Reject Me (Kin #5)(24)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“How did things get messed up then? It sounds like you worked everything out.” Lacey was confused, but no more than me. I was in uncharted waters and felt as if I was drowning in my own stupidity.

“That chick that I slept with was there today when we went ridin’. She told Peyton that we slept together a few days ago. I tried to convince her that the bitch was lyin’, but with my track record she wouldn’t believe me. She had some dude pick her up and told me that she never wanted to see or talk to me again. You should have seen her face when she said it. She hates me.”

I put my head down and heard the door opening. A few seconds later my brother came out and handed me a beer. “I think you need this.”

I opened the top and took a sip. “More than you know.”

“It sounds like that girl wants you all to herself,” Lacey suggested.

“It’s not goin’ to happen. Even if Peyton never talks to me again, I’d never give that bitch, Angie, the time of day. She’s made sure of that.”

“The first thing you need to do is give Peyton some time. You could send her a message, but don’t go crazy with it. Tell her you need to talk, but leave it open for her to contact you. If you bother her about it, she’ll only get more upset with you. Trust me when I say that sometimes being apart makes the heart grow fonder.”

“I doubt she will come around. You didn’t hear her. She’s done with me.”

Instead of asking them for advice about getting Peyton back I should have been asking them how to forget about her, because surely it would hurt a lot less if I could do that instead.

“Lacey’s right. Just be patient. If it’s meant to be all will work out.”

“I think I’d rather head to the beach, get f**ked up, and bang some chick I don’t even know.”

“That’s the dumbest idea you’ve ever had, Jamey.”

I could tell that I’d disgusted Lacey. She was always so devoted to my brother. The idea that we’d both slept around in younger years made her skin crawl. It was sort of cute how much she had forgiven my brother for his past. When she looked at him it was intense. I wanted that with Peyton. “Yeah, I know. I was just thinkin’ it could make it not feel like I’ve been kicked in the balls, at least for a little while.”

“That’s not the answer to your problems. It will only make you feel worse about yourself. This chick sounds like a little whore who just wants attention. Just take my advice and give Peyton some time. The next time I see her I’ll make sure she knows that Joey and I believe you. I don’t think you’d come here and tell us a lie just to help your cause. You seem pretty broken up over it, besides, I never thought I’d hear you admit to loving someone.”

There was that word again. “Yeah, don’t get used to it. I’m thinking about retiring it forever. All it got me was a kick in the genitals.”

Joey started laughing and shaking his head. “Come on inside. Let’s eat. There’s plenty to go around, and you obviously need the company. You can crash here tonight.”

I appreciated my brother’s hospitality. We may bump heads a lot, but he’d always been around when I needed him. Our mother had taught us that.

A couple hours later, after a six-pack of beers, I sent Peyton the text message that Lacey suggested. It was simple and to the point.

I really need to talk to you, but I can wait until you’re ready. I’m sorry about today. Love Jamey

I don’t know why but I stared at my phone for a long time, waiting for a reply to come through. Finally sleep came, and all I could hope for was to dream about being in that green pasture with Peyton, because that was the happiest I’d been in forever.

Chapter 13

Peyton

I woke up in a strange bed, all alone. After realizing that I was still in Wayne’s bedroom, I headed out to look for him. On the couch, he slept sound, like a real gentlemen should. I grabbed a blanket off the back and covered him up, kissing the top of his forehead out of appreciation. His eyes opened and I felt sort of stupid for doing it, like it implied something I wasn’t ready for.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, just woke up and wondered where you were.”

He rolled over pulling the blanket with him. “Just get some sleep. We can talk in the morning.”

“I can sleep on the couch. It’s not a big deal. You don’t have to sacrifice your bed for me.” This man had already done too much. I felt bad for depending on him.

“Peyton, we’re friends. It’s not a big deal. Let me be a gentlemen and offer you my bed. I owe you.”

He owed me? That was a first. Nobody ever owed me anything, because I’d always been so selfish, thinking of my own needs before anyone else’s. “If you insist.”

“I do, now go get some rest. I promised Abigail bacon in the morning. Hope you like it crispy.”

I smiled, realizing that he wasn’t going to let me sleep on that couch, no matter how many times I offered. I thought about seeing Abigail, and eating that crispy bacon, instead of dwelling on the negative in my life. Having this friendship meant so much to me. He didn’t owe me anything, because I would never be able to repay him for what he continued to do for me.

I found it hard to fall back asleep. After tossing and turning around in the bed, I located my phone and turned it back on. A text message from Jamey made my stomach knot up. I knew I should have erased it, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it without seeing what it said.

I read the message three times, and wondered why he was trying so hard to convince me otherwise. It was hard to turn off the phone and get back under the covers. I was surprised when I managed to do it without breaking down again. I suppose I was going through the motions. First there was the pain, and now all I felt was anger. I’d been betrayed by the one man I’d given my heart to. It was going to take a ton of time, but I would get over this, and possibly have a future with someone that understood me; someone like Wayne.

The sunlight let me know that morning had come. Wrapped in the blankets like a cocoon, I rolled over to see that it was past nine in the morning. The house was still quiet, and I certainly didn’t want to wake Wayne or Abigail by getting up, so I lay there looking around the room. On the bedside table was a picture of Wayne and his wife. It must have been before she got sick. Her auburn hair was long and full of curls. Her belly had a bump, letting me know that she was carrying Abigail. Wayne wasn’t looking at the camera when the picture was shot. Instead he was looking at his wife with a huge smile on his face. I picked up the photo and traced the figures in the picture, wondering if I’d ever be able to experience that kind of love. While in deep thought the door creaked up. I looked up to see Wayne standing there, looking down at the frame I now held in my hands. “Sorry, I was just-.”