Page 29 of Choose You

I glance over my shoulder and sure enough Jessica is walking right for me. And not just Jessica, but the man I saw her with years ago when I surprised her by coming to her graduation when she finishedher MBA. Every ounce of jealousy I’ve ever had resurfaces as I recall the way he hugged her and then kissed her cheek while I was waiting to surprise her.

I’d slippedmy hand into my pocket so many times over the past hour to make sure the ring was still there. I’ve waited so long for this moment. Now that Jessica has finished her MBA and I was halfway through vet school in Colorado, I was ready to take the plunge and make it official. Today, I would ask her to marry me.

I would’ve done it years ago, but I’d been scared she’d decide I wasn’t enough for her. I’d gotten so used to people walking away from me, there was a part of me that expected her to do it, too. She’d only ever told me how much she loved me, but it’s hard to overcome childhood fears. I never knew my biological father and my mother left me for drugs. I was also shuffled from one foster home to another—none of them able to handle me and my issues—before I came to live with the Langdons. It was hard overcoming that shit and accepting I was good enough for someone like Jessica.

But after six years apart, and only seeing each other on breaks and the infrequent surprise visit, we still loved each other. If anything, the distance has made my love for her stronger. I thought that was true for her, too. Today was the day I’d find out.

I didn’t tell her I was coming, but I made sure I arrived before the ceremony began so I could watch her walk across the stage and collect her diploma. With her MBA finished, there was nothing else stopping her from starting a life with me.

I hoped she still wanted that as much as I did.

I was waiting in the hallway outside the door where one of the organizers assured me all the graduates would exit. It was a crowded hall. There were a lot of other people waiting for their graduate to exit. I hoped I didn’t miss her in the sea of faces.

Jessica’s parents were waiting outside. They arrived this morning and decided to let me surprise her alone. I told them that wasn’t necessary, but they knew what I had planned and wanted to let me do it without them as an audience.

A few minutes later the door opened, and the graduates started piling out.I waited for what felt like an eternity before I caught a glimpse of her radiant smile. I started to run toward her, but stopped when I realized she wasn’t alone.

My heart dropped and every dream I had for our future shriveled up and retreated in on me. Another man had his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him with the same smile that was always reserved for me. He whispered something in her ear, making her laugh. I hated seeing another man make her laugh. But then he kissed her on the cheek.

Was she blushing?

My first instinct was to punch him in the face and steal my girl out of his embrace. Instead, I spun around and ran my fingers through my hair. This wasn’t happening. My worst fear had become reality. She’d moved on and found someone better than me. I always knew I wasn’t good enough for her, but after all these years, I’d thought maybe I was wrong.

When I turned back around, the man was gone, and Jessica was headed right for me. Her smile grew when our eyes locked, and she broke into a run. She jumped into my arms and hugged me tight.

“Matt, you came.” She leaned back and kissed my lips. She looked happy to see me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just lost the woman I loved to another man.

“Matt. Did you hear me?”I shift my gaze toward Jessica’s voice. She’s looking at me with raised brows and I realize I missed the entirety of the conversation going on around me.

“I’m sorry, what?” I shake my head and look away from the man next to her. I can feel the scowl on my face, and I don’t want to explain my jealousy.

Jessica points to the man that accompanied her. His arm is around the waist of a woman I don’t recognize. “This is my business partner and friend, David, and his wife, Blaire. They’ll be staying at the house since there’s nowhere else to rent in town. I’m just letting you know so you’re aware.”

My eyes widen as her words sink in. “Did you say business partner and his wife?”

Jessica’s brows furrow. “Yes. I’ve known David and Blaire sincebefore grad school. He helped me secure the investors to start my business. Once it took off, he decided to stick around and help me run it.”

David holds out his hand. I stare at it for a moment too long—creating an awkward air around us—before I finally take his hand for a shake. “Sorry. Where are my manners? It's nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” David smiles, but his eyes suggest he knows what I’m thinking. He turns to the woman on his arm and kisses the top of her head. “We’ve both heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“You have, huh?” I shift my gaze to Jessica. “Because I’ve never heard anything about either of you.”

Jessica looks down at the floor and brushes her hair behind her ear. “I guess we lost contact before I ever had a chance to tell you about them. We didn’t talk a lot after you came to my graduation.”

I cross my arms over my chest. My anger is building, and I have so many questions running through my mind. I never told her I saw her with him. I stayed the night in Seattle, then headed back to Colorado first thing the next morning. We started drifting apart after that. It wasn’t immediate. We still texted and saw each other when we went home, but things between us were never the same. I’d assumed she moved on. I let her go without a fight. “True. But something tells me you knew him before that.”

I see David shift on his feet out of the corner of my eye, but I never take my eyes off Jessica. I don’t know what I expect her to say, nothing most likely, but I wait for it anyway. She doesn’t respond, so I look toward David and Blaire. “How long are you two staying? With Jessica in the guest room, I don’t have another room with a queen size bed.”

“Just for the night. We head back to Seattle tomorrow,” David says.

“I plan on moving to my old bedroom.” Jessica adds. Her voice is shaking, and she looks uncomfortable. “David and Blaire can have the guest room.”

“Sounds like you have it all worked out. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get some fresh air.” I walk toward the entrance as quickly as possible. My chest is tight, and I suddenly feel like my tie is chokingme. As soon as I’m outside I fall against the side of the building and pull my tie loose.

Fuck. Did I have it all wrong back then? Did I assume she was with David when they were nothing more than friends? That one instance changed every decision I made after that. Because in my mind, I lost Jessica when I saw his arm around her.

CHAPTER 11

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