Split Love

CHAPTER 14

TUESDAY, December 25, 2018

Christmas morning was perfect. It was snowing. The smell of gingerbread mixed with eggnog was in the air all over town.
The Davenport household was no different. Uncle Richard was in town for the holidays and everyone was up early to exchange gifts.

Jamie as a Christmas lover was excited.

Davina, Mrs. Henry, Marta, and Peter would gather at the house with them for lunch. So Debra was making a big turkey and Jamie was making an apple pie.

- You should have come to the winter festival.

- I know, but I couldn't get a break from the department. - Uncle Richard was sitting at the dining table cutting lemon slices.

- From the department or your girlfriend?- Jamie wiggled her eyebrows.

- Jamie, left Richard alone. - Debra could be busy with something but she didn't stop following the conversation between the two.

- What? I just asked a question. - She laughed.

- There is no one, J.

- I think there is, and you don't wanna... - The sound of Jamie's cell phone ringing coming from her room stopped her gabbling. She waited for one more ring before excusing herself and going upstairs.

A missed call notice from Jordan was on the screen. Jamie clicked on his name to return the call but a text message arrived, making her end the call.

"I'll be there in 5."

Jordan always showed up on Christmas Day, but Jasmine didn't know if that year would be like the others, after all, now everything was over for good. But after the two talked and decided they would be friends, Jamie was happy. She knew Jordan well enough to know that if he agreed to be friends, they really would be friends.

Jordan never forced a situation, and Jamie had always loved that about the boy.

"Okay :)"

Jamie took advantage of the moment of distraction and logged onto her Instagram. She slowly went down the steps, one by one, as she scrolled down her homepage looking at the Christmas pictures that some friends had posted.

At the same tortoise pace, heedless of her surroundings, Jamie walked to the entryway to wait for Jordan by the door.

- I'm sure she's been seeing that man. - Her grandmother's speech caught Jamie's attention, who even scrolling through the Instagram feed, was no longer paying attention to what she saw. Her ears were attuned to the near whispers coming from the kitchen.

- At some point, she needs to find someone, Debra. Or do you think Jordan will come back?

- I wanted.

- But it won't happen. I looked it up, he's moving on in Hartford. I trust her and you should too.

- I did, Richard. I did as you said and didn't say anything, but Toddy saw her get into a strange car.

- What car?

- He couldn't say which car it was or the license plate, but it was a black SUV. Nobody in Willow Creek has a black SUV. - Jamie remembered the month before when Micah had appeared at the library door and she'd gotten him a coffee from the Diner. She knew Toddy had seen who she was with, but she never imagined he would tell Debra.

- You need to trust her, Debra. You raised her, don't you trust your own work? - Richard flared up and Jamie could hear Debra shushing him.

Jamie moved millimetrically to be closer to the wooden arch of the door that gave access to the corridor that connected the kitchen to the living room.