Don't Promise (Don't 3)

I hung up and plugged the phone in the charger.

In five days things were going to implode. There was no fucking way around it. But I had trusted Alexa that this was the way she needed to do it. I wasn’t used to someone else calling the shots. Not Linc. Not Charlie. Sure as hell not a woman in my life.

But it didn’t feel like a prison with Alexa. It felt right. And that scared the absolute shit out of me.

31

Alexa

I paced in front of the pool. Jake always liked sitting out here. I even had lunch catered. I needed every brownie point I could get before we had this conversation.

I arranged the linen napkins again. It had to be perfect. From the sunflowers to the croissants. I couldn’t settle for a wilted petal or a crumb on the tablecloth.

Early November was gorgeous in Tennessee. The leaves rustled around me. From the corner of my eye I caught a few deep orange ones floating to the ground.

I pulled the ankle-length wrap to my chest for comfort. I don’t know what I thought I would find. He was going to be furious. There was nothing here to save me. Nowhere to hide once I told him the truth.

“There you are.” Jake strolled onto the patio.

“Hi.” I leaned in when he kissed my cheek.

“Look at this spread.” He plucked a grape from the fruit tray and popped it in his mouth. I thought maybe it was the pool, but his eyes looked bluer than usual today.

“Let’s sit and eat,” I suggested.

Jake pulled the chair out for me and I scooted into the cushioned seat.

“Gorgeous day.” He mused at the scenery.

“It is.” I pulled a bottle of chilled cider from the bucket. Jake never drank during the day. He said it gave him too much of a buzz.

I offered him a glass before filling my own.

“Remember when I first found this house?” I asked.

He smiled. “I think I found it for you.”

“Ok, remember when you found this house?”

He nodded. “Two years ago?”

“Yes. It was.”

I was headed somewhere. I just didn’t know if I could take Jake with me. I didn’t know if he was capable anymore of being the friend I used to have. But ever since the CYA nominations, it was as if a part of that man had re-emerged. The part that had drawn me to him.

He laughed. “I think we ordered pizza and ate in one of your dining rooms on the floor.”

“And the power went out on us because I forgot to call the power company.”

He chuckled. “Who buys a million-dollar house and forgets to turn the power on?” His eyes sparkled.

“I guess that would be me.” I giggled.

We had bought sleeping bags and crashed in a guestroom together. The furniture delivery was still a week off from when I closed on the house, but Jake and I were so excited about it we didn’t wait for furniture. We didn’t care there wasn’t a dining room set or any beds.

“So much has happened since then.” I turned to look at him.

“Yep. I’m having lunch with country’s reigning country music queen.”