Page 18 of The Other Plan

“I’ll see you around,” I said as I watched her walk up the stairs.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Yeah. I’ll see you around.”

The way she smiled at me sent my heart hammering against my ribs just like it had the first time I’d seen her on that beach. But it slowed to a painful drone when I realized this time, she already had someone else. It was going to be a painful week being near her without getting to pull her into my arms... the arms where I knew she’d always belong.

CHAPTER SIX

JENNA

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“Shut the front door!” Cameron shoved my shoulder, making me tumble backward on my bed.

I sat upright again and sucked the air through my teeth. “Dead serious. It was all a mistake.”

He lifted a finger and closed his eyes, pausing for a moment before he said, “So, it turns out in this movie, you’re the villain. You’re the asshole! You abandoned poor, sweet, beautiful Carter in Hawaii and left him alone with a broken heart. I can’t believe it! You’re the asshole!”

“I am the asshole!” I buried my face in my hands. “My God, how could I have done that to him? I can’t even imagine how he felt when I just disappeared. And we hadn’t even exchanged our real information. Up until then, we’d just been calling each other’s rooms. No number, no email. Nada. I was just gone.”

Cameron tsked and shook his head. “You’re a terrible person.”

With a chuckle, I tossed a grey pillow at him. “Shut up! I feel bad enough already. But in my defense, it looked very compromising the way that I found him that night. In a million trillion years, I never would have thought it was because stupid Janine puked on him and was a drunken, sobbing disaster.” I rolled my eyes. “Okay, the drunken, sobbing disaster I can actually believe because that girl was a mess. I even tried to get the spring break travel company to switch roommates, but I was stuck with her.”

“So, now what happens?” Cameron rolled onto his stomach, propping his chin in his hands. “Now that you learned the real story yesterday, does that mean we get a Jenna and Carter 2.0?” His eyes widened. “Cartnna. No, that sounds stupid. CarJen. No. Dumb. JenCar. Ugh. Never mind. You guys don’t get a cute couple nickname like Brangelina or Bennifer.”

“There isn’t going to be any us, Cameron. That ship has sailed.”

“What?” He sat up. “What do you mean? No Carnna?” He paused and let the name resonate, then shook his head. “Ugh. Still no. Just what do you mean? Fate has clearly brought him back into your life, and now you’re going to spit in fate’s face? I don’t think so.”

“Fate or whatever brought him back is just going to have to deal with the fact that there is no way I’m setting myself up for that kind of heartbreak again. No. Way. I barely survived the first fallout from my heartbreak over Carter.”

“Heartbreak that wasn’t actually heartbreak, though. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a dumbass, you’d still be together and even have a matching set of beautiful babies. CarJen babies. Damn it. Still terrible.”

“Would you stop trying to mash our names together? It doesn’t work. Just like he and I don’t work.”

“And why not? He’s gorgeous... I mean, don’t tell Louie, but the first time I saw Carter.” His eyes bulged, and he bit his closed fist. “I mean, damn girl. You seriously going to pass up a ride on that?”

I flopped back in the bed. “You’re terrible. And no. I’m not doing anything with Carter. There isn’t any future for either of us. He lives in New York and has some big job or something. I live here in Door County.”

“But one of you could move like Louie moved for me! And look at how happy we are now. You loved him, and he loved you, and now he’s back. You shouldn’t miss this opportunity!”

Rolling my eyes, I answered, “I didn’t love him. I mean, I thought I did at the time, and yeah, we said it to each other, but it wasn’t real love. We were just kids. Stupid, optimistic lovesick kids.” I arched an eyebrow. “And you know you really shouldn’t encourage this. If I move to New York with him, then you’re out of a job, right?”

He opened his mouth then snapped it shut. “You’re right. Jenter is a bad idea. Hey! Jenter! Not bad! But yeah... never mind. Ignore me. Stay away from the beautiful boy who may take you away from me. You’re mine and only mine.”

My bulldog, Arnold, waddled into the room and reared up on the bed, begging to be lifted and join the two-person party. Cameron hoisted him up with a grunt. Arnold snorted and snuffed his way over to me and collapsed in my arms.

“Okay, ours. I’ll share you with the dog. But you’re not taking yourself and my Arnold away from me. I forbid it.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Cameron. My life is here, and I have zero desire to give up everything I’ve worked for to move to a crowded, busy city filled with top-notch event planners. Even for someone as gorgeous and incredible as Carter.”

His face moved back into the forefront of my mind, and I saw his bright, white smile gleaming back at me. The dimples in his cheeks. The slight hazel hue surrounding his vibrant green irises. For a moment, I closed my eyes and remembered his kiss and the way my heart fluttered with every touch.

Shit. Don’t go there, Jenna.

That was a different time. We were young kids who knew nothing of life and reality. But now, being older, I knew that allowing those feelings for Carter to return would set me up for another monumental heartbreak. And a real one this time... not one of my own creation.

“What are you going to do all week when you see him? It’s gonna be awkward city.”