The lights at the baseball stadium flicked off as the last of the fans pulled out of the gravel lot. The opposing team piled onto their bus and the engine roared to life with a loud puff of smoke. I stood next to my rented Ford Mustang and watched as the home team players sporadically filed out of the locker room. My legs were shaking like crazy, my nerves completely frayed.
I noticed Jack immediately. He was freshly showered, his black hair still dripping wet. A smile crept across my face and I knew without a doubt that if my eyes could sparkle like stars, they would have. Seeing him almost brought me to my knees.
I watched as his eyes scanned the parking lot for his car, before they stopped on me. He looked away and then quick
ly jerked back, his hair spraying water from the force of the turn.
“Kitten?” He dropped his bag, running.
“I hate when you call me that,” I half shouted with a smile.
“What are you doing here?”
I leaned my back into the car as he kissed the side of my face and then stood far too close. I felt my stomach drop to my knees. And my knees drop to my feet. And my feet…well, they could barely stand. He wrapped his arms around me and I nuzzled into his neck, breathing him in. I stopped my fingers from running through his wet hair. I stopped my hands from gripping the back of his neck and pulling him to me. I stopped my mouth from attacking his.
God, I missed him. What was left of my broken heart belonged to him. Every jagged shard had his name written all over it in permanent black ink.
He gently pulled back from our embrace before asking me again, “What are you doing here, Cass?”
“I just…” I hadn’t thought about what I was going to say, which was really stupid. I’d just been so consumed in the process of getting to Alabama so I could see him, I hadn’t really thought through what I was going to say once I got there. “I just wanted to talk to you. ”
“You could have called. ” His teasing tone was so familiar, bringing memories crashing back that made my throat start to burn.
“I wanted to see you in person. ”
He suddenly shifted his weight and his eyes widened. “Are you okay? Everything is okay with you, right?”
I smiled at his protectiveness. “Yeah. I’m fine. ”
I watched as he regained his composure with a shaky breath. “That’s good. I don’t know what I’d do if something ever happened to you, Kitten. ”
“Like if I was marrying a complete stranger tomorrow?”
His body stiffened. “Is that why you’re here?” I watched his shoulders and head drop as the realization hit.
“Jack. It’s a mistake. You shouldn’t do this. Please don’t do it…don’t marry this girl. ” My left hand balled into a fist and rested between my breasts. “I’m begging you. I am literally begging you to not do this. ”
I started crying. The ugly, uncontrollable kind of crying. His eyes glistened and I watched him blink back his own tears.
“It’s too late. Her whole family’s in town. ” His face pinched with pained emotion.
“It’s not too late. Tomorrow at whatever time you’re supposed to marry her is too late. Tonight isn’t. Please. ” I reached for his shirt and gripped, balling it tightly in my fist. “Please don’t do this to me. ”
“I’m sorry you flew all this way. ” His eyes looked away from mine.
“So that’s it? You won’t even consider not going through with it?”
“I already made my decision. ”
“Do you love her?” I asked, my heart beating as if the next pulse depended on his answer.
His body suddenly pressed against mine as he cupped my face with both hands. “You’re so beautiful. ”
I struggled to breathe. “Do you love her?” I choked out the words.
His dark eyes narrowed. “She’s not you. ”
His breath was a mixture of warmth and cinnamon from his long-gone breath mint. “What does that even mean?” I asked, my tears spilling over his fingertips.