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I had the phone up to my ear, getting Ainsley’s damn voice mail again. I began walking and called over my shoulder, “Call Nora. Let her know I need her to come in immediately. Have her come to my office.”
Snake didn’t question my direction.
Why did I not listen to Trigger when I walked into the club? This is all my fault.
As I typed out another text, Snake called after me, “I’m calling right now.”
“Tell her to hurry.”
Not bothering to close my office door, I went to our bedroom and saw a blanket with a champagne bottle and cheesecake on the floor.
A picnic for two. Fuck.
I glanced over toward the bed and saw a pink envelope peeking out from under my pillow. I called Ainsley again, and it went to voice mail. She was on redial. At this point, she had shut off her phone, so I started texting her incessantly.
Me: Please call me.
Me: Ainsley, it’s not what you think. That’s not how I feel about you.
Me: I want to tell you how I really feel in person, not over text.
My heart was aching, knowing how much my girl was hurting right now. I walked over to the pillow and pulled the envelope out from underneath the pillow. On it was my name written in Ainsley’s handwriting.
I stared at it for a few minutes. I wished I could turn back the hands of time and tell her everything before this whole mess had broken out. One drop in the balance of things had caused a ripple effect that changed everything. I opened the envelope as I sat on the bed, and I read the words Ainsley had written to me.
It felt as though a knife was stabbing repeatedly into my heart. I loved Ainsley. Now, it was too late to tell her she had all of me, too, just like she had given herself to me. I vowed to never miss an opportunity to tell her how I felt again.
Nora knocked on the bedroom door. Then, my phone vibrated. It was Ainsley.
Ainsley: I heard you talking to your sister. I know where we stand. I can’t have that type of relationship. I wish you had been honest with me. Bye, Adam.
My heart went to my throat as I typed a response, hoping she would not turn off her phone again.
Me: Ainsley, I love you. I didn’t want to tell you this over text. Please come back to me, baby.
I sat there and stared at my phone, waiting for a response. Seconds seemed like hours. Her phone had to be off. I knew she would have responded to that text even if it was to confirm we were over. I was getting desperate.
“Hey there, boss man. Where’s the fire? Snake said to get here immediately.”
Nora’s voice startled me as I stood. I put Ainsley’s letter in my pocket, wanting a piece of her close to me.
“Let’s talk in my office.”
Nora had blue-tipped hair this week. She went to the chair and lounged back in it with her arm thrown over the back. I sat down beside her.
“Who killed your puppy?”
She was joking, but when I looked at her, she sat straight up.
“Is Ainsley okay? Shit, what happened?”
“I fucked up.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m Ainsley’s friend, Adam. I’m going to support her. I’ve already helped you once. Do you remember what I told you I’d do if you hurt her again? I need this job, but I will follow through with my threat.”
“I love her, Nora, and she doesn’t know it yet. She thinks I’m using her.” My voice sounded defeated as I cradled my head in my hands. I felt defeated.
Why did I doubt her feelings for me? Why did I let Jake win again?
Nora shifted in her chair, and I assumed she was leaning forward.
“Why does she think that?” Her voice softened some, but there was still a note of accusation as she spoke.
I had two choices—either give her the whole truth or a piece of the story. Raising my head, I chose the whole story. I couldn’t risk Nora not helping me. If Nora suspected any foul play, she’d walk, and I’d be on my own. With Ainsley’s mom being at the center, she’d eventually reach out to Nora. Each minute that slipped by meant that Ainsley was distancing herself from me more, and that would make it much harder to get her back. Nora was key to have on my side.
After telling Nora everything, I said, “I need to find her. I need to tell her how I really feel. Will you help me?”
Nora sat there for a minute as she thought everything through. “I believe you. Yes, I’ll help. If she contacts me, I’ll let you know. If I start contacting her, she’ll know something is up. We aren’t clingy friends.” She stood and walked toward the door. As she was about to cross over the threshold, Nora turned and looked at me. Fire flashed through her eyes, and her tone was a warning. “Adam, don’t screw with her head. Either give her all of you or let her be. I mean it. She needs someone who will give her everything and not a convenient piece.”
