Claire

I watch him walk away, and all I can think is, at least this time I’m awake. At least this time I see it coming. At least this time, I know Jaxon is leaving me behind.

Running my fingertips across my cheeks, I take a deep breath. Let it out slowly before squaring my shoulders and turning toward my sister and her tight cluster of simpering bridesmaids.

“What are you doing?” Bri says, her finger pointed down the crowded sidewalk. “You’re just going to let him get away?”

“Bri—” I’m tired. I’m done. I want to go home.

“Seriously?” She drops her hand, eyes wide. “Go after him. I didn’t cancel the limo reservation that we’ve had for months and steal Dad’s credit card to book Jaxon Bennett at the last minute so I could watch you get your heart broken, all over again.”

“You—” I stare at her, not sure I heard her correctly. “You did what? Why? Why would you do that?” Behind her, her friends watch the drama unfold. Tonight’s been straight out of a Tele Novella—so insane, it borders on the ridiculous.

Bri reaches for me. Grabbing me by the arm, she shoves me in the direction Jaxon went. “I’ll explain later. Right now you need to—”

“No.” I plant my feet and shake my head. I’m tired of letting my sister push me around. “You’ll explain now.”

She rolls her eyes, like what I’m asking for is a waste of time. “A friend of Kyle’s booked Jaxon as a driver last weekend and wouldn’t stop raving about how great he was—how he could get his clients into VIP and the best tables at any restaurant in Chicago, so I asked for his name to see if I could snag a last minute booking. Sure enough, when I checked the website, there he was.”

“I don’t understand...” I feel dumb. Like I’m having a hard time putting it all together. “Why?”

“Why?” She looks at me like I’m stupid. “Because I want you to be happy and he’s the only—”she stops talking, her shoulders slumping forward for a just a second before standing up straight. “Nope.” She shakes her head again. “This isn’t happening again.” She looks over my shoulder at the driver Jaxon called to replace him. “Do you know where Jaxon lives?” He must’ve nodded his head because Bri smiles. “Good. Take her there,” she says, giving me a hard nudge in his direction.

“Uhhh, no.”

I turn around to find a guy, blond hair, dark eyes, wearing a suit very similar to Jaxon’s, standing behind me. He shakes his head, splitting a look between me and Bri. “I’m not taking a woman I don’t know to my friend’s house. That’s not happening.”

Before I can say a word, Bri advances on him, reaching out to drill a manicured finger into his chest. “You’re going to take her,” she says, head tipped up to glare at him with narrowed eyes. “Because tomorrow morning, when you take Jaxon his car, you’re going to hand him the keys and say, that crazy bitch wanted me to drive her sister to your house—can’t you believe that shit? And then he’s going to know that she tried to come after him and that you wouldn’t help her—and then he’s going to be pissed. At you.” She punctuated the last two words with a couple of finger jabs before dropping her hand. “Jaxon Bennett doesn’t strike me as someone you want to piss off.”

The guy alternates a look between me and Bri, seemingly weighing her words against what he knows about his friend. Finally, he looks at me and sighs.

“Get in.”

 

Twenty minutes later, I’m standing on the front porch of a small, two-story row house in a quiet neighborhood, a lot like the one they used to live in years ago. The tiny front yard is well tended with what looks like a newly planted tree standing sentry over a cobblestone walk, all of it surrounded by a white picket fence.

I raise my fist to knock but stall out before I can make a sound, letting my hand drop to my side. Suddenly, I don’t know what to do. He left me, twice. At what point am I finally going to let him go?

As soon as the thought takes root, I cut it down. My mother left me behind. My sister left me behind. Jaxon. I’m tired of watching people walk away. I deserve more than that.

I know why he left me—then and now. Yes, he left Gailena and joined the military, to make sure Simon would get the medical care that he needs, but he left me because he didn’t think I’d want him if I knew the truth.

I came to tell him he’s wrong. He’s wrong now, and he was wrong five-years ago. Mind made up, I raise my fist again, coming to within a breath of knocking when the door is pulled open, and I’m face-to-face with Jaxon’s mother.

“Oh.” she jerks back, wide eyes aimed at me for just a second before she goes completely pale. “Claire?” Mrs. Bennett breathes my name softly, and it sounds like a prayer. “Ohmygod,” she says in a rush before pulling me into her arms. “You’re here.” Her arms tighten around me for a moment, hands pressed against my back before she pulls away to look at me. “I thought I was going to have to go looking for you...” She pushes me back onto the porch before closing the door behind her. “He said he told you about—” She stops talking. “I know he hurt you, Claire but he was so... worried that you wouldn’t understand that he convinced himself that you’d reject him. Reject Simon.”

“I know.” I nod, my hands coming up to grip her arms. “I understand.”

And I do understand. But understanding why doesn’t make it hurt any less.

She looks at me, her eyes roving over my face before she aims her gaze directly at mine. “Simon still talks about you, he misses you. We all do.” She smiles at me. Loosening her grip on me before stepping to the side, she pushes the door open. Even from here I can hear the faint whir of a blender. “He’s in the kitchen.” She gives me a quick kiss on my cheek before she hurries down the walk.