Reject Me (Kin #5)(40)
Author: Jennifer Foor

While gathering my things I say goodbye to Ash and the twins. I could tell she felt sorry for me, but didn’t want to piss off Shayne by telling me.

The short drive home gave me little time to rationalize. Where I should have driven to my empty house, I headed for the one person who would give me the best advice. Wayne was surprised to see me walk into the bookstore. He was sitting behind the counter with his head in a book. After marking his page, he sat it down and shot me a worried glare. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the beach basking in the sun?”

“Yeah. That was the plan.”

“So what happened?”

“Jamey. My brother. Drama.”

Wayne snickered. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Because it’s like my life is on repeat,” I suggested.

“You know, you could change that if you wanted to?”

“Wayne, I need your advice. I’m so confused.”

He walked toward me and wrapped his arms around me. “First things first.”

I smiled knowing that he cared about my sanity. “I needed that,” I said as he pulled away.

He led me over to a round table and we sat down across from each other. “It’s been quiet in here all day, so give it to me straight. What happened?”

I sat there for the next hour explaining every detail of what had transpired at the beach. Wayne listened patiently, without interrupting. When I finished I sat there waiting for him to give it to me straight. “What a mess.”

“I know,” I admitted sadly.

“Peyton, I could give you advice, and tell you what I think you should do, but the question here is what do you want?”

“I want to feel free, like nothing is bein’ hidden from me. I want to be happy.”

“Does Jamey make you happy?”

“Yes, but he also makes me hurt. He scares me.”

“I hate to break it to you, but this decision is yours to make, Peyton. You’re either going to take the risk or learn how to let it go.”

“If you found out your wife had cheated on you, what would you have done?”

Wayne looked down at his hands. I could tell it was a hard question for him to answer, as anything about his late wife was. “She and I talked about this once when she was sick. She kept telling me to go out and find someone to keep me occupied so I wouldn’t dwell on her being so sick. Of course I couldn’t do it. Anyway, I’ll tell you exactly like I told it to her. My love for her was too strong to let go of. We’re human, and it’s in our nature to make mistakes. If she loved only me and wanted us to work I would have forgiven her, because I’d rather know she was still mine, then lose everything we had.”

It was shocking. “Really? You’d be able to get past it?”

“I would never forget it happened, and I’d always be cautious of what she was involved in, but I would forgive her. My situation is much different than yours, Peyton, and I realize some people find cheating as an endgame.”

I stood up from the table and looked directly at Wayne. “I need to go.”

He stood up. “Wait? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. There’s just somethin’ that I need to do. I’ll call you tonight. We can have dinner or somethin’.”

Wayne waved to me as I ran out the door, not really explaining what had come over me. I must have seemed like lunatic to him, not that I cared. I had an idea and I prayed that it was going to work.

Once I got back to my house in the comfort of the bedroom, I sat down on my mattress and pulled Jamey’s phone out of my purse. I scrolled through the names of females, feeling instantly nauseous how many he had, finally coming to Angie’s number. The text was to the point.

What’s up, sexy? – Jamey

She responded immediately.

I didn’t think I ever hear from you again. What’s wrong? Did blondie finally give up? – Ang

I cringed reading her message, but jumped to respond back.

That bitch is crazy. You were right. – Jamey

I guess you want to hook up? – Ang

There was a few seconds where I wanted to throw the phone against the wall.

I was just thinking about the last time we were together. I dreamed about it last night. – Jamey

Wow you remember that? It was so long ago. – Ang

Has it really been that long? I guess time flies when you’re having fun. – Jamey

It’s been over a year. I still have that shirt you gave me from the concert we all went to. It has the date on it. – Ang

I was shaking so badly, partly because she was talking about being on a date with him, but mostly because she was admitting they’d never been together in recent months. Jamey had been telling me the truth the whole time.

You shouldn’t have lied to Peyton like you did. I would have dumped her anyway. _ Jamey

I was doing you a favor. We both know you don’t do relationships. – Ang

Ang, that’s where you’re wrong. I love Peyton. Thanks for giving me the proof I needed to get her back. – Jamey

I didn’t want her knowing it was me. After watching four messages come through, that I ignored responding to, I put his phone back in my purse and began to sob. I’d gone through hell because of that stupid bitch. Sure, he’d cheated, but his honesty had been a breaking point for us. Wayne had been right. I could spend my whole life miserable, or be with the man I loved.

I had a lot to do to make things right. The first call was to my brother.

“Did you make it home safe?”

“Yeah, listen, I’m goin’ to be with Jamey whether you like it or not. I hope that in time you can get past your feelin’s and get along, for me.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am. Shayne, I don’t expect you to ever understand, but you can at least be supportive of my decision.”

“Supportive? That son-of-a-bitch just showed up and started with me again. I will never support you bein’ with him, that’s why I called the f**kin’ cops. Your boy just got taken away in handcuffs, and I’m guessin’ since he’s still on probation that his ass ain’t gettin’ out anytime soon.”

I was in shock. He couldn’t have gone there with intent to stir up something with my brother. He had to have been mistaken. “Please tell me you’re jokin’.”

“Do I sound like I’m jokin’? That little bastard ain’t comin’ on my porch disrespectin’ me. I let him get one punch in before I called the authorities. For the last time, Peyton, stay away from him. He’s bad news.”