From The Wreckage - Complete (39 page)

“Hey gorgeous, we’re going to be late,” West calls to Jules. She puts the finishing touches on her makeup and hair for their ‘special date’ while West waits, sitting at her desk.

“You can’t rush a girl who’s trying to be beautiful,” she replies with a laugh.

West’s shadow startles her and Jules yelps when he appears at the bathroom door. “You don’t have to try, babe. You’re always beautiful.” 

He leans against the frame with his thumbs hanging from the pockets of his black slacks. He looks like James Bond with his crisp white shirt and perfectly fitted black pants. ‘
Rutledge, West Rutledge
’, her brain teases her and she giggles at her private joke. West creases his forehead and a wayward smile tugs at his lips.

“Did you inhale too much hair spray?”

“Ha, ha. You put me to shame looking that good! Now get out so I can finish.” She crosses to the door and presses a quick kiss to his lips to soften her order. West’s hands immediately move to her hips and she pushes him away. “Five minutes,” she promises.

“Five,” he repeats with a warning and holds up five fingers.

Returning to her make-up, Jules applies her eyeshadow and eyeliner carefully, deciding to go with a deep smoky, sexy look she’s never shown West before. She can’t stop smiling as she thinks about the dress and strappy heels she has hiding in her closet.

“Hey, where’s your phone? I wanted to leave Carson’s number in case you need me.” West’s phone chose today, of all days, to commit suicide; taking a dive out of his Jeep on the way home from school.

“It’s downstairs. There’s a notebook on my bedside table. Just leave it there.”

“Got it,” he replies. “Three minutes, by the way.”

Rolling her eyes, she kicks the door shut with her toes to get dressed. Sliding into the flirty, strapless chiffon dress, her mood alters almost immediately. Her heart sings and flutters with anticipation at West’s face when he sees her. 

They had made the decision to skip Homecoming this year. Jules just couldn’t bring herself to go, so her mother decided she should buy a great little black dress for her birthday. 

“You can always wear it for events next year,” she suggested when Jules protested.

Now, as she smoothes the fluffy bow across the front of her breasts and slips on her heels, she’s glad her mom insisted. The outfit makes her feel sophisticated and special. When she opens the bathroom door and West looks up, she feels wanted.

He’s sitting on the edge of her bed with her notebook still in his hand, but the moment he looks at her, his entire body stiffens. His eyes never leaving her face, he stands and takes four steps her way before he stops. Heat rolls up her body as his laser beam eyes scan her from head to toe and back again. Her heels and short flouncy skirt show off her long, lean legs, courtesy of years of cheerleading. 

“You are…holy sh- I mean…
damn
, babe.” West stumbles over his words and steps forward just enough to touch the flowing fabric of her dress. “It’s totally wrong of you to wear this tonight.”

Jules laughs softly at his reaction. “How so?”

His eyes flare with desire and his hands go to his pockets as he steps closer. His warm, minty breath brushes over her cheek when he leans into her ear and whispers, “I want to devour you, right here, right now. Not fair, Buffy.”

Every nerve in her body pulls taut and desire courses through her. He steps back, gives her a meaningful look and holds his hand out. 

“Let’s go before we get into trouble.”

West takes her to a steak house where they hold hands across the table until their food arrives.

“I really hate that you can’t come to the game with me this weekend. I don’t have to go, you know,” he reminds her for the hundredth time since they put two and two together. This was A&M’s Homecoming game, and while West’s father invited her to go with them, there was no way she could leave her parents on her eighteenth birthday. Especially after the twister, and with this being her last year home.  

“Of course you have to go,” she reminds him. “I know how much you love being with your dad and brothers. Besides, I get to go in two weeks, right? I’m so excited to meet Carson and your future sister-in-law.” 

“They can’t wait to meet you, and Austin loves giving me crap about you so I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.” He shakes his head and takes a bite of his steak.

