Cherished (Wanted) (2 page)

I snapped my eyes down to her, and she wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Last thing I’m going to do is sleep with Chelsea.

I glanced back to see Jessie walking away as fast as she could.
Motherfucker. I just hurt the one girl I didn’t ever want to hurt.

I watched as Jessie walked up to Michael. They’d been talking earlier, and the way he’d kept touching her arm had driven me mad. After she said something in his ear, he reached out, grabbed her, and spun her around. He set her down, and she gave him a weak smile before they walked away together with his arm draped over her shoulders.

What in the fuck? Is she leaving with him?

I quickly turned back to look at Chelsea, and I smiled. “Let’s go. My parents are out of town for two days.” I grabbed her hand and practically pulled her to my truck.

It didn’t take me long to get Chelsea back to my house and up to my room where I fucked her hard and fast.

I’ll do anything to forget how I just hurt the girl of my dreams.

After we were done, Chelsea quickly got up and gave me a full-on smile. She said, “That was so worth the wait. I think I’ll go take a shower. Feel free to join me if you’d like.”

I smiled, but then I got up and began to get dressed.

I walked down to the barn and sat on a hay bale where I cried for the first time since I was six years old.

What did I do?

Oh god…what did I just do?

I pulled over on the side of the road and jumped out of my car. I couldn’t even see enough to drive because I was crying so hard. I frantically wiped the tears away as I looked up to the black sky and screamed, “Why?”

Oh my god. How could he do this to me? I thought we were happy? I was going to move in with him. We talked about marriage and new puppies and babies.

“Oh god! How stupid are you?” I screamed out to no one.

I felt my legs slowly giving out on me, and I fell to the ground. I pulled my knees up to my chest and cried. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was Chelsea fucking Scott. I shook my head as fast as I could. I’d never be able to erase that image from my head.
Never.

Then, my phone went off. I pulled it out of my pocket.

Scott. How dare he call me!

Then, a text message came through…and another…and another. I opened the first one.

Scott: Jessie! It’s Bryce. I NEED to talk to you. Please let me explain.

Ugh. He had his brother send me a text message?

I backed out of it before I read any more.

My phone started ringing again. I stood up and looked out into the open field before tossing my phone as far and as hard as I could.

Fuck you, Scott Reynolds. I hate you. I’ll never forgive you for this. Ever.

I stood up taller and wiped the tears from my face. I slowly turned and walked back to my car. I got in and made my way to Aaron and Jenny’s house. They were expecting their first child, so there was no way I was going to let them know what was going on. I wasn’t even sure if they were home yet. They had gone to the hospital to be with Emma and Jack.

As I pulled up, I saw Aaron’s truck. I took a deep breath and walked into the house. All the lights but one were turned off. I quietly made my way to my room and reached under the bed for my suitcase. I threw it on the bed and started packing up my clothes.

I stopped packing and looked all around my room.
Where in the hell am I going to go?

Away—as far away from Scott Reynolds as I can get.

I walked to my closet and reached up for my old shoebox. I had been saving money since I was fourteen years old, so I could start my own veterinary clinic one day. Every spare dime had gone into this shoebox. I brought it over to my bed, sat down, and opened it up. I felt a tear roll down my face.
So much for buying the local vet clinic in Mason.

There was no way I was staying in this town now. I shook my head as I got up and placed the shoebox in my suitcase.

I reached in my pocket for my cell and closed my eyes as I whispered, “Fuck!”

I hadn’t even thought that I’d had everyone’s numbers on that stupid phone. I knew the number to the vet clinic by heart, and I silently said a prayer that I had backed all the numbers up on my Google Contacts. I reached for the landline and waited for the clinic’s answering machine to pick up. By the time I was done leaving my message, I was in tears again. All my dreams were gone because of one guy—one guy who I’d thought loved me with his heart and soul.

I quickly wrote a note to Aaron and Jenny. I told them the truth. I was leaving because Scott was an asshole and a cheating bastard. I didn’t tell them where I was going because I had no clue where I was going. I left the note on the kitchen table and looked around one more time before I walked out the door and to my car.

