“It might have helped if you had called.” Jane was still angry.
“We left at midnight. That’s three in the morning your time. I didn’t think that you’d appreciate that call. Anyhow, why are you really angry? Are you hiding a boy in the other room? Is that why you’re so upset? It’s all right. I won’t tell Mom.”
Nick continued to speak and I didn’t hear Jake outside so I thought maybe he hadn’t arrived yet. Thinking the coast was clear I got my suitcase and came out of the guest room. Everyone—Jane, Nick, and Jake—stopped talking and stared at me. Though I saw Jake, I didn’t look at him. My eyes stayed on the ground until Nick came to give me a hug.
“Emily, when did you get here? It’s so great to see you!” His bear hug reminded me of my first encounter with the Reid family. It was so warm and loving.
“Um, I um got here yesterday,” I stammered.
“Why do you have your suitcase in your hand? Are you going somewhere?”
“Yeah, I was just leaving. It was nice seeing all of you.”
I gave Jane a quick hug and darted for the door. As I opened the door, I could hear Nick calling me back saying, “Emily, don’t go. We’re going to Masa for dinner. You have to join us.”
Jane simultaneously yelled at Jake. “Jake, you’re such a jerk! How could you leave Emily stranded in Arizona? Why are you ignoring her when she’s been trying to get a hold of you for weeks? How can you be so cold? How do you propose to Emily and then completely disregard her? That’s not love.”
Not able to endure any more, I shut the door and ran down the hallway, half hoping Jake would follow me, and half scared he wouldn’t. I got in the elevator and ran out the front door, walking as fast as I could to the biggest intersection to catch a cab. Nearing the end of the block, I heard the voice that stopped my heart.
“Emily!” Jake yelled out at me.
I stopped in my tracks. His one word paralyzed me. I have to be strong and not let him break my heart again. My legs wanted to buckle under and collapse to the ground. I’m not going to cry, I’m not going to cry. This was all I could promise while he ran over to me. I flailed my arms, caught a cab, and started putting my suitcase in when Jake caught up with me. He started our conversation with much tenderness in his eyes and love in his voice. I wanted to fall into his arms and tell him how much I loved him…just how terribly I missed him.
“Emily. Please, don’t go.” He grabbed my hand and tried to get me to take my suitcase out of the taxi.
“I should leave. You three have a great time.”
“I feel terrible interrupting you and Jane, but I’m glad you’re here. You didn’t mention you were coming to see my sister… Regardless, we need to talk.” So I guess he did read my texts. He just didn’t feel the need to respond. Why would he? Why should he?
“Emily, what was Jane talking about me leaving you in Arizona?”
I didn’t answer him because I felt foolish waiting for a man who never returned for me.
“Answer me! What was she talking about?” He soon did an about-face once Arizona became a part of the conversation. He remembered our abrupt ending.
“What do you care?” I answered shutting the trunk.
“Tell me!” he demanded, but quickly softened. “Please?”
“I waited for you to return,” was all I wanted to say, hoping he would let me go without asking any more questions.
“What do you mean you waited for me to return? For how long?”
I stayed silent.
“Damn it, Emily, how long did you wait for me?” His icy demeanor melted as soon as he saw tears well up in my eyes. Though he demanded, he knew he didn’t want to know my answer.
“…till it closed,” I answered quietly, hoping he wouldn’t hear.
“What?” Terror struck him. He understood what he had done. “How could you have waited for me till closing time? Didn’t you realize after a while I wasn’t coming back? It was freezing that day. You didn’t even have a jacket on.” His voice began with regret, only to hurt me with his next question. “How stupid can you be?”
How can you be observant enough to notice I didn’t have on a jacket that day but not observant enough to know I would be waiting for you? Tears kept surging but I forced them back just long enough.
“Yeah, I was stupid all right.” I was angry right back at him.