I was so glad to be home, I don’t think I had ever missed it quite as much as I had this last semester. I don’t know how long I just sat in my room and looked at everything. As always it was just as I had left it. It never changed. I looked at the pictures that were still taped to the mirror and looked down at the dresser, and there it was. I had almost forgotten about it completely. Jake’s ring. I gently lifted the lid of the little black box, and there it shined as if it had never been on my finger, as if it had never been the symbol of promises that nothing on this Earth could end up giving me. I pulled it out of the box and sat on the edge of my bed. How things had changed. I remembered putting it in this box and leaving it here so I wouldn’t remember the lost hopes and dreams I associated with it. I remembered Jake, how he used to infuriate me, how I fell so madly in love with him. I remembered every part of his face, the dimples on his cheeks that appeared when he smiled, the way he looked at me, and only me. I knew when he looked at me that nothing else mattered to him, that I was everything to him. I missed feeling like that. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t hear my phone go off several times, or the calls from downstairs that someone was at the door for me, I didn’t hear anything until there was a knock on my bedroom door and a familiar voice, “Kyla, can I come in?” Immediately I was brought back to reality. Jason was here. I put the ring back in the box and walked to the door opening it. There he stood, leaning against the door frame.
“I thought I was going to have to break down the door if you hadn’t answered. So, are you still up for dinner and a movie at my place?” There was happy go lucky Jason again. I had missed him. I was worried that things had changed after Park City and that I had ruined the one friend who could relate to me.
“Yeah, sorry,” I looked down at the box still in my hand. I quickly walked over to the dresser and replaced it to its place out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. Picking up my bag I noticed Jason’s eye was still on the box. I gently prodded him down the hall as I shut my door. I knew he wanted to ask about it, but thought better of it. It was my turn to be honest with him this time. We were almost to his Ferrari when I finally spoke.
“It was Jake’s ring…in the little box I had in my hand. I forgot I still had it. I didn’t have the heart to sell it, but I didn’t want it in Utah reminding me of what I was supposed to have. So I left it here and found it.”
“Ky, you don’t have to talk about-“ he started to speak, but I cut him off
“No, Jason, its okay. You are the one person I feel like understands me right now. I have spent so much time moarning his loss, I have forgotten to live my own. I miss him, and I think part of me always will…but its time for me to move on. So, with you as my witness I will actually say yes to the next guy that asks me out.” Jason laughed as he turned on the the highway and headed to his beach house.
“Really? Even if its some drunk on the street, you’re still going to say yes? And is this a new thing, you will always say yes to whomever asks you out? I mean that’s a pretty serious commitment, friend” He had that sparkle in the corner of his eye that lit up his whole face and made smile, I absolutely loved Jason when he was laid back like this.
“Okay, not like that, but I am going to go out with the next guy that is honest and good and actually wants to take me on a date. Not my looks, not out of pity, but honestly the next guy that actually wants to get to know me I will say yes.”
“Good luck finding him”
“He exists” I confess, I was really kind of hoping it was Jason. Not that I was like planning the wedding or anything, but I would love to get to know Jason better. We had made a good start, but it was all through e-mail and text, nothing face to face and yet he was like my best friend.
“So when are we going to go out then?” He asked pulling me out of my thoughts and laying a golden opportunity in front of me.
“I thought that’s what tonight was, just not in so many words…I mean dinner and a movie is classic date material. And, I didn’t even know you cooked, so bonus points for that.”
He laughed even harder than before. “You assume I cook. Did you forget who I am? I have a chef on speed dial. The day I cook, is the day you should either run for cover or know something is up. I don’t generally cook, it’s better that way.”
“So what is the plan for tonight?” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, but his smirk was staying in place too.
“Well, since this is a date, which I am glad to hear it is. I was thinking dinner in the dining room that overlooks the ocean, a walk on the beach during sunset and then a really awesome movie like Casino Royale or something like that…what do you say?”
My stomach tightened and I tried not to let the mention of Jake’s first date with me show on my face, but it did. Just calm down, Ky. Jason didn’t know, don’t let tonight get ruined because you’re freaking out about Jake. He’s gone. This is you moving on, remember?
“What is it Ky? Not a Bond fan? I thought most chicks liked Daniel Craig as the new Bond. I mean we can watch whatever, I don’t care, I was just trying to not make it all cheesy by watching a chick flick and making it sound like one of my movies or something.” He reached over with his free hand and put it on my shoulder. The second his hand touched me, I instantly relaxed. Jason was always the cure when I started freaking out about memories of Jake. Heat spread from my shoulder throughout my body and I took a deep breath and relaxed exhailing slowly.
“No, lets watch something else. I have Jake memories attached to James Bond, sorry, but what about Terminator Salvation? I LOVE that movie!” I glanced over and Jason just shook his head and laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing”
“Nothing”
“Whatever” was all I could think to respond with as we pulled into his driveway and I waited patiently for him to come and open my door since I remembered a conversation we had had about how girls today are too independent to let a guy be a gentleman, so even though it killed me, I waited and he opened the door offering me his hand.
We walked around the back were there was a candle light dinner waiting at a perfectly set table for two.
“Wow, someone was hopeful” I said, smiling. Of all the people I wanted to spend time with, Jason was at the top of the list. Not because he was Jason Tyde the movie star, but because he was one of the few people I knew I could count on and who really understood me. He wasn’t just playing a role, he was real with me, and I was really starting to like that about him.
I want to read MORE!!!
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