Chapter Four
Chapter Three
ETHAN
I wasn’t sure what Jessa and my Aunt Carrie were talking about, but she seemed tense when we were back in the car on the way home. The time flew by with all the conversation with my family. They lived across the country in Arizona, and we didn’t see them often, so it was nice to catch up.
I liked hanging out with Jessa today too. I don’t know why I thought it was the right time to ask her why we fought so often. I didn’t want to fight with her, but at the same time, it got my heart pumping. She was so quick-witted and funny. We spurred each other on, and I loved every minute of it. I’d even gotten a smile out of her after our “Bohemian Rhapsody” headbanging session.
When we arrived in town, we helped my family get settled in at their hotel then headed to the store. We needed pop, movie theater candy, and various flavored salts for the popcorn so people would have plenty of choices. That was my sister, always taking care of everyone, trying to anticipate their needs. She really was the best at planning events like this. And at delegating tasks to everyone else. Hence the list I now held in my hand.
Jessa grabbed several boxes of candy from the list and tossed them into the cart.
I crossed things off as we went, per Ellie’s instructions.
“You forgot the Good & Plenty,” I said.
“No, I didn’t.” She pushed the cart away from the candy display.
“Yes, you did.” I grabbed a handful of Good & Plenty boxes and rushed after her, tossing them into the cart when I caught up.
She groaned. “I ignored them on purpose.”
“Why?”
“Black licorice is gross.”
“What? You don’t like black licorice?”
She wrinkled her nose.
“Huh.” I shook my head.
“Huh, what?”
“You seem like a black licorice kind of girl.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Bitter and sweet at the same time and a little salty. It fits you to a T.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and I readied myself for whatever she was about to bring at me. Instead, she gave me a bright smile that anyone else walking by would think was genuine, but I knew was totally fake.
“You want sweet? I’ll show you sweet.” She pushed the cart out of the aisle and headed toward the pop aisle.
“Oh, no.” I shook my head. “Have I unleashed a monster?”
“Didn’t you say I should smile more?”
I couldn’t hold back my grin. I had said that, hadn’t I? I wasn’t sure she’d been listening or ever listened when I talked, except when we were fighting.
At the pop aisle, Jessa stood close to my side and studied the list. Her proximity made my skin tingle.
I moved toward the shelves, and Jessa laid her hand on my arm and gave me a smile.
“I’ll get them,” she said sweetly. “You just relax and cross things off the list.”
Her fake cheer was unsettling, but I watched as she grabbed several cases of pop and carried them to the cart.
I ignored her and went for the next few varieties on the list.
“I said I’d get them,” she said with another fake smile.
“I’m not standing there doing nothing while you carry all the pop. It’s heavy. And stop with the smiling.”
“I was showing you how sweet I can be.” She smirked.
“When I said you should smile more, I meant your real smile. The one that lights up your face when you’re genuinely happy. The one that makes your eyes sparkle.”
She stared at me, her lips slightly parted, and long moments passed. She had no comeback, and I felt satisfied that I’d won this round.
“But I do prefer a little salt coming from you,” I said to break the silence. “It’s what I’m used to.”
She pressed her lips together. “Good thing that’s next on the list then.” Her voice cracked a little when she spoke, and I knew I’d taken her by surprise.
We finished loading the cart with cases of pop of all varieties and went looking for the flavored popcorn salts. Jessa seemed on a mission to get this stuff as quickly as possible because she zoomed up and down the aisles, leaving me to walk fast to stay on her tail.
“Why do you seem lost?” I asked when, for the third time, she went in the opposite direction we needed to go.
“I’m not lost.”
“Why don’t you know where anything is then? The last time they remodeled this store and moved everything around was when we were, like, ten.”
“I usually do curbside pickup.”
I laughed. “Are you serious?”
“I’m not a fan of shopping. Especially in Abbottsville.”
I pointed up. “Those signs tell you what’s in each aisle so you can find it faster.”
“I know what those signs say,” she snapped.
“Then why aren’t you reading them?”
“Read them yourself.”
“I am. The seasonings are two aisles over.”
She looked up, then abruptly spun the cart to the right, nearly taking out sweet old Ethel from the post office.
