For Crying Out Loud by J. Preston

35See Her Again

Life is like a box of chocolates, I need to get one.

- Jenny

Aiden

There’s nothing in the whole entire world that could wipe the grin I’m currently sporting off my face.

Nothing.

I even start humming. Humming!

Humming as I put the finishing touches on the breakfast tray I made for kitten, arranging the strawberries in a little heart.

There was never any question as to what I should get her for breakfast. Waffles, strawberries, and her favourite mocha latte from the Bean Stop a few blocks away.

Carefully, I make my way to the bedroom, passing Jason’s door and silently thanking The Guy Upstairs for making sure Jason went to Carter’s after we were finished wringing the truth out of Chloe. I can only imagine how big of a black eye I’d have had if he stayed here. Actually, I’d probably have a couple of broken bones, too. What with kitten being so loud.

Just thinking about her screaming my name over and over makes my jeans tighten again. I push open the door to my room, expecting to see Jenny sprawled across my bed, but instead, I’m greeted with an empty room, the bed made, cushions arranged. I frown and put the tray down.

Maybe she’s having a shower?

That wouldn’t be too bad. I could join her then. Wash her back…and front. I strut to her room and into her bathroom. The mirror is fogged, but the bathroom is empty. Weird.

Where could she be hiding? Are we playing a game?

I go back to my room and sit on the bed, searching for clues. Maybe she didn’t see my note? Maybe she thought I just left her alone? Shit! I’m so damn stupid, I should have woken her up. What if the note slipped onto the floor and she never found it?

But no, the note is lying on the pillow, neatly folded…right next to my phone.

What the hell could have happened? I hope she’s okay. She would have called me or texted me if something was wrong, wouldn’t she?

I reach for my phone, open it, and look at the screen.

All I can feel is dread.

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.

You know when I said ‘nothing could wipe that grin off my face’? Boy, was I wrong.

How could I let this happen?

The message from Chloe is the first thing I see. A dozen scenarios run through my mind, but my brain knows already. There’s only one explanation.

Jenny has seen it.

Jenny has seen it and I haven’t had a chance to explain anything to her yet. I was going to tell her everything today. I had a whole plan. Damn it!

I scroll through my contacts and dial her number. It goes straight to voicemail. Shit. I try her again and again.

And again.

Always the same result. Her cheerful voice instructs me to leave a message, the only thing that answers my call.

I call Jason. He doesn’t answer either, so I try Carter.

“Hello,” His groggy voice answers on the fifth ring.

“Kennedy, is Jenny with you?”

“What? What time is it?”

“Is she with you, man?” I almost shout.

“Jesus!” I hear rustling. “It’s eight a.m! Are you trying to make my life a living hell?”

“Please, just tell me if she’s there.” My voice breaks. Carter must hear the desperation because it sounds like he’s moving.

More rustling follows then a muffled, “What’s your name sweetheart?” and, “I’ll be back in a sec.” I start pacing around my room, trying to calm down and stop myself from throwing my phone at the wall. “Unless her name is Katie, and she turned into a blonde, she’s not here,” Carter finally says, his voice hoarse from sleep but also alert. “Care to tell me what happened?”

“She saw the text…”

“What text?”

I fill Carter in on last night’s events, minus the part about Jenny and me, and the way I found my room this morning. “Is Jason with you?” I ask hopefully, maybe she got in touch with him.

“He’s left already. He slept on the couch. But it all makes sense now. He was quite traumatised last night, kept on murmuring to himself about crazy eyes. Must have been after his conversation with Chloe.”

“I’ll try calling her again,” I say, interrupting his musings.

“Okay, I’ll do the same.”

“No, I need to talk to her. I need to explain. She deserves to hear everything from me.”

Carter reluctantly agrees, and I finish the phone call, dialing Jenny’s number straight away.

Voicemail.

I hate voicemail with a passion right now.

My skin crawls and I’m itching to do something. I can’t stay in the house, not while she’s alone, thinking I’ve done God knows what.

I text Jenny. “Please call me” and “I need to explain”, then “It was all a lie.” But before I spam her inbox, I decide to go look for her. Kitt wasn’t parked up front, and it finally clicked that she must have taken her car and gone somewhere, maybe for a drive?

First things first, though. I head down to the campus, hoping that she’d have gone straight to Hayley. Disappointment fills my veins as my heart sinks at the sight of a nearly empty parking lot outside of the dorms, Kitt nowhere in sight.

At least I know where she is not. Not at home, Carter’s, or Hayley’s, so maybe she went for a drive. Trying to clear her head. Maybe she’s driving around now and I’m sitting here like an idiot, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Pulling out of the parking lot and heading in the direction of the city centre, I notice my hands are shaking slightly. I’m agitated. No, I’m worried. Worried that something happened to her, that I’ll never have a chance to explain.

The worst-case scenarios are flooding my mind when the phone rings in my pocket. I quickly undo my seatbelt and pull it out, hitting the answer button without even looking at the caller ID and putting it on speaker.

“Hello? Jenny?” I say, slowing down to the speed limit.

“Nope. Only me, your favourite future brother-in-law.” Jason’s cheerful voice is a stark opposite of my gloomy mood.

“Are you home? Is Jenny there?”

“Yup, aaaand nope! Where are you guys? I thought you’d be here.”

“Shiiit,” I swear.

“What’s wrong?”

“She saw the text from Chloe before I got to tell her anything. And now…and now she’s gone. Fuck Jason, what if I messed it up? What if she never forgives me for lying to her, not telling her everything straight away?” My eyes burn.

“Jesus, calm down, Aiden! She loves you. You just need to talk to her. She’ll understand. She probably just needed a breather.” I need to find her first, I think as I speed down the road and through an amber light, barely making it before it turns to red. I make a conscious effort to slow down again, meandering through the streets of Starwood.

“I’ve got to go. I need to find her.”

“Okay, well…let me know if I can do anything to help?” I don’t reply, instead I switch off and try Jenny again.

“Hi, you’ve reached the phone of a megageek,” her cheerful voice greets me again. I sigh. “You know what to do after the beep.”

“Jenny…” I say after a pause. “I think you saw the text message from Chloe. I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to explain earlier. Aaahh, I want you to know that the whole thing with Chloe…it was all a lie. She lied about everything. Being pregnant, sleeping with me… It was all a ploy to get Jason back. I should have told you everything straight away. I was going to. I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you so mu—” my voice breaks, and I press the gas pedal harder.

I think I just saw her car. To catch up to her, I speed through the intersection like a maniac, running a red light.

As the blue truck hits the side of my jeep, I realise I forgot to put my fucking seat belt back on. Jenny will be so mad. She hates it when I speed. She hates it when I don’t wear the seatbelt. She always says it’s dangerous and stupid…

Jenny.

The force of the collision throws me against the wind shield, breaking it in the process. As I tumble through the air above the hood of my jeep, I don’t feel any pain, at least not the physical kind.

My heart hurts.

I need to see her again.