Cherished by Kelly Elliott
I walked out into the sun and let out a few curse words. As I made my way back to Gunner’s house, Dewey, Aaron, and Drake were standing there, talking to Gunner. Drake turned and started toward me.
Shit, he looks pissed. Where’s Jessie? Damn, I’m never drinking again.
As Drake walked up, I held out my hand to shake his, and before I knew what was happening, he reached back and punched the fuck out of me. I fell backward, and I swore I saw my future flash before my eyes. Gunner yelled out and ran over as I slowly got up and wiped the blood from my mouth.
“What in the fuck, Drake?” both Gunner and I said at the same time.
“You son of a bitch, what did you do to my daughter?”
I looked at Drake like he was crazy. I glanced over toward Dew and Aaron, and they both looked like they wanted to kick my ass.
I shook my head. “Wait…wait just a second. I just woke up in Gunner’s fucking barn, for Christ’s sake. I can’t even move my head, and thanks to you, I think I might have ruptured something. What are you talking about? Where is Jessie? I don’t remember anything that happened last night.”
Drake looked at me, confused, and then he looked at Gunner.
“Scott, do you remember most of us leaving because Gramps had a heart attack?” Gunner asked.
My heart stopped, and I put my hands on my knees. “What? Oh my god, Gunner! Is he…”
Gunner held up his hand. “He’s okay. He’s doing good, but he’ll be in the hospital for a few days.”
I let out a sigh of relief, and then all of a sudden, I was taken over with a sick feeling.
Jessie…
“Where’s Jessie?” I asked as I looked at Drake.
He ran his hand through his hair and waved for one of the boys to come over. Aaron walked up to me and gave me a dirty look as he handed me a piece of paper. It took me a few minutes to focus on the paper, but once I did, I felt my legs slowly about to give out. Gunner and Aaron both reached out and grabbed me before I fell.
“What does she mean…she’s leaving? Where in the hell is she? Why in the hell does she say I’m cheating? I’m not cheating! I just bought her an engagement ring. I was going to come talk to you today, Drake, about asking her to marry me.”
Dewey started laughing. “Is that right?”
I shot my head up and looked at him as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. I opened it up. “I’ve been carrying it around with me the last few days. I was going to ask her at my parents’ anniversary party.” I started shaking my head. “I don’t understand. Why would she think I’m cheating?” I glanced up at Gunner with tears in my eyes. “Gunner, I swear to God, I’ve never been unfaithful to her. I would never hurt her. I love her more than anyone. She’s my whole goddamn life.”
Gunner hit my back as he guided me into his house. “I know, Scott, I know.”
We all sat down at the kitchen table.
All I could do was put my head in my hands and cry. She left me? Why would she leave me?
I reached for my phone to call her. “Where in the hell is my phone?”
“Don’t bother. We’ve been trying all morning. It just keeps ringing,” Aaron said as he looked over at Jenny, who had just walked into the kitchen.
I threw my hands in my hair and then dragged them down my face. Maybe she’s hurt? Fuck! What if she’s been trying to call me? Where in the fuck is my phone?
“I gotta get home.” I got up and started making my way out to my truck.
Gunner called out to me, “Scott! Your brother took your truck home last night. When he couldn’t find you, he thought you’d left with Jessie. I guess he didn’t think you would be passed out in the barn.”
“Can I use your phone, Gunner?” I let out a long sigh.
I made my way to the phone and dialed my home number.
When Bryce answered, he sounded panicked. “Hello?”
“Bryce, it’s me. Hey, do you have—”
“Holy fucking shit. Where have you been? Oh my god, Scott, I’m so sorry. Jesus, I’ve been trying to call her all morning.”
My head was already spinning, and now, my brother was talking so fast that I had no idea what in the hell he was saying.
I tried to get him to calm down. “Bryce. Bryce! Jesus H. Christ, what in the hell are you talking about? Have you talked to Jessie?”
“Wait—you haven’t talked to her? Where are you?”
“I’m at Gunner’s. Somehow, I managed to pass out in the barn last night. After I woke up, Drake knocked the shit out of me, and Aaron showed me a note that Jessie had left for him. She said that I’m a cheating bastard, and she was leaving town.”
“Oh fuck. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This is all my fault.”
When my brother began crying on the other end of the line, my heart started beating faster. I glanced up toward Gunner and then Drake.
“What do you mean, Bryce? How is all this your fault? What in the hell happened?”
Bryce took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Last night, Jessie asked me to make sure you got home ’cause you were drunk. She was going to the hospital. She was panicking about Gramps.”
I shook my head. “I know all this shit. What is all your fault? Cut to the fucking chase.”
“When I got to your house, I saw your phone sitting on your passenger seat, so I grabbed it to bring it in. I saw a BMW parked in the driveway, but I didn’t really think anything of it. Then, as I got closer to the front porch, I saw Chelsea sitting there. She said she’d been locked out of her house, and she had nowhere to go.”
I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach. What in the fuck did Chelsea do? And how was my brother a part of it?
