Book 2 of 2, sequel to Alaska's Illicit.
In which Mikaere returns to Alaska, but upon arriving realizes that she has a new problem: Vaughn, Darren, or should she just stick with Jared?
Vaughn's past and life are revealed, and also a serial killer mi...
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CHAPTER FIVE: JARED
"I'll miss you."
I scoff out loud, causing Jared to glance over at me with confused eyes.
"Seriously? In what world would he genuinely think I would ever believe that? He was glad to have me gone, for sure. I mean, yeah, the kiss on the forehead was almost believable, but everything else? Please. He booked it back home as soon as I was gone."
Jared decides to not do anything except awkwardly look away and out of the window, not seeming interested at all in my Vaughn-related rant. And honestly? I can't blame him.
"I mean, I think back to what I told him about him seeing his family, and a small part of me wants to think I motivated him to go back like he said I did." I shake my head, "But then I'm like, please, I couldn't have even influenced him that much. Right?"
Silence.
It's how I'd almost imagine a car ride with Vaughn, if Vaughn was true to his name's meaning and had brown eyes.
I'm not playing any music, because as it turns out, these past few months in Washington have not helped me move on from Vaughn and Alaska as I'd hoped it would. Rather, my what-ifs have been amplified and now almost every song I hear my brain somehow finds a way to connect it to him.
"I just know Vaughn was glad to be rid of me, regardless of what the note says, Jared. But still, I find myself in a truck that I bought off Craigslist, with all of my possessions loaded into it, driving back to the cold state, and sooner or later, to him. And for what?
"Like, I mean, I still have his journal. And, a small part of me screams to just mail it to Freed's bar with a message and leave it at that, but let's be honest, here? Like, I miss him? And I don't know why?
"Like I miss the way he'd smile at Moose and I cuddled by the fireplace when he thought I wouldn't notice, or the way he'd slightly bite his lip when he was focusing really hard at a game of chess. And I miss feeling close to him, like talking about his sister and my parents, or hugging him tight, or when he kissed my forehea-"
Jared starts to cry, all of a sudden, and I'm immediately alarmed before I remember that this is normal for him to do occasionally.
"Jared, what's wrong?"
Silence.
Sighing, I figure I should probably take the next available exit for the next gas station that appears to be safe, just in case.
No more remote rest stops.
Jared continues to cry until I've parked the truck near a gas station, one that has a few cars currently at it.
