Page 7 of Crossroads

SIX

Of course he didn’t stay out of my way. All he’s been for the first week is in my way.

Constantly.

Not listening to me. Being a stubborn asshole. Making my job harder and pissing me off.

Every day, I want to strangle him. He’s sarcastic and moody and seems hellbent on making me angry at every turn. I don’t understand why I let him get to me. Why I let him rile me up.

But it’s Friday night, and we’re done with chores and dinner, and I’m making my damn escape. I need a night where I don’t think about that jackass.

So after a thorough shower, I get dressed in jeans and a T-shirt—not dirty and ripped from farm work—and head into town. I didn’t even ask Millie if she was going out tonight, like I normally would have.

Everything is just pissing me off, and I think maybe I’ve been a little snappy even to my best friend these days. Maybe I should just hop on the highway and go to Big Bend or Hayes—one of the other small towns around, but I do the stupid thing and pull into the bowling alley.

Why?

I don’t want to stop and think about the why.

I just hop out of my truck and walk inside—my eyes sweeping the crowded alley before finding that why standing behind the counter, helping an older couple rent out shoes.

She must sense someone watching her because her pretty eyes trail over to me, but instead of scowling or looking unhappy like you’d expect someone to look when they see an ex, her smile is pretty and genuine. I raise my hand in an awkward wave, and her grin only widens as she nods in my direction.

When she’s done with the customers, I head over, my heart beating so hard, I feel like I might be sick. “Hey, Luce.”

“Hi, Jasper.” Her voice is sweet like honey and hurts to actually hear it again, knowing she doesn’t want me anymore. “How have you been?”

I hate the pity I hear in her voice. Like I’m handling the breakup far worse than she is—which okay, I probably am. But I’m the one who got dumped here. That’s totally normal, I’d assume. “I’m fine. Just dealing with training a spoiled jackass out on the farm.”

She grins shyly. “Yeah, Millie mentioned that.”

“Of course she did.” I roll my eyes but keep my tone light. “She thinks it’s hilarious.”

She giggles lightly. “Yeah, she mentioned that too.” She looks behind me. “Is she not here with you?”

I feel instantly bad and shrink in on myself a bit. “Uh . . . I didn’t ask if she wanted to come out tonight.” Lucy is watching me carefully, knowing me well. “I was in kind of a pissy mood.”

“Can’t imagine,” she teases. “Want a soda?”

“Sure,” I say and take a seat at the long counter bar up front while she turns around and pours me a Coke—not having to ask what kind I want. Everything with us is so easy. I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to be together.

“So how are your parents?” she asks as she places the drink in front of me.

And see? She cares about me. I know that.

And we have a history. I don’t talk about my parents much, not because they’re bad people but because life is really damn hard sometimes.

But she knows about my life because she’s always been there.

She knows my parents. She’s spent Christmas morning with us before. My mom bought her presents. We had a plan. And then it all went to shit because all of a sudden, she decided she wanted something different.

I try not to think about it because she’s being kind, and I don’t want to sound bitter. I don’t want to be bitter. I just want things to go back to the way they were. “Hanging in there.” I don’t really want to go into how not okay they are. “How are yours?”

Because I’ve also spent holidays with her parents. I was there at her grandfather’s funeral last year. “They’re okay. My mom was asking about your parents the other day.”

You could have asked me. I think to myself. She didn’t call me. She’s been avoiding me. I guess I’ve been avoiding her too.

Her small hand covers mine where it rests on the counter, and I jolt in surprise as I look up at her. Her pretty eyes meet mine, and I see a hint of tears swimming in them. “Are you okay?”

No. Not at all. Not even close. My entire world is crumbling.

“I’m fine,” I say with the straightest face I can muster.

I don’t think she believes me, but she removes her hand slowly, not saying anything. But she’s thinking something, I just don’t know what, and whatever it is, is cut off when she looks over by the door. “Millie!”

She takes off, and I turn my head to find Millie—but to my horror, she’s not alone. She brought Emerson.

Traitor.

I stare, stunned, as Millie and Lucy hug before Millie introduces Emerson to Lucy. My entire body goes cold and then surges into an inferno of rage as I watch Emerson’s eyes drag over my girlfriend.

Okay, fine, not mine. But she was, and she will be again.

But then . . . I notice Lucy. Sweet, shy Lucy, who has her lips turned up into a strange smile—one I don’t recognize. Her cheeks pink before she bites on her bottom lip and nods her head at something Emerson is saying.

No.

Relax.

They just met. They’re just being pleasant. Lucy is polite. That’s all this is.

Lucy giggles at something that fucker says, and I’m frozen in my seat. Millie’s eyes meet mine, and she at least has the decency to look sheepish for bringing him here. She mouths sorry, but I don’t care.

I’m too intent on watching the trainwreck before me as Lucy and Emerson engage in conversation. And then Emerson’s cold blue eyes lock on mine, and his lips turn up into a slow smirk, one that makes my blood boil.

He flirts and chats with her, never touching her—a good thing for him because I’m pretty sure I’d rip his arm clean off—but it doesn’t matter. He might as well be with the way he’s talking to her. I can’t hear the actual words, but I can feel them and her reaction to them.

