Broken Road (13 page)

“Ahhh, that’s so cute. You gonna call your mommy?” teased Billy laughingly as he leaned over the passenger side and opened the door so they could get in.

“Screw you!” and “Shut up!” were the responses he received from his laughing friends as Alec got in and sat in the front seat while Jarrod made himself comfortable in the back.

When they arrived at the party, the house was packed. Music was playing loudly and people were dancing everywhere. Some with partners, others without.

“Man, now I know what it feels like to be a sardine in a can,” Alec screamed to Jarrod so he could be heard above the music. “I can barely move.”

“What? I can’t hear you,” Jarrod hollered back.

“I said I can barely move.”

“Still can’t hear you. Man, I can barely move!”

“Never mind,” Alec said, exasperated.

“What?” Jarrod shouted.

Alec simply rolled his eyes and motioned for him to move on. They walked around a little bit, found a somewhat quieter room, and sat with some friends. It was good to see everyone again. It had been a long time since they had simply hung out. Jarrod stood up to get another soda and walked toward the kitchen. He was distracted by someone hollering his name and waving to him. As he waved back and turned the corner leading into the kitchen, he bumped into someone, causing her to spill her drink on her blouse.

“Oh, man, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” Jarrod asked.

She was looking down at her blouse and then slowly looked up at him, revealing the most startling green eyes. They were the most beautiful, haunting green eyes he had ever seen. For a brief moment, it was as if time stood still. In that timeless moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes; she marveling at the captivating sensual blueness of his, while he allowed himself to be drawn into the beauty and depth of hers.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said softly.
What a beautiful voice
, he thought to himself: tender, soft, and feminine. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her face, for she was strikingly gorgeous. Her hair was soft, long, and of a titian hue that just beckoned one to run his hands through it. And God, those lips; they were just so unbelievably full and naturally rose colored. She barely wore any makeup and had no need to. Jarrod couldn’t speak. He was mesmerized by her beauty.

Her voice startled him back to reality, and he mumbled, “Excuse me?”

“I just said thank you for saving me. You see, my aunt gave me this blouse for my birthday, and honestly, it’s just not my style, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. This fruit punch stain will never come out, so you see, you saved me.” She gracefully favored him with the most wondrous smile he had ever seen. “So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Jarrod felt as though his tongue was ten sizes too big for his mouth and his brain had turned to total mush. Nothing made any sense, and he was afraid to say more than two words, risking the chance she might think he was a bumbling idiot. He looked at her and noticed she was carefully pouring more of the fruit punch on the front of her blouse.

“What are you doing?” he asked, grinning.

“Just making sure the stain takes,” she sweetly responded.

“Do I know you?” He was hoping he didn’t sound too imbecilic for using such a cliché line when she responded, “No, I don’t think that’s possible. I’m not from New Jersey. I’m just visiting my aunt and cousin for a couple of weeks, and then I leave again.”

“Where are you from?” asked Jarrod.

“Florida,” she said.

“Really? I’ll be going to college there at the end of this month.”

There was that smile again. “Small world. Which college? Florida State, University of Florida…Miami?

“University of Florida.”

“So will I. I actually live in Bradenton, Florida…Oh, I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself.” She quickly switched her glass to her right hand and lifted her left to shake his hand. “My name is Angelise, but everyone calls me Angel.”

“Angel,” Jarrod repeated as he shook her hand, holding on to it a bit longer than necessary. Silently he sent up a quick thank you to Dante for saving that one Angel for him. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He was totally captivated by her alluring grace and charm. It was as if he were looking directly into the eyes of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

“It’s weird, but I just have this feeling as if we’ve already met,” he said.

“I know we haven’t.”

“I’m not so sure. I think we may have…once upon a time in my dreams.”

A slow smile made its way to her mouth. “I’m impressed. How long have you been working on that line?”

He chuckled and said, “Awhile now. How’d I do?”

“Not bad. Not bad at all. But maybe next time you might consider adding a sexy, smoldering look when you say it,” she said as she gave him a sly wink.

“By the way, my name is Jarrod,” he responded while chuckling.

She nodded. “I already knew your name from when you told me in
my
dream.” And then she let out a soft, lilting, almost musical laugh.

“Hey Jarrod!…oh, excuse me…,” said Alec as he approached the two.

“Alec, this is Angel. Angel, this is my brother, Alec,” said Jarrod.

“Nice to meet you,” said Angel as she shook his outstretched hand.

“Same here,” Alec responded. He turned toward Jarrod and said, “Listen, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I just wanted to forewarn you that Morgan is here with Tim.”

“Hmm…awkward. Alright, thanks for the warning.”

“Morgan Billings?” asked Angel unobtrusively.

“Yeah. Do you know her?” responded Jarrod, a little surprised.

“Yup,” she said and then added, “She’s my cousin.”

“Talk about awkward,” said Alec, chuckling. “This party might turn out not to be such a dud after all.”

Angel looked at Jarrod and said, “Is it safe to assume there might be some history there?”

Alec, not giving Jarrod a chance to respond, injected, “Anatomy too.”

Jarrod gave Alec the look of death, which prompted his younger brother to immediately excuse himself and leave to join some friends in the kitchen.

“Anatomy, huh?” said Angel with a slightly disappointed smirk.

“My brother has a big mouth and a little brain, so I wouldn’t put much value into anything he says,” he responded.

At that moment Morgan approached them and presented them with her most impressive, artificial smile. She had seen them talking to each other from across the room and would have gotten to them sooner had she not been held up by about a hundred people or so.

“Hi there,” she said, looking at Jarrod.
Mmm, he looks good. Really good
, she thought. She bit her lower lip as she perused him thoroughly, as one might do when purchasing a car.

