Chapter Nine

 

My stomach was in knots all weekend, wondering what Greg was going to do after he was questioned by Carter.

Monday morning, I got up, headed to the grocery store, and planned on trying to enjoy my day off. Culinary school started that night, so I took off to relax, but that was before Carter told me his plans. I wasn’t relaxed at all.

The store was calming, my usual place of solitude. I could lose myself, or whatever stress I had going on, in the aisles, just browsing through all the ingredients, dreaming of dishes for my clients.

I’d finally decided that it was best to walk away from both Greg and Carter. If Greg wanted to retaliate against me for something I didn’t have anything to do with—well, there was nothing I could do to stop him. If Carter wanted to believe he knew everything about everybody, then I couldn’t stop him, either.

It was a mistake moving on so quickly, I’d known it then, and I certainly knew it now. I was taking my six months, maybe even a year. I would finish school, work on building my business, and focus on myself.

“Is this kale?” I turned to see Carter standing at the produce section with collard greens in his hand.

He caught me off-guard, but he was so handsome, his smile so kind, it was hard to avoid smiling back. “No,” I said, taking it from him, and replacing it where it belonged.

I grabbed the kale, placed it in his cart, and noticed he had two steaks, a bottle of wine, and sea salt. My stomach churned at the thought of him moving on so quickly, already planning a special dinner for someone new. That took an entire minute.

“Thanks,” he said.

My jealousy and pain inched up from the deep pit where I’d stuffed it as I smiled, and started to walk away.

“Wait,” he said, reaching towards my arm.

When his hand gripped my elbow, a spark ignited and sent familiar feelings between my legs. I hated that he still got to me.

His eyes were wide and filled with kindness as he stared at me. “I just wanted you to know I didn’t bring Greg in. You’re right; there’s no reason to stir anything up,” he said. I was shocked. “I just thought you should know. So you didn’t have to worry,” he added with a smile, and then walked away.

Why did I sleep with him that night? Why did I go there drunk? If only I’d taken Carrie’s advice, and found someone new that night, a one-night stand, I wouldn’t have this painful ache in my heart right now.

I left my cart and headed to my car. Tears were already forming in my eyes, and I knew I couldn’t hold it together if he spoke to me again. I missed him terribly, more than I’d ever missed Greg. Greg!

I stopped in my tracks as I exited the store, spotting Greg sitting in his truck near my car. My heart raced as I wondered if maybe Carter lied to me, that he in fact had called Greg into the station and didn’t want to admit he was wrong. No, he wouldn’t do that. If anything, Carter was an honest man, a good man.

Why was he there, sitting in his truck, acting shady, and so close to my car?

Part of me wanted to go back inside and grab Carter, ask him for help. No, I couldn’t handle seeing him, and I certainly didn’t need him playing my knight in shining armor while trying to get over him.

I took a deep breath, told myself I was being silly. It was a coincidence. The parking lot was full; it was a local store where Greg shopped too, and maybe he hadn’t even noticed my car.

My fingers fumbled with my key in the door lock, not wanting to hit the unlock button and cause Greg to look up and notice me. I slid inside, peered through my rearview mirror, and didn’t notice Greg paying any attention to me.

Relief fell over me as I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards home.

At the first stop light, I noticed Greg’s truck behind me a few cars back. I watched carefully as he took every turn I took. I reached for my phone, dialed Carter, but got his voice mail.

I started to panic as I pulled onto my street, and Greg’s truck followed. As I pulled into the driveway, I half-expected Greg to drive on by, but instead, he blocked my drive and got out of his truck.

I dialed Carter again, still no answer. Greg tapped on my window. “Get out of the car,” he said calmly.

My phone was still clutched in my hand, squeezing so hard it was leaving an impression on my skin. “What do you want?” I asked through the rolled up car window.

“You’re being ridiculous. I left something, and I need it,” he said.

He did seem calm. And as I sat there in my driveway with my car doors locked, my windows up, and frantically clenching my phone on which I’d dialed Carter twice, I felt ridiculous.

“What did you leave?” I asked.

“Seriously?” he asked with a chuckle. “It’s my grandmother’s quilt,” he said calmly.

I remembered seeing it in the top of the closet, so I was beginning to feel even more ridiculous.

“You’re really overreacting, don’t you think?” he asked with a smile.

I opened the car door, still clutching my phone in my hand. “I’ll grab it for you,” I said quickly.

“There are a couple other things I need to grab in the closet, and something in the laundry room,” he said.

“I can get e’m,” I said sternly.

“No. I can get them myself. What are you worried about?” he laughed.

His calmness and constant need to make me feel foolish for being protective had me rattled. I agreed, called Carter one more time, still no answer, and then called Carrie as I opened my front door.

“Sorry I didn’t call you back. Greg was following me and stopped here to grab a few things from the house. I just wanted to let you know as soon as I’m done here, I’ll be right over,” I said to a confused Carrie on the other end of my phone.

“Stay on the phone,” she demanded.

Greg didn’t appear violent or angry. He disappeared into my bedroom, and I knew I needed to keep an eye on him. “I’ll leave the phone on, but don’t talk. I have to pretend like we hung up,” I said, quickly stuffing my phone into my jacket.