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We talk all night long in soft whispers and all that is righteous should forgive me, but I honestly do love him. Yes, after only a few days, I love him. I can see myself spending the rest of my life with him.
With my head in the crook of his arm, I notice it getting light outside. As I start to drift off to sleep, I hear him whisper, I cannot be certain, but I am almost sure, “I love you,” into my hair.
I wake up, smiling, with Jared’s soft kisses on my lips.
“Time to wake up, sleepy head,” he whispers.
I yawn and stretch, looking up at him. Even with a sleepy look, he is the most handsome boy I have ever met.
“What do you want to do today?” He asks.
“Be with you.” I feel self-conscious. Being forward in daylight is not as easy as during the night.
“That’s not negotiable.” He asks, “Breakfast first?”
“That would be nice.” I sit up hurriedly. “What’s the time? I have to call my mum.”
“No worries, it’s still early. I’ll go downstairs and hear what everybody is planning to do today, while you get ready and phone your mum.”
He pulls me close and kisses me lingeringly. “Will miss you.”
“Go on.” I laugh and push him off the bed.
He walks out the door, looking back over his shoulder, smiling. A few moments later, I hear him downstairs, laughing with Connell, and he sounds happy.
I get up, close the door and call my mum. She answers on the second ring. “Hi, Mum. Just checking in.”
“Morning, Elizabeth. Did you sleep well?”
“I did actually,” I say—not feeling guilty. I did not do anything I should not have been doing.
She asks concerned, “When will you be home?”
“Is it okay, if I got home later this afternoon?” I ask hesitatingly.
“Of course.”
“Oh. Tell Sean I said thanks.”
“Whatever for?” She asks puzzled.
I cannot help my excitement. “For moving us to Ireland.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I’ll tell you this afternoon. I am so very, very happy. I can’t even believe it myself.”
She laughs happily. “Well, don’t let me keep you from your friends. I’ll see you later, and I love you, Elizabeth.”
“Love you too, Mum. Bye.”
I get my bag from off the floor and zip it open. I can kick myself for not packing nicer clothes, but I have no choice to make do with what I have. After I brush my teeth in the bathroom, I take my bag and go downstairs.
Sarah, Connell and Jared are sitting at the kitchen table, talking softly. Sarah is leaning more toward Jared, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulder and I feel a pang of jealousy.
Jared turns around as I walk in. When our eyes meet, he smiles radiantly as he gets up from the chair and walks toward me. When he reaches me, he wraps his arm around my waist, drawing me into him and he kisses me softly on the top of my head.
I walk with him to the table and involuntarily my eyes settle on Sarah. She looks beautiful, like she just stepped off a runway. How could I even compare my mousy self to her? We are in two very different categories – gorgeous and ordinary.
Jared reaches down to me and kisses me lightly on my cheek, while Sarah’s eyes burn a hole through me.
Connell breaks the silence, “Jared says that you and he are going for a drive, he wants to show you the sights.”
“That sounds nice.” I smile up at him, making sure not to look him in the eye.
He pulls me closer into him, as he says, “Well, we better be off then, while it is still clear outside. We won’t be able to see much when the mist starts drifting in, and I promised you breakfast.”
I hate the sound of my voice, when I say, “We don’t have to get breakfast. I’m not all that hungry.”
He sounds amused. “Not even a warm breakfast baguette?”
“I suppose.” I cannot help it when I pull myself away from Jared’s embrace. He and Sarah were sitting close together before I walked in, and I cannot shake the feeling of jealousy threatening to overwhelm me.
Jared lets me move away from him, but he slips his hand into mine and twirls his fingers around mine. Gently he pulls me with him to the front door.
Connell and Sarah remain seated at the table.
Jared greets them both, while my whispered greeting merges with his.
“Phone me later,” Connell calls when we are already halfway down the passageway.
Jared opens the front door, and I walk past him out to the Jeep. I feel a little awkward. Before I fell asleep it felt as if Jared and I were meant to be together, I even admitted to myself that I love him undeniably. Now, he feels so far away from me, as if last night never even happened. I convince myself; he cannot mean what he said the night before. There is no doubt in my mind he is still into Sarah.
He opens the door for me, and I get into the car. Leaning over me, he clips in my safety belt, while I clench my jaw impatiently. “Thanks,” I say sarcastically as he moves away from me.
He turns his head to look at me and a frown forms between his green eyes. Stepping back, he closes the door. He puts my bag onto the back seat behind me, before he walks around the front of the car, while I watch him. He is so worried he could get hurt, but I now feel as if I will be the one needing protection. He would not just break my heart; my heart would explode into a million splinters, should he decide to leave me, should he ever go back to Sarah.
He gets into the car and looking at me, he asks concerned, “Something wrong?”
Obviously, he does not know how good I am at pretending, so I take out my trusty smile. I look him straight in the eye and say, “No. Why?”
He returns my stare for a while and then looks forward again thoughtfully, while he starts the car and reverses out of the driveway.
“I thought you said your car was parked at John’s house?” I ask as sociable as I can.
“Yeah, John took Aaron home last night after Jane’s mum picked her up and then parked it at Connell’s.”
“Okay.” I had forgotten about Aaron and Jane. I wonder if Jane got her happy ever after, after all.
The car is silent as we drive out of the village, and he does not turn on the stereo.