“Anyway, I invited her inside, and we got to talking. Then, we had a few drinks, and man, she started coming on to me like crazy. She got up and said she had to make a call on her cell phone. When she got back, she was naked, and then she began walking toward your bedroom. I was pretty trashed. I wasn’t thinking clearly. We ended up in your bedroom…in your bed.”
I started shaking my head. “You fucked my ex-fiancée, Bryce? And in my own goddamn bed? You couldn’t at least go to another room?”
“Jesus, Scott, I’ve been cursing myself all night. At any rate, Chelsea had the whole thing planned out. She was on top, going hard and fast, and the next thing I heard was Jessie saying, ‘Oh my god.’ Then, Chelsea told her something about waiting on her before we started without her. Chelsea had blocked me from Jessie’s view. I tried calling out, but Jessie slammed the door, and then Chelsea was laughing. I pushed the bitch off and got dressed. I tried to go after Jessie, but Chelsea stopped me, and by the time I got outside, Jessie was gone. I ran back into the house to grab your phone. I remembered setting it on the foyer table, but it was gone.”
Jesus, no wonder she thinks I cheated. Why would Chelsea do this?
Oh my god…Jessie.
“I asked Chelsea if she had taken it, and when she started laughing again, I lost it on her. I grabbed her and began screaming at her, asking her what she did. She ended up telling me that she had just happened to stop by, and she had been waiting for you to come home. When I got there and said I couldn’t find you, I guess she made a phone call to a friend of hers who had been at the birthday party. She told Chelsea that you were trashed, and the last she’d heard, you were passed out somewhere. So, Chelsea sent a text to Jessie, saying you were waiting on her to come home.”
“Motherfucker,” was all I could get out.
“She’d set it all up, Scott, and if I hadn’t been such a prick and fucked her, it would have never happened. My god…I’m so sorry. I’ve been trying to call Jessie ever since she left last night.”
I need my truck. I have to find her. “Bryce, I’m heading home to get my truck. Call everyone you know. Tell them to be on the lookout for her.”
I hung up and turned to everyone. They were all staring at me.
“Well?” Dewey said as he gave me a pissed-off look.
&nbs
Drake looked at me and nodded. “I’ll take you home.”
I turned to Gunner and asked him to start calling everyone in case Jessie called anyone. I started to make my way to Drake’s truck. I couldn’t walk fast enough.
“Scott…Scott, let’s calm down and think this through. I’m sure we will find her, and everything will be okay. All we have to do is explain to Jessie what happened,” Drake said.
I turned and just stared at him. “How, Drake? None of us know where in the hell she is, and she thinks I fucked Chelsea. She thinks I hurt her . She has to be devastated, Drake. I have to find her.” I felt tears falling down my face. “I have to find her, Drake. I have to. She’s my whole life. I don’t want to live if she’s not in my life. She’s…she’s…” I started shaking my head. “She’s my whole life.”
Drake nodded and put his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find her, son. I know Jessie, and she wouldn’t just leave without telling someone where she’s going.”
I nodded in agreement, but something deep down inside was screaming that she was gone and was never planning on coming back.
Jessie…baby, please come back to me. I love you, baby. Please just come back to me.
I woke up to the sound of Scott calling out for me, begging me to come home. I looked around the plane and grabbed my stomach. I felt so sick. This just didn’t feel right, running away like this, but I couldn’t chance seeing him.
Oh god, Scott, why? Why did you sleep with her? Drunk or not…how could you hurt me like this?
After the long flight, I was finally walking up to my cabana. I couldn’t help but smile at the thatched roof. The view to the ocean was breathtaking.
Scott would love it here. I felt tears coming again.
Scott had been asking me so many questions about what I wanted to do when we got married. He’d asked if I wanted a big wedding with lots of guests or a small one with just family and where my dream honeymoon would be. I had told him I always wanted to go to Belize. Belize would be my dream honeymoon, and here I was, standing outside a beautiful cabana. I was all alone and totally heartbroken, feeling like I was flying in a free fall.
I took a deep breath and made my way up onto the small porch that looked out to the ocean. I glanced over to the beach and saw a man around my age walking alone. I wasn’t sure why I stopped and watched him, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. He looked up, and our eyes caught. I tried to smile as I gave him a wave, but he must have been able to tell that I’d been crying. He frowned and then smiled as he continued along the beach.
I turned and opened the door. I walked into the room where I was planning on spending the next few weeks…alone. I just needed time to sort through things and figure out what I was going to do now that I wouldn’t be buying the vet clinic in Mason.
Where will I go? What will I do?
I sat at the small table for two at the Mesa Café and waited on my shrimp burger. I’d tried to call my father’s house to let him know I was okay, but I couldn’t get the stupid phone in my room to work. I just hoped that Amanda and Brad had let everyone know that they had seen me. I didn’t want my dad to worry about me.
Oh shit…he’s going to kill me for running off and not telling him where I was going. Double fuck!
“Long time no see.”
I looked up and saw the same man I’d seen earlier walking on the beach. He was peeking down at me with a drop-dead gorgeous smile. I couldn’t help but notice those deep green eyes, and his dark brown hair had that perfect messy look to it. I smiled back and nodded.
