"FUCK!" Just as I exploded into the condom, I noticed Jen standing in the doorway. With the look of horror, she covered her mouth and then rushed out. Shoving Nicole forward, I reached down to pull up my jeans. "Jen wait!"
"You fucking lied to me!" I growled at Nicole, who was lying on her side, laughing.
"Awwwww, did I forget to mention that she was on her way home?" Her snarky laughter filled the room as I struggled to get my pants up and almost fell, rushing down the narrow hallway to chase behind Jennifer. I made it out just in time to see her car darting out of the parking.
I got in my truck and felt my whole body tense up, again. My chest actually hurt and I knew that the feelings I had been having lately, were my biggest fear. 'FUCK!! Where would she go?' My immediate thought was Luke. She went to Luke. I pulled out my phone and dialed Shayla. The instant she answered, I started making demands.
"I need Luke's address, now."
"Ok, I'll call you back in just a minute."
Panic set in because I knew that I fucked up so badly. How could she ever forgive me? Shayla rang me back with the address and I disconnected the call, starting the GPS. The drive to Luke's place was short and when I arrived, I didn't see her car. After sitting in my truck for a few minutes, I got out and l knocked on the door. Luke answered the door and I immediately realized he was all dressed up.
"Jared, hi. This is a surprise." He looked completely confused as to why I was there.
"Have you heard from Jen?" I didn't waste time with greetings or small talk, I needed to know where she was.
He frowned. "Not since I sent her home earlier. Check her apartment, she's probably going to go over to your place."
Not wanting to make matters worse, I thanked him and left. I drove around for hours and ended up in her apartment parking lot. I watched Nicole get into a cab and leave with her bags and I honestly hoped that I would never have to lay eyes on her again. While I sat in the parking lot, my mind drifted back to the events of the past twenty-four hours.
"I love you, Jared." A drunk Jennifer confessed as she lay on the guest bed and closed her eyes. She then tucked her hand under her head and I promptly backed away. The shock I felt when hearing those words was nothing compared to the utter confusion that invaded my mind once I felt the pounding of my heart in my chest.
As she breathed softly, I heaved out a deep breath and walked to my room. I couldn't possibly sleep next to her, not two nights in a row. That was beyond breaking the rules and if she woke up at any moment and saw me lying next to her, it would invite more of those feelings. I was having trouble dealing with mine alone, and the last thing I needed was to have her thrown into this mess.
I lay in the bed, trying not to think about what just happened, but her words kept me awake for at least another hour. I kept trying to convince myself that she meant it in some other way, maybe in an appreciation for looking after her, but I knew lying to myself wasn't going to solve the problem. I closed my eyes and decided to deal with it in the morning.
After a quick breakfast that didn't go down as smoothly as I would have liked, I made a few phone calls, and heard stirring coming from the guest bedroom. I still hadn't thought about what to say to her, but knew I would wait until she brought it up. As drunk as she was, she could easily have blacked out, and as I walked to my bedroom I secretly wished she had, she'd likely still be out.
She was lying flat on her belly, on the floor. I couldn't help but smile at the scene. She explained that she was merely looking for her shoes, and I tried to make conversation by offering her something to eat. The fact the she didn't look me in the eye once, confirmed that she remembered everything, but if she wasn't going to bring it up, neither was I.
