EVER SINCE I GOT BACK from the hospital, everyone had been walking on eggshells the entire time as if I’d break. Matt’s name hadn’t been mentioned and it was as if nothing had happened. I hadn’t talked to him since he left the hospital, and it took everything I had not to text him to make sure he was all right.
My head was still sore from where I hit it, but at least my stitches were hidden underneath my hair. I spent one day doped up on pain meds so I could sleep the hours away in preparation for working long hours on the article I had to get done.
When my boss found out what happened, he had two dozen chocolate strawberries delivered to the house and told me to stay put until I was ready to come back. Over the past six years I’d worked for him, I had accrued over four months of vacation and I was told to use at least a month of that.
In other words, I was banned from the Physique building until I used up my month. That month was going to be spent in North Carolina at the Outer Banks while Jace continued on with his filming. It was going to be interesting to watch him be someone else on screen while he worked. There was even the possibility of me being an extra in one of the scenes; although, I had a feeling Jace told me that just so I’d agree to go with him.
However, I couldn’t take any of that vacation until I finished my article. Once my drug-induced high subsided, I worked nonstop on it, only leaving my room when I needed food, just so I could get it done in time. It had been suggested that I not write it considering the sensitive subject matter, but I had never been more ready to write an article in my life. Matt was a great athlete and he worked hard; I wasn’t going to let him down.
As I typed the closing sentence to Matt’s article and saved it, I had one more button to push before it ended up in Bryan’s inbox to be read, edited, and formatted for print.
“Will you stop hovering over that button and push it? I’d like to go out to eat at some point, Shels. We have some celebrating to do,” Jace exclaimed, clapping his hands in hopes it’d make me move faster.
Gazing at him over my computer screen, my eyes went wide and I whistled. “Wow, you’re looking pretty hot tonight. Do you have a special date?” I asked, giving him a wink. Getting back to my usual self was the only way I could get my friends to act normal around me; hence, the joking around.
Dressed in a gray suit along with a blue tie that matched the color of his eyes—and his blond hair in messy spikes—he stood in my doorway with one hand in his jacket pocket and the other one leaning against the frame.
“Yes, but I’ll have to cancel our date if you don’t hurry. You’ve been sitting there staring at your screen for the past hour. Everyone’s waiting on us,” he scolded playfully.
When I told Jace I’d have the article finished by today, he made sure to get our friends together for a big night of celebrating, starting with an amazing dinner at Romera’s. Lexi and I went shopping together and I bought a plum colored, floor-length evening gown with a high neck and open back just for the occasion with a pair of three inch silver heels. Now that Lexi was pregnant she ditched her stilettos for flats and picked out a really cute, flowing black gown that she absolutely radiated in. She had a glow and it looked good on her.
The night was supposed to be for friends and family only, but apparently, Hayley and Josh wanted to join, even though mine and Hayley’s friendship was still unsettled. I was told by both Lexi and Jace that she was trying to make an effort so I had to at least give her the benefit of the doubt, and on top of that, I promised Lexi I would work on fixing things with her sister.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let it out slowly before rising to my feet. If I didn’t stand and make some movement to get away from my laptop, I knew I never would. “Okay, I think I’m ready to do this,” I told him.
Jace strolled over to me and squeezed me around the waist from behind. “You’ve got this, babe. The article is amazing. Now hit the button so we can go.” He kissed me on the cheek and released me. “I’ll get your coat and wait for you in the living room. It’s kind of chilly outside tonight.”
Nodding, I smiled at him, clenching my hand into a fist to keep it from shaking. “Thank you,” I breathed nervously. “I’ll be right there.”
As soon as Jace walked out of my room, I took in another deep breath, clicked on ‘send’ and released it shakily. It was done … finished, and now I had a whole month to myself to ponder the meaning of life. Hopefully, I’d find some answers.
Fetching my purse and cell phone off the bed, I turned off my bedroom light and met Jace out in the living room. “I did it, finally. Now I just hope everyone likes it,” I added, gazing down at my phone.
Jace held out my coat and I slipped my arms inside before following him out to his car. “I’m sure everyone will, including Matt,” he murmured. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to text him and let him know it’s finished. I’m pretty sure he’d like to hear from you.”
“It hasn’t even been a week, Jace. What if it’s too soon to start reaching out to him? I want to make sure he’s had enough time without me complicating things. I don’t want to screw up with him, and who knows, he might not want to hear from me. Maybe he’s moved on already.”
Jace scoffed. “Trust me, that’s not the case. He’ll want to hear from you, especially since the big fight is tomorrow night. He’s going to want your support, even if it’s just a text.”
On the way to the restaurant, I stared at my phone, wondering what the hell I was going to say to him. Should I call or text? With Jace in the car, I decided to go with a text; the coward’s way out.
Me: Hey, I just wanted you to know that I finished the article. I hope you like it. I also wanted to tell you good luck with the fight tomorrow night. Kick his ass for me. #TeamMatt
It was kind of lame and nowhere near what I wanted to tell him, but I didn’t exactly want to type ‘I miss you and I want you to come back to me’ just yet. He didn’t need the pressure.
I didn’t expect a reply back from him, but he sent me one almost immediately. I read it over and over the whole car ride to Romero’s.
Matt: Thank you, angel. I have two seats reserved for you just in case you want to come. If not, I understand. Just know that this fight is for me and you. I won’t let you down.
“Jace, what time do our flights leave tomorrow?” I asked curiously.
“Uh … I think two o’clock,” he noted unsurely. “I’d have to look at the tickets again.” He drove us up to the valet attendant and one of the drivers helped me out of the car while another gave Jace a ticket and took off with his vehicle.
“Why did you want to know what time we’re leaving tomorrow?” he asked, furrowing his brows. “You do still want to go, don’t you?”
Holding out his arm, I linked mine through his and he ushered me into the restaurant. “Jace, I do want to go more than anything, but I was wondering if maybe we could get a later flight? Do you think that’s possible?”
Before we got to our table where everyone was already seated, he pulled me to a stop and sighed, his gaze melancholy but understanding. “I’m pretty sure I can get us a later flight,” he assured me, “but you know I have to be back in North Carolina by early afternoon. I can probably get us a flight late tomorrow night, but it’ll be pushing it if you want to do what I think you want to do.”
With a sad smile, I nodded. “I have to, Jace. I want to be there for him. Even if I don’t speak to him, I at least want him to know I was there supporting him. Also, Kyle needs to see that I’m there, too.”
Jace took my arm again and grinned. “That he does, but right now tonight is all about you. Next week, you’re going to be lying on the beach in Nags Head, North Carolina with not a care in the world. It’ll be good for you, I promise.”
It would be good for me, but I knew something that would make it better. Wishful thinking was all it was.