“I’m going to give her all I have, Nora. Everything.”
She nodded and left. Grabbing my keys, I headed for the car to look for Ainsley anywhere and everywhere I could think of.
Thinking back on everything that had happened since Ainsley left helped me process where all I had gone wrong. It was a long list. Pulling into my garage, I hopped out of the car. Lindy greeted me at the door.
I kneeled down and petted her head. “I need your help, girl. I messed things up with Ainsley, and we’re going to get her back. Will you help me?”
Lindy barked.
“Good girl, Lindy. Let’s go get our girl back.”
This had to work. I was betting the rest of my life on it because I was nothing without Ainsley.
Time was drawing near for Nora to drop off my clothes. I knew she would keep everything we talked about light until I was ready to talk to her about what had happened with Adam. The events were still too raw in my mind to verbalize.
I was trying to figure out what I was going to tell my mom when I went to see her in two days for therapy. She didn’t need the extra stress of my life, but I didn’t want to put up another front. We finally had the truth. I decided to tell her everything.
My book was splayed on my lap as I was getting further ahead in Econ. A knock sounded at the door, and I threw my covers off my lap, displacing the book to the side. I was ready to hug my best friend, to see something from my life outside of these walls.
Without looking out the peephole, I opened the door. The sun’s brightness greeted me, and I had to close my eyes for a second as they adjusted from the glare of the sun. No one was there, and then I heard a dog bark from below. I looked down, and my mouth dropped open. Lindy was sitting at the door perfectly poised with a big red bow on her collar. A note was paper-clipped to it.
“Hey, girl. What are you doing here?” My heart was racing as I looked around, but I didn’t see Adam.
He has to be here.
Am I ready to see him?
Yes, I am even if that means more torture for me.
Lindy walked into the room, turned, and sat down, facing the door. I looked back out, and no one was out there. I didn’t even see his car in the parking lot.
I walked over, knelt in front of Lindy, and rubbed her coat. “How did you get here, girl? Where’s Adam?”
She barked, and then she shook her head. The letter came out of the paper clip and fell to the floor. On it was my name.
Biting my lip, I opened it with shaking hands, praying this wasn’t a dream or a cruel joke.
I turned around, and Adam was there, holding a bouquet of white roses. My heart dared to hope, but the hurt was still present as I maintained my distance.
Why is he here?
I was trying to make sense with what he had said and his actions now with bringing Lindy. What he’d said to his sister at the club completely contradicted what he was doing now. My brain felt like it was about to overheat.
“Ainsley, I love you.” He never stopped looking at me as his words echoed through the room.
My lip started trembling as I tried to stay centered. I was speechless.
&n
bsp; He took a step toward me as he repeated what he had said, “Ainsley, I love you.”
Afraid that I’d wake up from this dream, I forced myself to respond, “But…you told your sister that I was nothing but a fuck buddy, a good piece of ass. You have a family celebration you’re going to that I knew nothing about.”
He took another step closer. “Ainsley, I’m going to explain everything. Can we talk? I needed you to know how I really feel first. I’ve been in love with you for a while as I suspect you’ve been with me. I was too scared to admit it.”
I blew out a breath and waited for him to continue, trying to remain open-minded and not distance myself from fear of being hurt again. If he gave me his love and then took it away, I’d be devastated.
He continued, “My sister has been trying to get me to agree to come to my parents’ surprise anniversary party since before we met. The night I showed you our new room, my sister showed up at the club earlier in the evening. It was while we were outside kissing. I wasn’t ready for her to know about us, so I took you inside before I came back out to speak to her.”
I know my eyes reflected shock from his last statement.
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Ainsley, it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I didn’t want Jessica running off to my family and telling them about us until we were ready because of Jake. My brother always tries to get in the way of anything that makes me happy, and you, baby, make me very happy. The moment Jake finds out about you, he’s going to try something. I know it. I’ve been fighting the depths of my feelings for a while, afraid of what you could do with that type of power over me.”
“I would never leave you for someone else.”