As I drove toward Austin, I cried off and on. One minute, I was so pissed-off, and the next, I felt like curling up into a ball and just crying.

I found myself pulling into Brad and Amanda’s driveway at five thirty in the morning. A light was on, so I got out of my car, walked up to the front door, and lightly knocked. I was just about to turn away when Amanda opened the door.

“Jessie! What in the hell are you doing here this early in the morning?”

I tried to talk, but I broke down, crying. Amanda immediately pulled me into her arms.

“Oh my god! Gramps!” Amanda called out.

I pulled back and shook my head. “Oh god, no! I’m so sorry. No, Amanda, this has nothing to do with Gramps. When I left last night, he was in stable condition and doing well. He was even kidding around with Gunner, saying he had just tripped,” I said with a small giggle.

Amanda grabbed my arm and pulled me into her living room. “What is going on then, Jessie?”

I shook my head. “I can’t talk about it right now, but I need a favor.” I looked up to see Brad standing there.

“Jessie, we’re here for you, sweetheart. You know that,” Brad said with a smile.

I took a deep breath and looked between the two of them. “Can I leave my car here for a few weeks? And can y’all drive me to the airport?”

Amanda snapped her head over toward Brad and back at me. “Why? Jessie, you’re really scaring me. Please tell me what’s going on.”

“Scott…well, he…” I shook my head as I wiped the tears away. “He doesn’t love me. He doesn’t want to be with me.” I let out a laugh. “History is repeating itself really. I was just stupid enough to think he loved me.”

Amanda grabbed my hands. “Jessie, he does love you, baby. I know for a fact that he loves you very much.”

I started shaking my head. “No, Amanda, he doesn’t. He cheated on me. I can’t…I just…”

I began crying again as Amanda pulled me into her arms.

“I just need a few weeks away to clear my head.
Please.
Please just do this for me,” I said with pleading eyes as I looked between Brad and Amanda.

Brad nodded and reached for his keys. “I’m heading into Austin this morning anyway. Let’s move your car into the garage.”

I smiled as I hugged Amanda. Then, I walked over to Brad and whispered, “Thank you.”

Brad pulled up to the Austin-Bergstrom Airport and jumped out to help me with my bag. “Do you even have a ticket, Jessie? Where are you going?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Will you do me a favor? I know I’m asking a lot of you.”

Brad nodded.

“Please don’t tell anyone you brought me to the airport—at least not for a few days.”

Brad’s mouth dropped open. He slowly shook his head. “Jessie, I can’t make you that kind of a promise. If people ask, Amanda and I are going to have to tell them that I brought you to the airport. I mean, if I don’t know where you’re going, then I can’t really tell them any more than that.”

I nodded. “That’s fair enough. Hell, at this point, I don’t even know where I’m going.” I gave Brad a weak smile and thanked him for the ride.

“Jessie, Amanda said you threw your phone in a field. Will you please buy a new phone? Then, let us know when you get to where you’re going. Please.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at my own stupidity. I nodded. “I’ll buy another phone and get in touch with y’all, I promise.”

“You better. Your father and brothers are going to freak the fuck out when they find out you’ve just up and left without any word on where you’re going.”

I laughed as I hugged Brad good-bye.

I turned and walked into the airport with the worst feeling I’d ever felt. Something was telling me that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. At first, I didn’t even try to stop the tears. I finally got them under control as I walked up to the ticket counter.

I sat down in my seat on the United flight that was taking me to Houston and then on to Ambergris Caye, Belize. I asked the flight attendant for a drink before takeoff.

“What would you like, dear?”

I just stared at her. “I don’t care. Something to make me forget a guy.”

She winked and nodded. “Oh, I know just the thing.”

As the plane took off, I grabbed the arms of my seat and closed my eyes.

Never will you make me feel like a fool again, Scott. I’ll never waste another tear on you for as long as I live.

Jesus H. Christ.
I woke up to damn horses sniffing around my face.
Where in the fuck am I?
I tried to stand up, and immediately, I fell back down to my ass.
Holy hell, my head is pounding. How much did I have to drink last night?
I slowly stood up and looked around. I was in Gunner’s stable.
Why in the hell am I in here?