Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(43)

“So with all of that said, I'm sorry for scaring you tonight. I'm just so frustrated. I think I have used every cuss word I know at least fifteen times tonight." He tries to crack a joke, but it only sounds sad. "I feel like Sarah is determined to completely ruin me, even more than she already has.

"I'm broken Jess, but I need you to hear these words before I go. Trust me, I know saying this makes me a selfish bastard, because I've seen you cry three times in the five days we have been together. But for me, these last few days have been an awakening. I now see the sun behind the fog, and it's a damn good feeling.

“I'm sorry about all of this, I truly am. Please believe me, and think about what I've said. I can't promise you anything more than tomorrow, but maybe one day, the fog will disappear leaving only sunny days ahead." He doesn’t stall even a minute longer. He simply walks to the corner, cleans up the broken glass, then walks out the front door.

Just as the door clicks, I hear a breathy "Whoa!" come from behind me. I turn to see Kara standing in the hall.

"Are you okay?" she asks, walking a few steps in my direction before checking the door to making sure Brett really left.

"No."

"Come here, girl." She walks over and slings an arm around my shoulders. "You understand you're the sun in that scenario right?" She tries to comfort me.

"What if I don't want to be the sun?"

"I don't think you have a choice. Do you think a man like that is going to let go of his only way out of the fog?"

"How much did you hear?" I ask needing advice.

"All of it."

"Do you believe him?"

"He's telling the truth, Jess." She answers with an absolute certainty to her voice.

"How can you be so sure? You should have heard his wife on the phone tonight. She was so weird. She kept quietly laughing, then suddenly crying. Though, after hearing him describe her, a lot more of the conversation makes sense. Kara, I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I'm so confused about everything. Even if I do believe him, do I want to get mixed up with all of this drama?"

"I can't answer that part for you, but I can tell you why I believe him. I grew up with Casey Black. I never knew Sarah or Manda, but I knew the three of them were tight. I remember when the accident happened. Everyone says it destroyed Casey, losing her two best friends like that. She just kind of fell off the map after that. Anyway, I've heard people talking about Sarah and how she has basically lost her mind. She tried to kill herself, then became a recluse. I heard she virtually never leaves her apartment. I didn't realize she was Brett's wife until tonight, though. I believe him, his story matches up with everything I have ever heard. And I'm not just siding with him because he's hot." She finishes with an exaggerated wink.

"He's going to break my heart. You know that right? He still has some serious issues with her. I think I'll always feel like the other woman. He has a wife. Regardless that she is a different person, he is still very much married to her. And if she is as terrible as he says, why would anyone stand by her?"

"He loved her. I actually respect the hell out of him for standing by her for as long as he has. What you need to figure out is if he still loves her, or if he's ready to move on."

"What if he can't ever move on? You heard him. She was perfect."

"You're missing the keyword...was," she says as I sigh knowing that I have no choice but hear Brett out. Get some answers so I can make an informed decision. "Maybe you just have to wait out the fog."

"What the heck happened to you? You're getting all poetic on me. Where did your ‘crotch-less panties solve everything’ speech go?"

"You didn't let me finish! I was getting to that part," she jokes.

"Do you think he'll come in for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's Friday, so I doubt it," Kara answers reminding me that it's my day off.

"Ugh! I'll call him and see if he wants to meet for breakfast in the morning."

"Good, because did you see his ass in those jeans tonight? Seriously, I would gladly go to jail just to hump his leg." She starts thrusting her hips in the air and we both start giggling like teenage girls.





Brett

I ARRIVE back at my apartment feeling utterly lost. It seems every time I get comfortable in life, someone flips over the life raft I've been so desperately clinging to. I haven't been happy in a long time, but the last few days I haven't been drowning. As much as it makes me a * to admit, Jess was only the reason for that. Knowing that she is potentially gone too, I feel worse than I did a week ago. Now I remember what it feels like to be alive again.

In the middle of my pity party, my house phone begins to ring in the kitchen. I called the station earlier to make sure they forward all my calls to my home number. There is no way I was going back to Sarah's to get my phone. I'll scrap it and buy a new one. I'm not sure if I'll ever go back over there.

"Detective Sharp," I answer assuming it's a work call.

"Hey." I hear the soft voice that makes my chest hurt. First in relief that she is reaching out to me, but then I panic that something's wrong.

"Jesse, are you okay? Did Sarah call you again?"