Page 36 of Found By You
I tried to digest all of this. Right. Pastor Jones. Okay. Jealously weaved inside of me. “So McCrae still has a thing for her?”
Kayla turned to me, seeming to read the fact I was jealous. “I don’t think so, but it has been a year and a half since he’s seen her.”
“Oh.” I tried to sound nonchalant and focus on anything but Rose.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I answered quickly. “It has nothing to do with me.” But my heart raced and suddenly I wanted to be anywhere but here. But, also, I had to see what McCrae did when he saw her.
Was he still in love with her? I told myself it didn’t matter. At some point, someone had to come for me or I’d remember my past on my own, right?
This life, this time with McCrae, wouldn’t mean anything. Still, I had to wonder how McCrae would react to her.
Chapter 17
McCrae
A bunch of guys from high school had surrounded me, and we were reminiscing about our childhood days; memories that were like old friends to me. The party buzzed around me, a symphony of voices and music that blended into a familiar comfort. The smell of my mom’s famous barbecue sauce drifted from the back deck, where Dad was manning the grill.
And I could see Kayla and Sky out of my peripheral vision.
Then I sawher.
Rose.
Our eyes met, and I didn’t know what to do. Rose was here. She was right here. It was like the sea of people parted, and she made her way toward me. She looked amazing.
One of my buddies tapped me on the shoulder. “I didn’t realize Rose was in town. Looks like she’s coming for you.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t realize it either.”
And how did I feel about the fact that she was coming for me? Maybe a week ago, I wouldn’t have minded it. I would have been happy, sort of. Yet after only a couple of days with Sky, it was like I’d suddenly gained perspective.
Rose got to me and then opened up her arms. “McCrae, it’s your thirtieth!” she called out as she wrapped me in a hug. The scent of her strong perfume wafted over me, a perfume I knew well. She pulled back, and then did something that surprised me. She planted a kiss right on my mouth.
I was confused, paralyzed for a second, and then I pulled back and wiped my mouth, feeling angry. “What are you doing?”
Rose kept her hands on my arms. “What do you mean, what am Idoing? It’s yourbirthdayand I’m back. I thought you’d be happy.”
I took a step back and extricated myself from her grasp. “We haven’t talked in a year and a half, Rose.”
She shrugged and looked embarrassed. “What do you want me to say, McCrae? I needed a break from this town. From my life.”
“From me,” I said quietly. Even though I could feel everyone watching us.
Rose’s cheeks went red. She scoffed. “I’m herenow.” She batted her eyelashes. “I’m here foryourbirthday.”
I stared at her, somehow really seeing her for maybe the first time. Seeing the insincerity that others always told me about.
Again, she batted her eyes, now they had a sheen to them. “McCrae, come on, I’m here.” She moved to go back in and hug me.
I grabbed her hands and held them in the air, keeping her arms away from me. “Thanks for coming to my party. But you were gone for a year and a half.” I dropped her hands and turned away.
She grabbed my arm. “McCrae, don’t be like that. I was just having, like, a midlife crisis or something. I mean, this town … I don’t know. Can we just talk?”
I looked down at where she was touching me. My mind flashed to the fact Sky had been left. Seemingly abandoned. That’s what she had done to me.
“McCrae.” She stomped her foot like a child. Something I used to think was amusing about her, now I just found it annoying.