Laughing, she can’t help but ask, “Why does he give you crap about me?”

“He remembers you. I think he’s quite impressed and completely jealous that
I
landed your fine ass.” He winks and a naughty smile crosses his face.

“West!” She hushes him; her eyes widen and she looks around the restaurant to see if anyone heard him.

They forgo dessert in favor of stopping at the site of their first date, where he runs in and grabs two ice cream cones to go. They end up on the back side of South Berry Farm and West motions for her to wait as he gets out of the car. She waits while he opens and then shuts the trunk. He carries a bag in his hand and she watches as he walks to the edge of the field. His headlights barely illuminate him as he pulls out a blanket and two other items she can’t make out from here.   

Walking back to the car, his sexy smile warms her as she waits for him to open the door for her.

“Madame.”

“Sir.”

The late October air carries a slight chill in it as they walk towards the withered crops on this side of the farm. Jules shivers and moves closer to West’s side.

“Since we didn’t get our Homecoming, I figured I’d bring Homecoming to you.”

He leans down and picks up a box containing a flower wristlet of beautiful roses. Lifting her palm, he kisses the inside of her wrist and slips the corsage on. She brings the flowers to her nose and breathes in the scent as West pulls out his iPod. She looks at the blanket and realizes one of the boxes sitting there is a Bluetooth speaker when music starts streaming out of it. There is still another smaller box sitting there with a large bow on the top, and girly excitement hits her.

“You bought me a present! Can I open it now?” She claps her hands together and raises her shoulders in anticipation.

Dropping the iPod back into his pocket, he pulls her into his arms with a laugh. “No.” 

She debates the effectiveness of giving him a pout, but when his palm moves up her spine to touch the bare skin between her shoulder blades, suddenly all thoughts of anything but West disappear. They dance slowly to a playlist filled with romantic Indie songs only West knows; their bodies melting into each other.

They dance and dance, and Jules kicks off her shoes after a while. They barely speak, but words are no longer needed when each beat of their hearts and each shaky breath they take tell their story.

The soft acoustic strands of a guitar fill the air and Jules stills as a raspy voice sings. The melody immediately strikes a chord with her. The lyrics talk about how his girl’s hand fits perfectly in his and how she says his name. When the chorus hits and he sings about being “So in Love”, her eyes tear up.

She stops swaying, runs her hands up over his shoulders and pulls his head to hers. She kisses him softly and whispers into his mouth, “This is so perfect. I love you, West.” She breathes him in and backs off just enough to look into his eyes. “I am so in love with you.”

“God, Jules,” he rasps out, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t even…I just…c’mere,” he finally manages, and walks her backward until her bare feet are on the blanket. 

Jules lowers herself to kneel and sits back on her heels when West hands her the small black box with a silvery looking bow.

“Happy birthday,” he offers sweetly.

The box is velvet and made for a ring, and her breath catches in her throat as she pops the lid. Nestled inside the satin liner is a dainty rose gold ring in the shape of an anchor, and Jules is in love.

Meeting West’s brown eyes, she fights for words. 

“It’s not much, but I…now I feel stupid looking at it.”

“Stupid? Why? I love it,” she assures him; taking the ring out and pushing it onto her ring finger. Not thinking, she chooses her left hand where a wedding band would someday go, and holds it up to admire the simple sweetness of it.

“I like seeing my ring on that finger. Maybe someday you’ll let me put a bigger one there.” 

“Do you want to?” she asks, barely audible.

He takes her hand and rubs his thumb across her palm as he looks at the ring. “If you don’t get tired of me.”

Raising her bright eyes to his, she smiles and leans forward to kiss him. “I love it — truly. It’s perfect. Why would you ever think differently?”

He shrugs uncomfortably. “When I first saw it, I had this thought. It’s ridiculous.”

“West.”

“Fine. I saw it and thought it was perfect for you because you were, and are, my anchor.” He taps his chest above his heart. “You are anchored right here, in my heart, always.”