“Morgan,” responded Jarrod coldly with a slight nod of the head.

“Hi, Morgan. I’d introduce you to Jarrod, but I believe you already know each other,” said Angel, smiling halfheartedly.

“We do. How are you feeling, Jarrod?” He looked more handsome and more muscular than before, she thought to herself as she continued to scrutinize him from top to bottom. Total eye candy. “You look good. Really, really good,” she added as she passed her tongue in a slow, sweeping motion against her upper lip.

Angel’s mouth dropped open in shock. Did Morgan just lick her lips at Jarrod?
My God, she is openly flirting with a guy while her boyfriend is in the same room
. Angel quickly glanced around and saw that Tim was busy talking to someone; therefore he was oblivious to his girlfriend’s misdoings. Luck was on Morgan’s side. This time.

“Better,” he replied. He smiled at Angel and remained fixed on her. He’d much rather look at her than her wicked cousin of the East.

Morgan noticed the apparent attraction between her cousin and Jarrod. How could one not? A person on a plane, forty thousand feet up in the air, would have noticed. She didn’t like this one bit. Looking at the two of them together made her feel like an outcast, something she was not used to. If anyone didn’t belong there, it was Angelise, not her. Suddenly someone rudely bumped into her while making his way toward the kitchen. Morgan decided to take advantage of the circumstance and over-exaggerated the contact, forcing herself directly in front of Angelise. Now Jarrod had no choice but to look at her, she thought.

“Good. I’m happy to see that the casts are finally off,” said Morgan as Jarrod moved slightly to the right and helped dislodge Angel, who was stuck between the wall and her cousin.

“Thank you,” said Angel. “Casts?” she inquired.

“I was in a car accident,” Jarrod said warmly to Angel.

Why isn’t he looking at me
? Morgan silently and angrily thought.
He must still be angry or hurt. Poor thing
. Her mind started picturing them together again, and strangely, she found the thought extremely pleasant. If he looked this good physically, perhaps he would soon be able to play ball well again. So many thoughts were whirling through her mind.

“I’m sorry. Are you alright?” Angel asked, genuinely concerned. Jarrod nodded and said, “I’m doing much better now.”

Facing Morgan, Angel asked, “Is this your…the boyfriend…I mean, is Jarrod the one that was in an accident?” Upon Morgan’s acknowledgement, Angel added, “I didn’t know.”

“He’s fine now,” cut in Morgan coldly, “but it didn’t look so good for awhile. His best friend gave up the ghost in the accident.”

Jarrod grimaced at the nonchalant manner in which she spoke of Dante’s passing. He couldn’t help but wonder why she suddenly seemed resentful and on the defensive, when it had been her decision to end things. Could Morgan be jealous? Not that it mattered. He had no desire to get back with her. He had seen her true colors and found them as favorable as a black and gray rainbow.

“Oh my God. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” Angel said sincerely. “This must be such a hard time for you.”

“It hasn’t been easy, but I’m getting through it. Thanks.” He almost felt as though he should take her in his arms and console her as her eyes became somewhat misty and threatened to spill over. Beauty and a heart. What more could a man ask for in this life? If she didn’t mind watching ESPN, he would get down on one knee at this very moment and propose.

Morgan was fast becoming irritated. This was not good. There was no way she was going to allow her cousin to date her ex-boyfriend. She would have to speak with Angelise later about that.

“So, Jarrod, what plans do you have for college?” asked Morgan. “Will you be able to go this year, or do you need more time to recover from the accident?” She hoped he would say he needed more time.

“I’ll be attending at the end of the month.”

Morgan seemed surprised and to Jarrod’s utter bewilderment, almost disappointed. She cleared her throat and began working on creating that infamous bogus smile of hers once again.

“That’s nice,” she was able to utter between her clenched teeth. “Where?”

“University of Florida.”

She choked on the sip of Coke she had been taking and released a spray of it all over Angel and her new blouse. Angel didn’t seem to mind and just smiled at Jarrod. He couldn’t help but return the smile.

“Isn’t that…isn’t that where you’re…going?” she directed toward Angel while in the midst of a coughing fit.

“Yup,” responded Angel as she took a dry napkin that Jarrod offered her and began to wipe some of the soda off her face.

“Haven’t even packed my bags, and I’ve already made a friend in college,” he said bitingly toward Morgan. “Isn’t that nice?”

“Yeah, real nice. Angel, we need to leave now…”

“We just got here and I was hoping to get to know Jarrod a little better,” she said, slipping him a conspiring wink while Morgan looked away.

Ah, so she was beginning to have fun with this
, thought Jarrod.
Not only was she gorgeous, sexy and sweet, but now she was also covering the cool market as well
.

“Now,” Morgan responded. “Goodbye, Jarrod. Good luck with college.” She grabbed Angel by the hand and began to pull her away. They had only moved a few inches when Jarrod gently placed his hand on Angel’s arm to stop them and said to her, “Before you go, I was wondering if I could have your phone number so we can maybe get together in Florida. Or maybe even sooner, if you’re not leaving right away.”

“I’d like that,” she responded and gave her number to Jarrod, who immediately entered the number in his cell phone.

“There. Now I can’t lose the number,” he said as he smiled tenderly at Angel and then turned a cold stare toward Morgan.

“It was nice meeting you,” Angel said.

He gently took her hand, lifting it slowly to his lips, and softly placed a feather light kiss on top. “It was like a dream.”

Chapter Twelve

“Y
ou cannot date him!” hollered Morgan. “I forbid it.”

“You forbid it? First of all, you have no right to forbid me from doing anything. You’re not my mother. Second, I never said I was going to date him. I’d just like to get to know him better. He seems sweet.”
And gorgeous to boot
, Angel thought privately.