From The Wreckage - Complete (60 page)

After talking with Austin, West’s head whirls with thoughts and ideas of Jules and how he can approach her. He’s meeting up with his family for dinner at a local steak restaurant, but all he wants to do is drive the thirty minutes to A&M and make things right. It’s rare he gets time with his dad these days, though, so he pastes on a smile and tells himself that he will figure it all out tomorrow. 

“There’s the star quarterback,” his dad’s booming voice carries across the dining area as the hostess shows him to their table. The pretty blonde gives him a once over when she hears this and smiles seductively as she tells him to enjoy his meal. West nods and shrinks into himself, still not used to the looks he’s been getting because of football.

“Really, dad?” 

His dad stands up and greets him, “What? I’m a proud dad.” He gives West a quick hug and a slap on the back. “Great game, son.” 

West bends down to kiss Mindy’s cheek and fist bumps Carson as he takes the empty seat next to his father. 

“The masses are starting to rumble, West,” his dad mentions once they’ve placed their orders and are all eating their dinner salads.

“The masses, huh?”

“I’m fielding more and more questions each day about why you aren’t wearing maroon and white. You keep your game up and the boosters will be clambering to get you.”

“Dad, the boosters aren’t the ones I’m trying to impress,” West reminds him as he butters a roll. 

“Don’t you worry, son. The coaches notice, too. Your arm is amazing, your timing and precision. If only you’d never quit, I can only imagine the offers you would have received.”

“Dad,” Carson mutters as West looks down and concentrates on his salad.

“Hey, you know Austin was there today!” Mindy blurts and West snaps his gaze to her face.

The level of awkward at the table increases and West cracks a small smile at his family. His dad harping on his quitting the game is something he’s gotten used to, so the comments don’t bother him as much as Carson seems to think they do. Mindy blurting Austin’s name is her obvious intent to fix what she thinks is still a messed up situation between Jules, Austin, and himself. He looks across the table at Carson and then to his dad and the feigned concentration they are taking to eat their food. Right when he is ready to ease the tension, their waiter appears to check on them and offer refills.

After he leaves, West chuckles. “Austin and I talked after the game.”

“You did?” The three of them echo, breaking the silence. 

“Yeah, he was waiting at my truck for me. It’s why I was late, we had a little skirmish.” He adds that part for fun, to get a reaction and he isn’t disappointed. All three of them reply with vastly different comments.

“Damn! You two couldn’t wait for me before throwing down?” Carson grumbles.

“Please tell me you two made up?” asks Mindy, her eyes pleading with him as she drops her silverware.

His dad who only knew he and Austin were arguing about “something” shook his head. “You two need to get a grip and put whatever this is behind you.”

“I dunno, dad. I think Austin has a good punch coming to him,” Carson confesses, locking his eyes with West and letting him know he supports him. Mindy slaps his arm in frustration.

“He doesn’t actually,” says West, to the surprise of everyone. 

His explanation is cut short as a server shows up at their table with their food. Once their waiter has checked on them once again, West is able to explain.

“They’re friends and have been hanging out, but nothing has happened.” When Mindy and Carson look at him with wide eyes, West nods, knowing they are recalling the night Jules spent with Austin and the phone call. “Nothing.”

“You want to explain this cryptic conversation?” his dad asks and West decides to fill him in now that he knows he won’t have to deprive his father of his middle son.

“I thought you were over her, West? Or at least, I thought you were moving on and concentrating on school and ball and letting that go for now?” his father points out.

“I don’t think we have to discuss this right now, do we?” asks Carson. “Anyway, Mindy and I have news.”

Mindy chokes on her drink and his dad stops mid-bite. Before his brother can speak, West sets his knife and fork down and turns to his dad.

“Dad, I love her. So, no, I’m not going to let it go. I can’t let it go and, unless Austin is wrong, she can’t either and all we are really doing is slowly killing ourselves.”

“Weston, I don’t want to see you fall back into old patterns again.” His dad using his full name is so rare that it actually softens West’s attitude. 

“I’m fine. I promise. Everything in my life is making me happy, except for one thing, and that’s Jules. I need to make things right with her.”

“And if she isn’t interested? If she’s moved on?”