“Awe, babe…” she coos preciously, like a woman who sees a newborn baby or cute puppy, and West smiles at her.

“It’s yours, my gorgeous cheerleader. You own it for as long as you want it. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she offers; inching closer to him and kissing him hungrily.

“Happy birthday, sunshine!” 

Jules grunts incoherently as her mother enters her room. 

“Mom!”

“Good morning,” her mother sings, and Jules knows she won’t get rid of her. It’s a Blacklin tradition. Her mother has made Jules and Jason breakfast in bed for every birthday she can recall. It doesn’t matter that she didn’t get in until midnight, nor does it matter that she barely slept after having multiple nightmares.

She cringes and tries to sit up and plaster a smile on her face for her sunshine-y, happy mother. Her nightmares play just in the recess of her thoughts; the scenes lingering there for her to feel them and touch them, if she just reaches out.

“Good morning. Thank you.” She smiles and her mother places the breakfast tray across her lap. The smell of syrup and bacon make her mouth water. 

“How was your birthday date?” she asks as she sits on the edge of the bed with curious eyes.

Jules sighs dreamily.

“That good, huh?”

“That good,” Jules confirms. “He’s amazing, mom. I love him — like, seriously love him.”

Her mother’s face clouds over even as she cracks a small smile. “Sweetie...”

“No, listen first.” Jules holds up her hand. “I know we’re young, and I know you guys really like Stuart and I was with him for so long, but I’m telling you,
I know
. Remember a few years ago, I asked you how I would know when I met the right guy?” Her mother nods. “You said I’d just know. It’s that simple. I feel it here.” She points to her heart and breaks a piece of bacon off.

“So did I,” her mother admits, and Jules watches as her finger goes to her wedding band. “You know, I fell in love with your father my freshman year at A&M; same age as you. I won’t tell you you’re too young. I just want you to be careful.”

“Mom…”

“With both your heart
and
your body.” Her mother raises her eyebrows and narrows her eyes on Jules’ face as her cheeks go pink.

“I promise.” She holds her mother’s gaze, because lying is more believable if you can hold the person’s gaze, right?

Jules enjoys the morning and opens presents from her parents and Jason. A new Coach purse, a gorgeous large weekender bag — “…so you can pack for weekend trips home next year,” her parents point out — and a large canvas collage filled with some of her favorite prints from the past year or so of Jules, her friends and family through the years. There’s a picture with Stuart on there, but she’s happy to see there’s also one with West, although it includes Jase as well. 

After presents she scrolls through her Facebook account and smiles at the well-wishers’ comments. West left her a message very early this morning, probably before he left for A&M, and it makes their relationship very clear in case anyone is unaware. On his page he posted: “Wishing my girl, Jules Blacklin, the most amazing eighteenth birthday! I love you babe. Xoxo.”

He tagged her, which made sure the post went to her page. As she goes through and ‘likes’ all the posts, she pauses at one from Stuart. “Happy birthday! Have a great day. Hope I see you soon.”

Jules feels the bile stir as she worries about what West will think of Stuart’s post, and in return, what Stuart will think of West’s. They’d only broken up a little over two months ago and she feels guilty.

A message on her page from Raquel Rivera – Tanya’s sister – catches her eye next. It is a simple ‘Happy birthday’, but the sentiment immediately opens the floodgates. After a good cry, Jules makes up her mind. She hasn’t seen Tanya’s family in over a month, since the one month anniversary vigil. She decides to get up and go say hi, and then stop by the cemetery, as well. It’s been too long.

“I don’t know what compelled me to want to visit my dead best friend’s family on my birthday. Maybe if West had been in town, I wouldn’t have gone. Or maybe if I hadn’t had nightmares Friday night, I would have stayed home. Whatever it was, I was dead set on going to the Rivera’s. It never occurred to me that what I might find would tear me apart all over again.”