“Hi, um…I just got here today, so you’re actually the first person I’ve talked to…well, besides the hotel staff and the waitress here.” I let out a giggle.
Oh, for the love of God, what is wrong with me? I just made an ass of myself.
He glanced down at the empty chair and lifted his eyebrows. “Tell me why a beautiful woman, such as yourself, is here alone.”
My smile slowly faded before I managed another weak smile. “It’s a long story.”
He nodded and said, “Mending a broken heart?”
My mouth dropped open, and I just stared at him. Am I that obvious? “Um…”
He started laughing. “Don’t be too shocked, love. I’m here for the same reason.”
I lifted my eyebrows with a questioning look.
“Yep. I was left at the altar…literally. I was standing there, waiting for her to walk down the aisle. She never made it, and I was left with two plane tickets to Belize and a broken heart bigger than the size of Texas. So, what else could I do? I made the trip with my best friend. He just left yesterday.”
“I’m so sorry. That must have really hurt. I’m glad your friend was able to make the trip with you though. Did y’all at least get to have fun while he was here?”
He smiled. “Oh, hell yeah. It was nothing but getting drunk and then waking up the next day to go sightseeing before getting drunk again. That was our routine for two weeks. By the way”—he extended his hand out to me—“the name is Trey Walker.”
I placed my hand in his and smiled. “Jessie Rhodes. And yes, I’m mending a broken heart, but I’m not really ready to talk about it, so…”
Trey held up his hands and smiled bigger. I wasn’t sure what made me do it, but the next thing I knew, I was inviting him to sit and have dinner with me. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to talk to him. I actually laughed a few times. I also found out that he was a lawyer from Dallas, Texas.
Huh…I would have never pegged him as a lawyer.
“You’ve got to have the key lime pie gelato. Oh man, it’s to die for.”
I smiled. “Share it with me?”
“I was hoping you’d suggest that,” he said with a silly grin.
My stomach did a funny little dip. What in the hell was that?
I instantly felt guilty for even having dinner with Trey, and now, we were going to share a dessert. Then, I closed my eyes and saw Chelsea riding Scott, like the whore that she was, and I quickly pushed those feelings aside.
Besides, the last thing I wanted was another relationship. Men sucked.
Trey was telling me how he and his best friend had ended up falling off a pier a few days ago, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how animated he was. It was so nice to finally not think about what had happened to me. To be able to laugh felt so good.
“Sounds like y’all had an interesting few days,” I said.
Trey nodded his head and smiled. “May I walk you back to your cabana?”
For a few seconds, the guilt from wanting him to walk me back filled my whole body until I quickly pushed it aside.
“Yes, I’d love that. Thank you.”
As I walked up to my cabana, I turned to face Trey. “How much longer are you here for?” I asked.
He let out a long sigh. “I’m not sure. I’m, uh…I’m kind of afraid to go back, so I took a leave of absence. I’m thinking maybe another two months. I love the lifestyle down here. I just need…time. Does that make sense?”
I caught my breath because I felt the same way. I slowly nodded as I bit down on my lower lip. He reached up and pulled it out of my teeth.
There goes those butterflies again. I smiled and felt my face blush.
“Trey, I’m not looking to…you know.” I peeked up at him.
When my eyes caught his, I swore his eyes twinkled.
He gave me the cutest crooked smile and let out a small laugh. “Believe me, love, I’m not interested in a relationship either…but since we’re both here, we might as well enjoy each other’s company. How about I show you around tomorrow?”
I smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”
He took a step backward and gave me a thumbs-up. “It’s a planned event then—not a date but a planned event.”
I
“Eight thirty. We have a ton to see.”
We said our good-byes, and then I walked into my empty cabana. I leaned back against the door and smiled. There was something about Trey that just made me feel comfortable. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he made me feel…happy.
I’m not going to feel guilty. If being friends with Trey will make me feel better and forget about the hurt for a few hours, then so be it.
I started stripping out of my clothes, and then I put on a T-shirt. After I sat on the bed, I pulled my knees up and set my chin on them as I listened to the sound of the ocean. I couldn’t help but think of Scott. God, I miss his touch already. I missed his breath on my neck as he would whisper how much he loved me and only wanted me. I put my hand up to my neck and could almost feel the warmth. I took a deep breath and let it out as I lay down.
After four hours of just lying there, I finally fell asleep. I dreamed of Scott walking along the beach with me. We were holding hands…and then someone came up behind us and pulled our hands apart. When I turned around to see who it was, I saw deep green eyes looking into mine.
I sat up quickly in bed and looked at the clock. It was eight on the dot.
“Shit!” I jumped up and started getting ready.
For ten minutes, I tried to get my hair to look decent before I ended up pulling it into a ponytail.
Shit, I never called anyone. I made a mental note to look for a cell phone.
I quickly walked up to the lobby of the hotel and noticed a pay phone. I had to laugh. I hadn’t seen one of those in years. I pulled out my credit card and hit zero. I gave the operator my credit card number and Amanda and Brad’s phone number. I didn’t think I could talk to my father just yet. The call was full of static, but I heard Amanda answer.