“It’s not that I don’t want to stay around home. It’s just that, with my degree as an occupational therapist, I can pretty much go anywhere I want.” Taking a deep breath, she continues. “Plus, you know every time we make it out to Dallas to see Wes, I always wanna stay. I like it there.”
Slowly, I ease my body out of my chair, deciding that this conversation is a little too much for me. When I asked what their plans after college were, I didn’t mean for it to take the turn that it seems to be taking now. I remove myself from the conversation as I back away before they have the chance to notice I’m gone. Later, I’ll ask her again, this time about her plans. Not hers and Liam’s. I turn around and lift up on my tiptoes to look for Wes. When I spot him, his back is turned, and he’s talking to a group of guys. I only recognize a couple of them. One, I know, and the other, I’ve only met once. Brantley and Reid. A smile appears on my face as I walk toward him. I can touch him in front of everyone now, and not worry about people knowing about us. Right before I get to him, I hear someone yell, “Hey, Kenleigh, what’s up?” I look to my left and inwardly groan. Jackie.
I don’t really want to talk to her, but I don’t want to be rude either. I’m aware that she has some sort of problem with me. Why? I don’t know, but I hope to find out. Her pointed looks and closed off behavior haven’t gone unnoticed. Deciding that this is my opportunity to find out what’s wrong between us, I smile and walk over to her. “Hey, Jackie.”
She takes a drink from her blue, plastic cup before looking at me. “How was your first year of college?”
Maybe she’s over whatever she was upset about, and this will be a normal conversation after all. “It was good. I studied a lot, but it paid off in the end.”
“That’s good. I know, last summer before you started, you said you were still undecided on your major. Is that still the case?”
“A little, yeah. But I’m leaning more toward nursing, now.”
She turns her attention back to the crowd before she replies with a nod. “I think that suits you. You’d make a great nurse. So, how are you liking the change up Mr. and Mrs. Adams did this year?”
“You mean, how she gave us our own kids to work with? I like it. I like the group thing, too, but I feel like I can build a stronger connection with just one kid.”
“Me too,” she replies. We stand there in awkward silence for a few minutes before she turns to me with her eyebrows raised. “So, you and Wes, huh?”
Inwardly, I groan. I knew something was up, but I never would have figured it would be Wes and me. As soon as she realized I was staying in the main house, she’s tried to avoid me ever since. “Yep.” My reply is nonchalant. I refuse to let her get to me.
“I don’t like it. You’re a nice girl and all, but a little too nice for Wes, if you know what I mean.” Her tone has an edge to it, and I don’t like it. Wow! Tell me how you really feel.
“Actually, I don’t know what you mean. What does me and Wes being in a relationship have to do with you?”
“It has everything and nothing to do with me. When this summer is done, you’ll be a forgotten memory in his book like all the others. You will be the last thing on his mind,” she answers, raising her glass to me.
“What are you talking about?” I’m pretty sure they’ve slept together, but I don’t want to assume anything. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.
“We slept together three summers ago.” I knew it. A woman scorned. “It was only once. All summer, we flirted, held hands, hidden touches. He took me out to this tree house that he and Mr. Adams built when he was a kid. I thought it was so sweet for him to take me somewhere special to him like that. It was the night we slept together.” As soon as the words left her mouth, I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. He took me there. He made me feel special. And now, I feel like a damn fool. Jackie doesn’t even notice that I’m not listening to her as she continues, “I thought it was something more. He had other plans.”
She takes a deep breath and looks ahead. I follow to where her eyes are trained, or should I say whom. Wes. “The next day, he acted as if nothing happened between us. When I confronted him about it, he played it off like it was no big deal. He said it was a good time, but that’s all it was.” She looks back at me. A single tear rolls down her cheek. “You know what the worst part was? He clapped me on the shoulder as he said ‘I’ll see you around’. I felt like the biggest fool.”