Jake
There was only one person I could talk to about everything going on. Because of her, my world had completely shifted.
I stood in my living room and looked around. “Margaret?” I called out. “Can you hear me?”
The last time I thought of her, she had appeared. I was hoping she’d do the same again.
A few seconds passed and nothing.
“Margaret, please,” I pleaded. “I have to talk to you. I don’t know what to do about Max and Jake. Jake was never an option but . . .”
But what?I thought to myself.Say it, Lydia.
I went back to my room and picked up the mistletoe from my dresser, holding it in my hand as I carried it into the living room. I sat down on the couch and stared at it. I wanted Jake to be an option. If he was one of my paths, would I choose him over Max?
The mistletoe sent a spark of warmth through my body and the glittery silver ribbon shimmered for a split second.
“Margaret, I really need to talk to you,” I said, wishing she’d appear. “I know you can hear me.”
I waited and waited, holding my breath every few seconds. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears and the old clock ticking on the fireplace mantle.
Margaret wasn’t coming.
Closing my eyes, I held onto the mistletoe and breathed. There was nothing else to do but wait for Jake to come back. He was the one I needed to talk to more than anything.
So, that was what I did.
I sat and I waited.
Four hours passed, and I never once moved from the couch. My head was still a little fuzzy from the nighttime medicine, but I pushed through it. Hearing everything Hailey and Jake talked about sobered me up quickly. But I wanted to hear Jake say it all to my face.
The sound of Jake’s car coming down the driveway caught my attention, and I jumped to my feet. My heart pounded so hard I thought it’d burst out my chest. Was I ready to hear what he had to say?
I watched him park and my nerves got the best of me. Quickly, I hurried to my bedroom and set my mistletoe on the dresser. I listened to Jake enter the house and heard his footsteps go upstairs to his room.
About ten minutes later, I could hear him walking down the stairs. It was time.
I took a deep breath then let it out slowly, and opened my bedroom door, tiptoeing down the hallway. Jake hadn’t seen me yet, but I watched him set his bag on the floor. He walked over to the refrigerator and looked at the pictures I had hanging under the magnets. The one he was staring at was a selfie of us at the Flat Top Mountain fire tower with a gorgeous view of the mountains behind us.
I walked out into the living room and stood there, waiting for him to turn around.
“That was a good day,” he said, pointing at the picture.
He glanced back at me and the sad smile on his face made my heart ache even more. “Yes, it was,” I agreed. I looked over at his bag on the floor. “Are you going somewhere?”
Jake picked up his duffle, hanging it on his shoulder, and walked into the living room. “I am. I bought a house today. The papers have been signed.”
“What?” I stood in complete shock, wondering how that even happened. “You didn’t like any of the houses your realtor sent you.”
He nodded. “I know, but I needed to do something. Staying here isn’t going to work.”
The thought of him leaving left an emptiness inside me. Even though I knew him and Hailey tricked me into letting him stay here, I still wasn’t ready for him to go. We had a lot of talking to do. But what upset me was that he bought a house he didn’t want.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Which house did you buy, Jake?”
There was no excitement in his eyes. “The one with the stone exterior. It came fully furnished.”
It was a gorgeous house, indeed, but not his style.