She does touch him though. Her laugh hearty as she acts like he said the funniest thing in the world and then slaps his chest. It’s brief, but the contact makes me see red, and Emerson’s eyes me with that slick smile. Like he won something.

“Well, well. Who thought I’d run into you here?” he asks as all three approach me.

My hands flex in my lap, and it takes everything in me not to punch the smile off his stupid face. “You knew I was here.” I turn to Millie. “Why?”

She huffs, like she’s the one who’s irritated, and Lucy slowly slinks behind the counter. Yeah, I’m the problem. She’s the one who brought the bane of my existence to a place she knows damn well I come to unwind. “Mom’s orders. She wants Emerson to get comfortable in this town.”

“And comfortable I am,” Emerson says, over-the-top as usual, as he plops himself down in the seat right next to mine.

“Find somewhere else,” I growl.

Lucy places a soda in front of Emerson and looks at me, her eyes shining with disappointment. “Maybe you should give him a chance, Jas. I mean, you guys could have more in common than you think.”

What. The. Fuck? They just met, and suddenly she’s on his side?

That’s when Emerson seems to decide to go in for the kill, wrapping his arm around me and leaning in to my ear. “Yeah, Jas. I think we have plenty in common.”

I turn my head to look at him, seething. He figured out who Lucy is to me. I was an idiot for mentioning I had a girlfriend who broke up with me. That was stupid beyond belief because he knows. And he’s fucking with me by flirting with Lucy. Lucy is off-limits.

I can see it in his eyes as he smirks at me and then looks over at Lucy, his left eye closing and then opening again in a flirty wink.

And that’s it. I can’t fucking take it anymore. I jump off the stool, ready to knock him out, but he’s faster than I thought, jumping up at the same time.

I shove him, and he just smirks at me.

“Jasper, don’t,” Lucy says, of course, coming around the bar to defend her new man.

I turn to look at her, fury in my eyes. “Really, Luce? Is this why we broke up? You want some sophisticated rich city boy?”

“What are you talking about? I just met Emerson.” She looks horrified, but I’m too far gone.

It’s all bullshit. All of it. It was all a lie. I grew up thinking love could conquer all. But it can’t. My parents are two of the most in-love people I’ve ever met, and love hasn’t done shit for them.

All they feel is pain and torment.

And Lucy and me? She broke up with me because she wants to go to college. She wants to live in a big city. And wants to date douchebags like Emerson.

I shove him again, surprised when he barely budges. He’s more solid than I originally thought. “Stay away from Lucy.”

“Really? You gonna piss a little circle around her?” he bites back, and my nostrils flare, my hands clenching at my sides. I don’t want to go to jail—that’s the last thing my family needs right now—but I’m still thinking it might be worth it to knock him down a peg.

“Stay away from her,” I barely manage through gritted teeth.

“She is right here.” I turn my head to see Lucy glaring at me, her arms folded, and I’m not sure I’ve ever look so angry before. “You don’t own me, Jasper. We broke up.”

“Right. So you could fuck your way through every rich douchebag in your college town.” Her mouth drops open in shock, and I know without a doubt I should shut up, but I can’t seem to. “Might as well start with him, right? Get some practice.”

I don’t see the punch coming. And for a moment, I think it was Emerson’s fist that thrusts into my right eye, but it’s not. Pain bursts through the right side of my eye, and Lucy pulls her hand back, holding her now bruised knuckles, and I stare at her in shock.

“What is going on?”

Kelly.

Kelly and John are standing here as I stand in shock.

“Holy. Shit,” Millie gasps, and Kelly doesn’t even scold her for swearing. We all just stand here, and I watch in horror as tears slide down Lucy’s cheeks.

To Emerson’s credit, he doesn’t say a word. He stands there, completely silent, as Lucy opens her mouth to speak.

“You don’t get to talk to me that way. I know you’re mad. But you don’t get to say those things for me. It was hard to break up with you. It broke my heart, but we aren’t right for each other.”

“I’m sorry,” I barely croak. “I’m really sorr—” I start to reach for her, but she pulls back and shakes her head at me.

“You should go,” she says, more tears spilling down her pretty, sweet face. Lucy. My Lucy—the girl who wouldn’t hurt a fly—just punched me in the face because I hurt her so badly.

“Come on, sweetie.” I feel Kelly’s hand on my arm, and I don’t fight her. I walk out to the parking lot with her as John and she walk me to my truck. I’m in a daze.

“I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay,” Kelly starts.

“I’m not,” I say as I pull my keys out. “But it won’t hurt my work. I promise.”

Her lips purse together, and she looks at John, who mimics her expression. They’re both looking at me with pity, and I hate it. “We don’t care about that, Jasper. You’re family.” Kelly takes my hand in hers, and my throat feels clogged. A strange burning starts in my eyes, and I refuse to cry.

I won’t do it. Sometimes life isn’t fair.

I know that.

It’s fine. I’m fine.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow morning,” I say and then gently take my hand from Kelly’s and climb into my truck.

I don’t want to give them any more time to talk. I don’t want to talk about it. About any of it.

None of it matters anyway.

It’s not like I can change a damn thing.