Page 11 of When You Had Me Adapting

I click the camera button on Gray’s phone.Fuck, I definitely shouldn’t have come.

CHAPTER 5: NEVER TRUST A TEN YEAR OLD

JACE - 9 YEARS AGO

I’m not sure what I’m doing because Lacey made it very clear eight months ago she wants nothing to do with me anymore, but I can’t help myself. I’m home for the first time in a year and I want to talk to her and see if I can get to the bottom of what happened. More than anything, I want to see her. I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her how much she means to me. Convince her I love her and I miss her so fucking much. I’ve played this potential conversation in my head over and over for months and I think I have a plan.

I spent countless hours scouring the internet for the perfect gift and finally found it. A gold locket with two small birds sitting on the limb of a tree to symbolize us engraved on the front. It’s perfect. I spent the better part of the past couple of days looking for the perfect photo to put inside and writing her a note.

My stomach fills with nerves. I feel like my future is riding on having this conversation and she hasn’t even agreed to talk to me yet. I shake the feeling. This is going to work. It has to work. I just have to give her the gift and then hope she shows up later tonight.

I place the small velvet box in the bottom of the bag and do my best to top it with tissue paper like I’ve seen my mom do before. I slide the letter I wrote her down one side. Checking myself in the mirror one final time, I head out of my bedroom and down the stairs of my parents’ house. It’s early, but I know she has a busy day ahead of her and I’m hoping to catch her before she leaves for her graduation ceremony.

“Where are you running off to?” my mom asks from the kitchen island. She’s seated on a barstool sipping her morning coffee and reading a book.

“Out. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Not so fast. What are you holding?”

I quickly shove the purple gift bag behind my back, but it’s useless because I know I’ve been caught.

“Come. Sit. Tell me why you’re holding a present.” She pats the barstool next to hers and the corners of her mouth tip into a small grin.

I stride over and set the gift down on the granite counter top and let out a deep breath before sitting down. “I got Lacey a graduation gift.”

My mom hums over the lip of her coffee mug and her eyes urge me to continue.

“I’m hoping I can talk to her and it might break the ice. I saw it and immediately knew she had to have it.” I play nervously with the handles of the bag.

“Whatever happened between you two?” she asks wistfully, grabbing the bag. She fixes the tissue paper for me and instantly makes the gift look ten times better.

I shake my head. “I wish I knew. I’m hoping once the dust settles after her graduation, then we can talk and sort things out.”

“So, I take it you won’t be joining us for the girls’ graduation party later?”

“I’m not invited. The invitation was addressed to you and Dad. The RSVP card listed two people. They don’t want me there.”

My mom’s hand finds my back and she rubs methodic circles. “I’m so sorry, honey. I know how much they mean to you.” She wraps me in a huge bear hug. “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding and you two just need to talk. Want me to see if you can come to the party? I can call Lori and ask.”

“No, don’t call Lori. I need to handle it and I don’t want to ruin her day.” My eyes begin to sting with tears and I pull away abruptly before I completely lose it all together. “I’ll be back in a bit.” I grab the gift bag off the counter and head towards the door.

The minute I step outside my eyes search the street for Lacey or Poppy. Being home and this close to the people who were once my best friends feels weird. I’m about to step off my parents’ front porch when Poppy walks out of her house and stops dead in her tracks. I lift my hand and wave. She looks me up and down, but she remains expressionless. Her hand starts to rise and for an instant I think she may wave back, but she stops herself, shakes her head, and heads toward her car.

Lacey’s house is directly next to mine. I make my way across our yards and up the concrete path leading to her front door. Taking a deep breath, I knock three times. No one answers. I lift my hand to try one more time and it swings open revealing Lacey’s little brother. His sandy blond hair is a mess and he’s wearing a SpongeBob T-shirt, gym shorts, and gaming headphones.

“Can I help you?” he asks, drawing out the final word of his question.

“Hey, bud, is your sister home?”

“You know she hates you, right?” He laughs and then scowls. “But no, she’s not here.”Damn.I see he hasn’t changed a bit since I left and he turned ten.

I glance over to the driveway where I see Lacey’s car parked behind her dad’s truck. “Colton, her car is here. Are you sure she isn’t upstairs? It’s really important I talk to her. I have something I need to give her.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

I let out a disappointed sigh. “Okay, well do you know when she’ll be home?”

“Nope.” His eyes shift down to the bag. “I can give it to her if you want.”

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