“Then I know I explained what happened and I wish her well.” He shrugs. Those words were not quite true, but his dad doesn’t need to worry about him anymore than he always has.

“So! What’s this big news, you two?” he all but shouts at Mindy and Carson as he throws a smile on his face. “Did you knock her up, Cars?” he teases with a wink.

Mindy and Carson laugh, Mindy rolling her eyes and smiling at West as his father shakes his head.

“We’ve decided to set a wedding date, actually. It’s kinda soon, but we don’t want to wait anymore. I graduate in December and we’re ready to start our life together, alone.” Mindy says pointedly as West shoots a sneer at her.

“Not that we don’t love having you and Austin in our hair all the time, bro.”

“Hey, man, I get it. I put a damper on the sexcapades.”

“Can we please leave the sex out of this conversation, son?” his dad mutters. “So, what’s the date?”

Mindy and Carson exchange looks, and West smiles at the way his brother’s entire demeanor changes as they smile at each other. 

“We were thinking New Year’s Eve,” Mindy says, “a destination wedding?”

“In honor of mom,” Carson adds and West’s dad goes still.

New Year’s was always a favorite of his mothers. She used to make a big deal of getting snacks and sparkling grape juice, and they would stay up all night dancing and playing games until the giant ball would drop in Times Square. She’d say the new year was a time for new beginnings and they could be whoever they wanted to be now. The slate was clean. West recalls how she would spend the month of January always yelling at them about how they couldn’t hold grudges, reminding them it was a new year. Eventually, the advice worked and they learned to never hold grudges with each other. A quick roll around on the floor, or punch to the gut and a sincere apology, and it was water under the bridge.

He pulls out of his memories to hear his dad’s remarks. “She would have loved you Min, honey.”

Mindy sniffles and runs her finger under her moist eyes. Carson agrees with his father and slings his arm around the back of Mindy’s chair. 

“I like the idea,” West chimes in. 

The dinner discussion turns to wedding plans and thoughts of the future. West is sitting half-listening to Mindy gush girly things and thinking about Jules when his cell phone vibrates in his pocket. Pulling out his phone quietly he finds a text from Austin that floors him.

“I’m on the way to the hole with Jess and your girl. Meet us there, I won’t tell her.”

Shit! Shit! And triple shit
, he screams in his head as he re-reads the message. The hole. It’s fifteen minutes from the restaurant. He shoves his hand through his hair and yanks it with a groan.

“Everything all right?” his dad asks, and West looks up to see three sets of concerned eyes on him.

He growls low. “Yea, I… just. Austin just sent me a text. He’s bringing Jules and another friend to the hole. Told me I should meet them there.”

“So go!” Mindy orders, as if it’s that simple.

“What if it pisses her off? She’s not expecting me.”

“How long are you going to pull the what-ifs, man? Just go,” says Carson.

Feeling bad about skipping out on their family time, he looks at his dad, who’s leaning back in his chair. “Dad?”

“What the hell are you asking me for? If you love her and you want to win her back, then go win her back.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, then?” he asks, making sure his dad is still staying at the house, instead of heading back to Tyler.  

“Yep, now get out of here, boy! That’s an order.”

Mindy’s call of “good luck’ puts a smile on his face as he leaves dinner to go win his girl back.

Forty-five minutes later, West finally works up the nerve to walk through the brush into the clearing surrounding the swimming hole. He’s been frequenting the spring fed hole for years with his brothers and the locals. The place flies under the radar due to the heavy brush and shade. It attracts teens and college students who crave seclusion from crowds to play loud music, drink, and make-out with their dates.

West can hear the sounds of laughter as he uses the flashlight on his phone to maneuver the thick roots. When he makes it to the edge of the brush, he takes in the spring, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. The moonlight reflects off of the water slightly, but the area isn’t bright by any means. There are about seven lanterns lighting up the edge of the water and one hanging by the tree swing; that’s where West spots Jules. It takes him a moment to see she is talking to someone, and then a face shows up in the light and his heart clenches with jealousy before he can stop it.

