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

Lacey spoke first. “We were just talking about you.”

“You were?” That could never be good.

“We were taking bets on if Jamey would show,” Ford laughed out his words.

I picked up a cheese curl out of the bowl between us and tossed it his way. “Don’t be a dick. He had something to do.”

“Yeah, I bet he did.” Ford rolled his eyes.

“All that matters is that you’re here,” Lacey added to soften the mood.

They all knew the truth.

My lies were even starting to get on my nerves.

Sky shoved Ford before addressing the elephant in the room. She leaned in as she spoke, making sure nobody else than our table could hear. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s cut off for going golfing with your brother yesterday, so he’s in a grumpy mood.”

“That’s not true,” he disagreed.

I smiled as they bickered amongst themselves. When their conversation started to get personal I turned my attention to Lacey. “So what’s new?”

She shrugged. “Joey’s been so busy with the restaurant that I’ve barely been able to talk to Sky and we live next door.” Lacey’s father owned a vineyard and restaurant about an hour away. Since Joey had returned home and begun looking for a permanent job, he’d kind of fallen into a partnership with Lacey’s dad. It was weird how Ford and Joey both worked for their girlfriend’s parents, but both jobs didn’t require them to be anywhere near each other. Lacey’s dad owned lots of small business’, so him buying a restaurant for his daughter and her chef boyfriend to run made sense. “Joey’s taking me to look at houses closer to the restaurant this week.”

“So you’re going to move near Easton?”

“St. Michaels. We want to be able to ride our bikes to work, you know to be able to work out before and after, since all the time we spend there takes away from the gym.”

I looked over at my brother, Shayne, and Joey. They were standing at the grill, and I didn’t want to know what they were talking about, since most of the time they avoided each other. “That can’t be good,” I said as I pointed toward the two.

“Shayne’s telling Joey about his realtor friend. Joey wants to buy a foreclosure that needs work. As if we don’t have enough on our plate.”

“Stop acting like your daddy isn’t going to help you, Lace. You know he is,” Sky interrupted.

“Probably. He hates our small apartment, and the fact that not even half of my clothes fit in our closets.”

“You have problems,” I noted. Sky and I began to laugh, even though she was in the same situation with Lacey. How they ended up as a part of my extended family was beyond me.

“Speaking of problems, has Joey talked to Jamey about taking over our lease?” Lacey’s question only made me more concerned about my relationship with Jamey.

“I have no clue. Was he supposed to?”

“He told me he did it last week some time.”

That explained everything. Jamey and I were fighting a lot last week over a number that I found in the center console of his car. He claimed that it was old, but it didn’t make sense since we’d cleaned his car a dozen times in the past year. I knew he still flirted with women that came into the diner, but getting their numbers and not throwing them away was a whole different ballgame. To me, it meant he was interested in them. “He probably forgot to mention it.”

Sky asked the next question. “Are you excited about the ski trip we’re all taking together this Thanksgiving?”

My heart dropped. “Ski trip?”

“Yeah, we saw Jamey last Sunday at the diner. He said to count him in for two people. Maybe he wants to surprise you with it? That’s so sweet. Don’t tell him I told you, just in case.”

I tried to smile, implying that I’d be the one that he invited, though I knew it wasn’t the truth. As the day went by I was suddenly realizing that maybe all my efforts were for nothing. Jamey wasn’t making plans for us long term. I was a temporary fix.

I began to cry, unable to hold my emotions in any longer. I knew they’d follow me into the house and up the stairs, expecting me to spill about what was going on with me, but I wasn’t prepared for what they were going to say to me.

I’d made it to the bathroom before the door opened and they found me sitting on the closed toilet seat. “Come out with it. What’s going on? Did you break up?”

I looked over through my tear-filled eyes to see Lacey, Sky, and Ashley waiting for an answer. “You’re not going to go away until I tell you, are you?”

“I told you he doesn’t treat her right,” Sky said to Lacey.

“We didn’t break up, well, not exactly. Things are just complicated. I love him so much it hurts, you know? I want to be serious with Jamey, but he acts like that word is off limits. I don’t know what else to do to make him change. I try to make him happy. I give him everything he wants. He says I’m clingy and pushes me away, though. What am I doing wrong?” I needed a solution that obviously I couldn’t figure out myself.

“You need to dump his ass,” Ashley interrupted.

“Yeah, you should,” Sky agreed.

Before I could argue Lacey added, “What they mean is that if you cut him off he’ll come running back.”

“What if he doesn’t?” It was my greatest fear. “What if he’s only hanging on for the sex?”

Lacey leaned down and touched my arm. “If that’s what he’s doing do you really want to be with him? Peyton you deserve to be happy.”

“I’m happy when I’m with Jamey.”

“No you’re not,” Ashley announced. “You complain about him every day. I hear you fighting with him on the phone, and watch you read his texts.”

I looked away from the women in the bathroom. “So I’m just supposed to break my own heart to see if he comes back?”

“Honey, you’re heart is already broken. Don’t you see that?” Ashley came in and the other two moved aside. “Your brother tries to keep quiet about it, but he tells me how worried he is. When you’re with Jamey it’s like you become blind.”

“He can change.” I was taking up for him, defending him when I knew it was wrong. “He just needs time.”

Lacey corrected me right away. “You need to be away from him, Peyton. Just come here for a few weeks and let things settle down. The two of you are like gasoline to a fire. If you keep going on like this there’s going to be an explosion. He talks to his brother and I know you don’t want to hear it, but he’s not serious like you are. Don’t keep hurting yourself day in and day out. Make him see what he’s lost. It’s the only way you’ll know how he really feels. Trust me.”