Coming Home

Chapter 6

"Oh..." I say, my eyes dropping to his mouth for a split second.

"I'm not kissing you until we sit down and talk first." His hand slides up to my nape, and the simple touch is enough to have another flow of memories rushing through my mind.

"We have nothing to talk about." I raise my chin and he lets out a smile that goes straight to my heart.

"Oh, I beg to differ."

"We've already said everything there was to say..." I try to look away, but the way he's holding me close to him makes it hard for me to move.

"Are you happy?" He searches my eyes, and I feel the walls around my heart shaking.

"None of your business," I whisper, my eyes watering at the vulnerability I see in his.

"Do you think I stopped caring about you after everything we lived together?" He caresses my jaw, his eyes flicking to my mouth.

"You didn't care enough." I stare at him, daring him to contradict me.

"You didn't care enough either, Jen." He shakes his head, losing his hold on me.

My body, not able to catch up with my brain, is already craving his touch; already missing the way he makes me feel wanted and desired.

"I wanted you to go with me," I whisper, swallowing the hurt and resentment.

"You lied about not applying to college. We said we'd wait a few more years, save some money before-"

"It wouldn't work." I blink as my eyes well up with tears. "You wanted to get married and soon you'd be demanding babies and stuff... And then what? Huh? We'd still be here, living that same shitty life!" I scoff, my resentment just too much.

"Right!" He lets out a humorless chuckle before turning his back to me and heading to the back of the bar.

My eyes burn with tears as I watch him walk away, and I hate how affected I still feel. I hate how he still makes my heart race, and how my body still reacts to his touch. God, I hate him.

"Hey..." I feel Erin's hand on my shoulder.

"He's such a jerk!" I shake my head.

"Nothing new there." Adam, Erin's husband, laughs, making me turn my attention to him as a reluctant smile forms on my lips.

"Adam," I say, my heart squeezing in my chest.

"Jenny Firecracker Bloom!" He pulls me into a hug, making my mind race with memories again. These people are my best friends. I don't know how I managed to stay away for so long.

"Well, I'll be fucking damned!" Gav, Denise's husband, says from behind me. "I thought the girls were joking, but you're really here!"

"Aw! It's good to have us all together again!" Erin says, making me chuckle.

"God, I missed you guys." I give Gav a tight hug, too.

"It's been too long, Jen," he says as he pulls away.

"I know." I look down, feeling like I've disappointed all of them somehow.

Once upon a time, we were all a close-knit group, sharing a bond that only years later I would realize was not so easy to happen. We did everything together, and quite often, they provided me with the big family I never had. Gran never had brothers or sisters, and my grandfather's family never cared about us, especially after his death over twenty years ago.

For some time, it was just me, Gran, and mom. It still hurts to think about her and how young she was when she died. I was just five, but my memories of her are still solid and vivid. As a young child, I remember how scared I was to go to kindergarten, but then I met these guys, and we kind of stuck together.