It’s just a guy,
he tells himself as he watches. He hears Jess’ voice shout from the water and he catches a glimpse of Austin and Jess splashing around in the shallows. He returns his gaze to Jules in time to see the guy she was talking to jump from the rope swing. The swing flies back towards the tree and Jules catches it. From his vantage point he can make out her profile, the lantern on the tree hanging at the right spot to shine a yellow glow of light on her face. Even from this angle, he can see her hesitation and he waits to see what she will do. The guy in the water yells for her to jump and Jess chimes in, as well. That’s when West sees it - that look of determination she used to get on her face when she wanted something. Suddenly, she jumps and flies through the air, breaking through the water with her body.

He’s jumped off that rope thousands of times over the years, but when Jules goes under he can’t help but hold his breath until she comes through the surface. The guy with her swims her way, saying something that makes Jules laugh. He’s about to step forward and show himself when he looks closer and realizes the guy has a hold of her arm and is pulling her towards the edge of the hole. And Jules is smiling and laughing all the way there.

He stands there for another few minutes, watching as Jules laughs and talks with the nameless guy before they climb up to the tree and jump again. Once they’ve they landed in the water, they’re approached by Austin and Jess and a massive splash fight breaks out.

West turns, deciding to leave them to their fun. The sound of Jules’ laughter, mixed with the sounds of the others’, chasing him to his truck.

 

West takes a seat at a small burger joint halfway between Freemont and A&M to wait for Jeff. It’s been three weeks since they’ve hung out and he’s looking forward to talking crap and gorging himself; then Jeff walks in with Katie. He’s always thought Katie was cool, but she’s Jules’ roommate and best friend. It makes it hard to talk shit when the best friend of the girl you’re in love with is sitting across from you. From the moment they sit down she subjects him to meaningful glances until he can’t take it anymore and he asks what her problem is.

“Do you plan on trying to win her back?” she asks, to his surprise. “I thought for sure once you knew she wasn’t with Austin, you’d jump at the chance to see her.”

With the subject now on the table, West opens up; as much as he doesn’t want to admit his faults, he decides to explain the situation at the hole Saturday night. When he finishes, Katie looks at him in shock and Jeff rags on him.

“You said nothing?” Jeff says as their food is delivered.

West’s only reply is a shameful shake of his head. He busies himself with adding ketchup to his burger and fries, making a production of getting his meal together.

“Seriously, dude. Nothing?” Jeff asks again. “Why the hell not? You should have run and jumped in and crashed their party. Or jumped in and grabbed her.”

“She looked happy. Truly happy and I couldn’t screw that up.” 

“What about you?” Katie asks, popping a french fry in her mouth.

“What about me?”

“Oh, West.” She blows out a slow breath and gives Jeff a knowing look. “You finally get the chance to make amends, and you don’t. What is wrong with you?”

“Hell if I know, Katie. You tell me. You seem to know it all,” he snaps back.

“Dude!” Jeff warns with a frown, and Katie shakes her head at him, visibly telling him it’s fine.

“You spent months when you were together telling her you’d screw up and being afraid. And then you left. I know you left for a good reason, but she doesn’t. She’s scared. She’s not going to come to you, you know,” she points out softly.

“I’m still scared of screwing up. I don’t want to hurt her again. If she’s happy now, maybe it’s best I leave her alone?”

“Hell no, man. Would you please talk to her so we can quit all this whining?” Jeff groans.

“Thanks for the support, bud.” West replies sarcastically.

“She needs to know you’ve changed and she needs to know you love her.” Katie points out. “Tell her that her parents and the shrinks were wrong. That your love wasn’t a product of the tornado or the grief of losing Tanya; or even because of your mom… Tell her you love her because of her.” 

“Does she think our entire relationship was fake?” he asks, remembering the few times people had tried to make him feel like they’d only been together because of the stress they were under after the storm.

“She refused to believe it when they told her that. She swore up and down you cared, but when you cut her out you hurt her deeply. She was a mess for months.”

He grimaces at the thought of how much pain he’s caused her all because he thought it would be best for her.

“I love her, Katie. You know that don’t you? It was always real and has nothing to do with that damn storm, or my mother. It has everything to do with her. I’d been watching her for years, waiting for the chance to speak to her. I loved her… I love her, still.”

“Then tell her. That’s all girls want, West. They want to be loved irrevocably by a man for who they are. You tell her that, you remind her how amazing you two were together, and she will forgive you. I truly think she will.”