and left the house with a kiss to my dad and a wave to my mom and Annabelle.
“Your dad…” Jason shuddered as he walked me toward his house, “…still terrifying.”
“He’s harmless.” I rolled my eyes.
Jason just stared me down. “The man’s tried to shoot me twice, hardly harmless.”
“Protective?” I offered.
“A little.” Jason snorted. “All right, I think I have everything ready to go.”
I frowned, “Everything?”
“Yeah…” He looked suddenly uncomfortable, “…and before you say anything, know that this is Max’s idea. He thinks it’s going to help us get over the whole you-leaving thing, me being pissed, and all of that.” Jason chewed his lip, apparently nervous, as we walked into the house. “He said to just bring you here and get over it.”
Food had been placed buffet-style in the kitchen, and everyone was gathered around the TV.
Max pressed play.
I sucked in a breath as Jason and I appeared on screen, he in his graduation gown, me, in mine.
People were walking around us, celebrating our accomplishment of finishing twelve years of school. But not everyone.
No, Jason was busy getting down on one knee.
One by one, people quieted, until he had the attention of most the senior class. With a confident grin, he said the words I’ll never forget.
“Maddy, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. You’re it for me. Please, say yes. Say you’ll be my forever. Marry me?”
My smile was forced.
My fingers shook as I let him put the ring on my left hand as I nodded and pulled him in for a kiss, because I didn’t trust my mouth to form the word, “yes,” when my heart was screaming. “no, not yet!”
People cheered.
And I started to cry.
People probably assumed they were tears of joy.
They’d been tears of fear, tears of dread.
Tears of absolute heartbreak.
And then the whispers started; the video picked them up. Whispers about getting knocked up, divorce bets, cheating bets, and laughter about the local girl never making anything of herself. “Knew she’d be stuck here the day she got into NYU.”
The room was silent around us… extremely uncomfortable, but somehow necessary.
Jason gripped the edge of the table he was leaning on so hard his fingers turned white. “I never watched it.”
“What?” I had to have heard him wrong. “You never watched the proposal?”
He shook his head. “Too painful… and now I really wish I would have.”
My chest ached as Max slowly rose from the couch, followed by everyone else. Noises of them grabbing food and talking in hushed tones suddenly filled the very small living room.
I needed to sit.
Jason didn’t move.
I hugged a couch cushion to my chest and waited.
He exhaled slowly and then turned his glare to me. “You weren’t even excited.”
I opened my mouth to speak.
He just shook his head. “Those weren’t tears of joy, Maddy. I mean, what the hell? Why even date me? Why stick with me so long? Make me think you loved me and then pull that shit?”
“Ja-son—” I choked on his name, my tongue suddenly heavy, “—you know why. I wasn’t ready. We weren’t ready. I was so afraid, so damn scared I’d resent you eventually, or you’d resent me. I just… I know you saw us as an adventure — you said so last night — but when I saw our path, it was so uncertain, I just panicked! Plus, didn’t you hear them? All of the people whispering about us? I didn’t want us to become a statistic. I was young, stupid!”
“You didn’t trust us.” He sighed. “You didn’t trust me.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks as I confessed, “I knew Levi was leaving the next day for the city. I was sure that he wouldn’t say anything to anyone — especially you.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that?”
“Because he was jealous of you, all right? He always had been. You had everything he wanted. He was backup quarterback, never really had a girlfriend, and here you are, the golden boy. It was one thing he could take from you, so I let him. And he did.”
The room was silent.
Jason nodded then grabbed a pair of keys and slammed the front door behind him.
Tears welled in my eyes as Max, Colt, Reid, and their wives, all came back into the room.
Becca hit Max with a pillow, followed by popcorn, Twizzlers, and, from Colt, almonds.
“Stop!” Max grabbed one of the thrown pieces of licorice and shoved it in his mouth. “Well, that went worse than I thought it would, but he needs to get the hell over it. He’s a grown-ass man. So, man up!”
“It’s not that easy,” I admitted.
“Love never is,” Max fired back. “You think it was easy trying to land someone like this?” He pointed to Becca, and she beamed. “You think it’s easy when I doubt myself every day why she hangs around my brand of crazy? And I mean, most days, the only reasons I have are my bank account, perfect body, face, and giant—”
“What Max is saying,” Becca interrupted smoothly, “is that love tests us all. You have to decide what you want. Do you want closure? Do you want his forgiveness? Or do you want him back?”
“Option C” Max mouthed.
I smiled down at my hands. “I want him back.”
They erupted into cheers.
Milo stared me down. “Hurt him again, and I’m telling your parents about the night you snuck out and had sex in the tree house.”
I gasped.
Max nodded with a wink. “Get it, girl.”
“Do it,” I leaned back, “and I’ll just tell Colt about the time you saw him naked in the locker room and took a picture.”
“Nice.” Max held up his hand for a high-five.
Colt batted his hand away. “You had a naked picture of me?”
“It was for Human Anatomy class!” Milo said with red cheeks then narrowed her eyes at me. “Senior year, homecoming, when you and Jason snuck into the faculty room, and then the principal’s office, stripped in front of his desk and—”
“Candy anyone?” I held out a bowl of M&Ms and nodded to her. “You have my word.”
She grinned and dusted off her hands while Colt pulled her in for a kiss. “You’re evil.”
“I know.” Milo sighed happily.