and everything Emelie said the other day keeps running through my head. It’s been on a nonstop loop, and it doesn’t matter if I’m awake or not. During the day I hear her words, and at night my dreams are filled with Jenna, who’s happy back home in Denver and wants nothing to do with me.
One thing I can agree on is that I have to do something because spending my life alone on this mountain without her isn’t an option. But have I fucked up too much to fix things? I told her to go home, and she did. I fully believe she should spend what time she can with her parents because she’s lucky they’re still around. Yet, how can I pull her away from them now?
I can’t. Day after day, that’s what has me frozen, trying to figure out my next move, and failing.
When I hear a car coming up the driveway, I figure it’s Emelie back to give me more wisdom that will keep me up at night. When I turn around and see Jenna’s ex, Chad, I’m shocked. I don’t know why I am. I gave him back the money he was demanding so, of course, he’s back for more.
He looks over the workshop, clearly uncomfortable with being here before his eyes land on me.
‘What are you doing here, Chad?’ I walk to the doorway and stand there cleaning my hands on a rag. Instead of being covered in sawdust today like I was when Emelie came to visit, I’ve been working on a chair, so I have wood stain on my hands.
‘You know Jenna is back in Denver?’ he asks
My body stiffens. If he knows that, it means he’s run into her. Are they going to get back together? I would hope after everything he’s done that she wouldn’t go there.
‘Yeah, I heard,’ is all I give him, waiting to see what he says next.
He nods and takes a look around like he’s uncomfortable in his surroundings and, out here, he should be.
‘I ran into her the other night at a gala. It was evident her parents forced her to go. Her mom must have picked out the dress. You could tell it wasn’t her style, and she just looked miserable. I realized that even back when we were together, she never quite fit in. That night, it hit me hard.’
‘Okay?’ I’m getting irritated. Is he just here to rub it in my face that he got to see Jenna, or that Jenna isn’t with me anymore? I can’t get a read on where this is going.
‘We talked, and it was something we both needed. Once we got engaged, we stopped talking, and I think that was our downfall. After the engagement broke off, I let my parents get into my head, something Jenna always helped prevent. For a while, I was lost without her, but seeing her the other night was a wake-up call.’
Chad pulls an envelope out of his back pocket and holds it up for me. Taking a few hesitant steps toward me, he holds the envelope out. I just stare at it, not wanting to accept it, especially since I have no idea what it is.
‘I’m giving your money back. Again, I’m sorry I let my parents get into my head. It was easier to listen to them than to admit I failed and screwed all this up.’
Hesitantly, I reach out and take the envelope. A quick glance shows it contains a stack of cash. I put the envelope in my back pocket because I don’t care if it’s all there or not.
‘Anyway, I wanted to give that back to you and to tell you that you’re a bloody idiot if you’re going to let that girl go. She’s miserable in Denver, she’s unhappy without you, and if you don’t get your ass together the next time I visit, you and I are going to have it out. I’ll probably lose, but that’s not going to stop me. Jenna and I were friends long before all this happened, and I just want her to be happy.’
Because I have no idea what to say, I just nod. Chad stares at me for a moment longer before he goes back to his car. Just as he reaches it, another car pulls up the driveway.
I really need to add a gate and a lock. For someone who likes their privacy as I do, there are way too many people coming in and out lately. I moved to the mountain to get away from people, not to have a never-ending train of visitors.
Chad doesn’t get in his car. He stares at the approaching vehicle. When I finally take my eyes off of him, I see that it’s Jenna. Chad nods at her before getting into his car and driving off.
It’s apparent this is going to be a shit show before the first word even comes out of her mouth. There’s anger and irritation in her eyes, but I don’t care. She’s here, and regardless of how pissed off she is, I’m going to fix this.
‘What the hell is Chad doing here?’ she demands, her voice laced with anger.
I pull the envelope from my back pocket and hold it up for a moment before putting it back. ‘He came to give me back the money and to tell me that I’m an idiot. He threatened to harm me if I hurt you.’ I summarize Chad’s visit.
Jenna’s eyes go wide for a moment before she turns and looks at the cabin.
There are so many things I want to do. I want to go to her and pull her into my arms and hold her tight. I want to beg her to forgive me and come back. But she’s here for a reason, and I have to know what that is.
‘Jenna… “ My voice breaks because I have no idea what to say to her.
When she finally turns back to me, her eyes are full of tears. That’s when I see the dark circles under her eyes. Her hair is a mess, but she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
‘Why didn’t you love me?’ she asks, her voice breaking.
I stand there in shock because it was never a fact of not loving her. I love her more than anything. It’s why I wanted her to be happy, and I thought being happy meant her being in Denver.
Maybe Chad is right. I’m a bloody idiot, thinking that pushing her away would make her happy, even though it’s impossible to think that she could be happy here with me. We all thought the same of Emelie when she met Axel, but she was meant to be out here on the mountain, so maybe Jenna is, too.
I stand there in shock for too long because Jenna continues before I can get a word out. ‘I hate the city. I hate the noise. I hate the people. I even hate my parents. My time there made me remember the reason I moved here, and it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me. I won’t go back to Denver because that’s not the life I want. It never was. You know that because I’ve told you.’
She pauses and wipes away a few stray tears that have fallen down her face. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and wipe those tears away myself, but I’m frozen where I stand.
‘I won’t go back to Denver. If you don’t want me, you need to be man enough to say it because I’m not going anywhere. You’re going to have to deal with me in this town, so get over it.’
Then she turns around to get back in her car.
