Page 30 of Choose You

JESSICA

Irush into the guest room to start gathering my things with David and Blaire on my heels. I can tell they both want to ask me about Matthew’s reaction to meeting them, but I don’t want to talk about it. Especially not with an audience. Besides, I don’t exactly understand his reaction either.

With the click of the door, I squeeze my eyes close. I count to ten to calm my nerves before I turn around. David is standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest wearing a scowl. Blaire just looks worried.

“Question.” David steps toward me. “I don’t want to make this time harder for you than it already is, but why did Matt look at me like he wanted to beat the shit out of me?”

I drop my head into my hands and fight back tears. “I don’t know. He’s never met either of you before. His reaction makes no sense.”

Blaire steps up behind me and wraps her arms around me. “Honey, his reaction suggests otherwise. No man looks that protective and territorial over a stranger.”

“But that’s impossible. I think we’d all remember meeting. He so rarely came to Seattle, and when he did, we never exactly went out.”

“Sounds to me like you two have a lot more to talk about than just this house. There’s something else going on there, Jess.” David lets out a low breath and shakes his head. “I really don’t like being at the other end of a man’s fist, especially when I’veno clue why.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. Matt would never hit you.”

David’s head snaps up and his eyes widen. “Are you sure about that?”

Blaire rests her hand on David’s chest and some of the frustration inside him deflates. He meets Blaire’s gaze and nods. Blaire looks at me, her eyes calm and soothing. “Can I ask why you never told him about us? We became friends before you started grad school. That seems like something you’d tell the man you thought you were going to marry.”

I toss my head back and stare at the ceiling, unsure where to begin or even if they’d understand my reasonings. “You have to understand where Matt comes from. He had a lot of insecurities about our future together. The reason he broke it off with me the first time was because he was so certain I’d meet someone better than him in college. He wanted to give me the chance to meet that person and be with them if that’s what I wanted.

“No matter how many times I told him I didn’t want anyone else, he never listened. I was afraid if I told him about you two, he’d think I moved on—found new friends and a new life that didn’t include him. I couldn’t risk doing anything to cause him to pull away more than he already had.”

“So, you kept this entire side of your life a secret from him?” David asks.

I nod. “You saw what happened after I told him about the investors and the business start-up. After my graduation, I was so excited. I told him everything that was happening. He slowly pulled away from me after that. By the time he was done with vet school, we were hardly talking anymore. My worst fear had become reality.”

“I get that, I really do.” David paces in front of the door, clearly not happy with my past actions. “But we’re your friends, Jess. Let’s say things worked out with you and Matt. Did you ever plan on introducing us to him?”

“Of course, I did. I just needed to make sure he wouldn’t pull away from me first. I’ll be the first to admit, it probably wasn’t my brightest idea, but I was scared of losing him.”

“Newsflash, Jess. You did lo—”

“David, that’s enough.” Blaire holds her hand up to David beforeshe pulls me into a tight hug. “There’s more going on here, Jess. I’m certain of it. You owe it to yourself, and to Matt, to figure it out. I hope you decide to talk to him.”

I let out a deep sigh and nod. “I’ll give that some thought. For now, let me take my stuff upstairs. I probably already have a full house.”

When I come back downstairs,the entire Langdon family plus several of my friends from high school are gathered in the kitchen. Ryan is hanging out in the living room with several of his friends plus a couple of the Strong siblings. I think I see Noah Strong, he’s a couple years younger than me, and one of the Strong twins, Iris or Cassia, but I don’t know which one. I never could tell them apart.

Emmie’s eyes light up when she sees me. She immediately runs toward me. “Jessica, I missed you. Will you be here more now that today is over?”

“Um.” My body stiffens as she wraps her arm around my waist and stares up at me with those familiar big green eyes.

“Emmie,” Matt scolds. “What did I tell you about giving Jess some space while she’s here?”

Emmie tightens her hold around me. It’s a nice gesture but one that confuses me. My interactions with her have been so little since I’ve been here and her attachment to me now seems unwarranted. Then again, she’s only four. I’ve no clue how four-year-olds view new people that enter their lives.

I squat down in front of her so I’m level with her face. “Sorry, I’ve been busy. But yes, I expect to be around more. I still have a lot to take care of, but we should be able to go riding before long.”

Emmie clasps her hands. “On a big horse? Please say I can ride a big horse.”

I chuckle at her relentless attempts to ride anything but the pony I hear she has. “That’s entirely up to your daddy. You have to follow his rules.”

Emmie’s smile fades. She already knows her daddy’s responsewithout asking. I pinch her little nose before standing. “Just keep working on him, he’ll eventually give in. My Daddy did.”

She mumbles something I don’t understand and turns to leave the room. I can’t help but smile at her persistence. She reminds me so much of myself at that age. I head over to the table where Gracie Strong, my best friend from high school, is sitting at the table with Leann and Adam, and a woman I don’t recognize.

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