One Day

Part 35 - Time Passes

Jacob: I really will start leaving you alone. Sorry if I caused any trouble.

I stare at my phone. I'm conflicted with what is the right thing to do – do I text him back? Just ignore him and hope that this really is the end? I know he texted me so that I would respond otherwise he would have just left things alone. I walk to the bedroom and crawl into bed. I'm still weighing my options as I fall asleep.

I wake the next day and am surprised to see no missed texts from Jacob. Maybe it really is all over.

Time passes too quickly and months go by as my relationship with Jace continues to grow. Another semester of school comes to an end and my brother-in-law opens an outdoor store and asks that I come work for him so I reluctantly quit my rather new job at CVS. I loved my time at CVS but I'm loving my work at Milton's Outdoor even more. Jace and I find a new love together of shooting archery and when I'm not working, you can either find us as the lake or in the archery range.

During the moments that things are going well between us, we can conquer the world together. On the flip side, however, when we fight – we are ruthless. The saying about red-headed tempers couldn't be more of a truth as we fight it out to the bitter end. He's still not been able to fully give me his heart and although January has moved on, changed her phone number and made all the necessary blocks on social media, she still has a piece of his heart that continues to drive a wedge between us. When I'm feeling my lowest, I can't help but question him which results in a nasty fight that always leaves one of us feeling broken. I'm not sure what I expect the outcome to be – I know he's not going to have an epiphany during one of our fights and say, "You are right, babe. I'm going to completely change my heart and things will be different from this moment forward. Your nagging and continuous questioning was what did it for me. Thanks for helping me to see the light." But, I can't stop myself.

By the end of summer, I've settled into a routine at Milton's, prepared my fall school schedule around my work schedule, and am looking forward to graduating in the spring with a degree in English which I'm pretty sure means absolutely nothing to the business world. Every person that asks what I'm going to do with my degree is surprised when I say, "I have no idea." Maybe I'll just work at Milton's the rest of my life...

I'm working the front counter when my phone vibrates next to me. It's a number I don't recognize so I send it to voicemail and return to tagging new inventory. I hear it vibrate again and grab it off the counter to see a new voicemail. Who even leaves voicemails anymore? Why wouldn't they just text me? If it's important they will text me. I put the phone in my pocket and walk to the back to grab more inventory.

I'm loaded down with boot boxes as my phone starts to vibrate again. It's still vibrating when I make it to the front counter so I pull it out and see the same number as before. It must be important.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lay," he says hesitantly. I'd recognize his voice anywhere.

I sigh. "Hey, Jacob." I haven't heard from him in over eight months. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He pauses. I wouldn't say that the last time we talked was on good terms so I'm not sure what to say. "I know you probably don't want to hear from me but I'm home. I moved back."

"Okay...Jacob, I haven't heard from you in months. Did you need something or is something wrong?" I ask because, really, that's the only time I ever hear from him.

"Yeah, actually I do need something," he says with a little more confidence this time. "Could you meet me somewhere? I'd like to talk to you in person."

I drop my head and bring my left hand to my forehead. "You can't just ask me over the phone?"

"No. No I can't."

I sigh. "We close at 8. I could meet you somewhere at 8:30, I guess."

"Great. Meet me at the bridge. I'll be in my truck."

I hang up the phone and stare at it a few moments. What in the world did I just agree to? I slip the phone in my back pocket and finish tagging the boots I had just brought from the back while my mind races. We haven't spoken in so long – why would he need to speak to me now? And in person?

The rest of the evening passes slowly as I continue to question what he could want. It's Saturday so as the time creeps closer to 7:00, the store starts to pick up. Saturday nights are reserved for indoor archery tournaments and are normally one of my favorite nights of the week. I've become really good friends with several of the regulars and spending Saturday nights hanging out with them has become my new norm. I'm in the range prepping for the tournament and check the time on my phone for what seems like the hundredth time.

"Hey, babe." I turn around and watch Jace set his stuff down and make his way to me. "I couldn't find my release anywhere. Do you have it?"

He is notorious for losing stuff. I smile and give him a quick kiss. "Let me check my bag." Most people have already arrived and things pretty much run themselves once they get started so I quickly walk to the front and check my bag finding Jace's release. I round up the few stragglers that are still mingling around the store and remind them that the tournament starts in a few minutes. I walk to the back and give Jace his release.

"I'm not sticking around tonight for the tournament," I say as I watch him practice. He draws his bow and takes a deep breath to relax before removing his thumb from his back tension release. I watch while he holds his position. The arrow quickly releases making a thud when it hits the target along the back wall. He begins to load another arrow.

"Why not?" he asks as he places the nock on the string.

"You can't leave," I hear Tim say behind me. "You are my lucky charm."

Jace laughs. "She's only your lucky charm because she gets your drinks and snacks." Tim laughs along with him.

"Jacob called earlier and said he needs to talk to me in person." I eye Jace for a reaction and am not surprised when he doesn't give one.

"Okay, are you going home afterwards or coming back here? I'd say we will be done by 9:30." He draws his bow back again and takes deep breath before another arrow goes flying, landing just a bit lower than the previous one. I watch as he makes a small adjustment before I answer.

"I'll probably just go home." I say as I check the time on my phone again. "I'm going to go close everything up front." I walk towards Jace and he wraps his free arm around my waist. I whisper so that the others around us can't hear me. "You sure you are okay with me going?"

He smiles and gives me a quick kiss before answering. "Do I have anything to be worried about?"

"Not at all," I answer immediately.

He squeezes me and then kisses my forehead. "Then I'm fine with you going. I'll see you tonight when I get home." He gives me another quick kiss before letting me go and grabbing another arrow. "Love you," he says over his shoulder as he draws his bow again.

"Love you, too," I say as I walk back towards the front. I clean the front desk and ring up the last few customers of the night before closing down the register. I hear my brother-in-law in the back going over the rules and the last instructions as I turn off the lights up front.

I walk to the back and wave bye before I walk out the front door and lock it behind me. My hands are shaking as I make my way to my car and make the short drive to the bridge.

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