Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(48)

"Do you think I could maybe talk to Sarah without her going ballistic on me? I'm not very fond of her, but if what everyone says is true, it's really sad that she doesn't have anyone to lean on. She needs a friend or something. I think I could have handled her a little better if she hadn't surprised me the way she did. Maybe I could try to talk to her one on one, you know, when Brett isn't around."

"She's not like you Jess, so don't try to figure her out. She isn't a stray puppy you can rescue. Trust me, Brett has tried for years. Please hear me when I say this, stay away from Sarah. If you see her again, you call me immediately. Not Brett. You call me. I'll have some words with her tonight. She shouldn't bother you anymore. Okay? Promise me you'll stay away from her."

"Fine, I promise."

I realize we are just sitting in his truck parked in front of my apartment. I'm no longer excited about the prospect of spending the day alone. Kara works all day on Fridays, then usually goes out with whatever guy she is sleeping with this week. I need a distraction or I'm going to obsess about Brett and Sarah all day. "So, umm...do you want to come in for a little while? I can cook you some breakfast. You kind of saved me from the beast today. The least I can do is make you some pancakes."

"Eggs, too?"

"Of course!"

"Alright baby girl, I'll hang for a bit," he says, seeing right through my lame excuse.

"Thank you."

"Thank me with breakfast. I'm starving." He exits the truck and guides me inside.





Brett

IT'S TAKEN me four hours to get Sarah settled. For the first hour, she was shaking and crying, randomly talking about Manda. I managed to get her to take a few of the sedatives the doctor prescribed for when she gets overly excited like this. After that, she fell asleep, and I spent the next two hours taking all the pills and knives out of her house. Then it took forever to find a home health nurse to come sit with her. She's cussed out almost everyone I have ever hired, so I end up paying two times the normal wage just to get someone to come over and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. It's worth it, though. After seeing her in action with Jess today, then her reaction to Caleb, I'm not about to take any chances leaving her alone.

I pull up to Jesse's house just after one. I park next to her car and head straight for her door. I have a lot of explaining, apologizing, and probably groveling to do. I looked like a dick earlier, no denying that. I saw it in her eyes when she left with Caleb. I knock on her door not giving myself anytime to prepare what I'm going to say. I'll wing it, even though that hasn't been working out so well for me recently. I have to talk to her, explain everything. Jess is very level-headed, she'll understand. God, please let her understand.

No one immediately comes to the door and it makes me wonder if Jess is trying to avoid me. I can't blame her if she is, but I sure as hell can make sure she isn't successful. I turn looking back at the parking lot, just to be positive it was her car I parked beside. In my scan, my eyes run across an all-too-familiar truck. What the hell is he still doing here? They aren't close. I can only think of one reason why he would still be here.

Women love Caleb. He's 6’2”, blonde, and has that bad boy thing going on that women swoon over. I know exactly how much Caleb loves the ladies. He doesn't have a type. He appreciates them all. I swear if he is appreciating Jess right now, I'll kill him.

"Caleb! Open the f*cking door!" I pound my fists against her door, all the while contemplating if I could kick it down. Just as I step back to give it my best attempt, Caleb yanks open her door.

"What's up, big man?" Seeing him standing in Jess's apartment is enough to rock me back on my heels.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just cleaning up your mess. Better question is what are you doing here?"

"Is this your little idea of payback for having to see Sarah today? I swear to Christ if you touched Jess..."

"Exactly what are you going to do Brett? If I recall correctly, you watched me pick her up and carry her out this morning. You didn't try to stop me then. Now, you suddenly care that we are spending time together? God forbid I touch the woman you threw to the wolves. It only took you what," he stops to check his watch, "four hours to get here. If Jesse means so much to you, what the hell took you so long?"

"She is not one of your conquests to make you forget about Manda! She's not yours!" I yell words that I have no control over.

"Oh, but she's yours? Because that is not the way it looked today while you were holding your wife."

"Fuck you! Yes, she's mine! You of all people know that!" I step up ready to once again go toe to toe with my best friend. Only this time he doesn't respond to my challenge. He begins to laugh instead.

"Just checking." He pats me on the chest, doing nothing to calm my rage.

"Caleb, stop." I hear Jesse say walking under his arm and stopping in the door way in front of me.

"Hey," she says in that shy way I'm getting used to.

"Did he touch you?" I swear it just spews from my mouth. I had no plans for those to be the first words I say to her, but apparently my testosterone had other ideas.

"What? No!"

"Then why is he still here?" I ask accusingly.