“Hey, watch it!” Ethel cried.
“Sorry, Ethel,” I said as I followed Jessa.
Ethel shook her head and grumbled something not-so-sweet under her breath.
Jessa veered the cart toward the seasoning aisle, and just as I caught up, she abruptly stopped, and I slammed into her back.
“Whoa!” I gripped her arms to keep from knocking her over.
She didn’t move at first, and then my gaze traveled over her shoulder and down the aisle before us, and I saw why she had frozen in place.
Cody Cunningham, Jessa’s ex, stood halfway down the aisle, right in front of the display of popcorn salts we needed. Go figure. And he wasn’t alone. He was holding hands with a pretty brunette, who reached up and pushed her hair back over her ear, revealing a giant diamond engagement ring on her finger.
I squeezed Jessa’s arms, and she wiggled out of my grasp and hissed.
“Did you hiss at me like a cat?” I chuckled.
She didn’t respond to my teasing, which is how I knew she was truly upset.
I moved to her side until she looked at me. “Let me get what we need.”
Her lips were pressed together, and I could almost feel the tension rolling off of her. Cody had really done a number on her, and she hadn’t been the same after that idiot.
“I’ve got this.” I squeezed her arm again and headed straight for Cody and his future bride.
He looked over as I approached, but I didn’t make eye contact with him. I kept my eyes on the prize—white cheddar, movie theater butter, salt and vinegar, garlic and parmesan, and kettle corn-flavored seasonings.
“Ethan Sweet.”
“Cody,” I mumbled as I loaded two bottles of each flavor in the crook of my arm, pressing my forearm against my stomach to hold them in place.
“Still making auto parts for a living?” Cody’s voice was so grating in that smarmy way of his.
“Yep.” I crouched to get the garlic and parmesan flavors that were tucked back behind on a lower shelf. “Still selling overpriced homes to decent hardworking people who can’t afford them?”
I heard Jessa laugh and turned to look at her as I stood, only to lean a little too far to the side, sending every bottle of seasoning scattering on the floor around me.
Cody and his fiancée burst out laughing.
“Butterfingers much,” Cody said as he picked up one of the movie theater butter salt bottles and held it out to me.
His fiancée cackled. “Oh my gosh, butter fingers. Like butter for popcorn. You’re so funny.”
I rolled my eyes as I took the bottle and crouched again to pick up the rest. Suddenly, Jessa was at my side, grabbing a couple that had rolled under the edge of the display shelves.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Jessalyn Landry,” Cody said as we stood. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
She lifted her head confidently, but she was still tense beside me.
“This is Alessia, my fiancée.” As if we were waiting to be introduced. As if we wanted to stay in his presence for one minute longer.
Jessa snorted. “Good luck.” She turned on her heel and walked swiftly toward our cart again.
“Still bitter after all this time?” he called after her.
I took a step toward him, my adrenaline kicking in. “I’d be very careful what you say next if I were you.”
His eyes narrowed as he gave me a once over then glanced in Jessa’s direction. “Well, it looks like our little Jessa has finally moved on from me after all.” He patted my shoulder. “Don’t feel bad for being second choice. I’m a hard act to follow.”
I fought the urge to drop the bottles, grab his arm, and twist it hard enough to dislocate his shoulder. But what good would that do? Except make me feel really good. He looked at me as if he pitied me for being second choice. Not that I was with Jessa. But if I was, I would do everything in my power to treat her the exact opposite of how Cody had.
Before I had a chance to walk away, he said, “Hey, I heard your sister and her famous boyfriend are getting married this weekend. We’re getting married next July at the Amway Grand.”
“Our wedding is going to be next level,” Alessia said.
“I hope you have an airtight prenup,” Jessa said as she rolled the cart up next to us.
Alessia’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”
Jessa lifted her hand and laid it on my chest. “We need to go, sweetie.”
My heart stuttered at her touch. “Okay, babe.” I slid my arm around behind her waist and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
Her eyes widened at me, and we walked away from Cody and Alessia without saying goodbye.
“This is why I hate going to the store,” she said under her breath. “I hate running into him, and he always seems to show up wherever I am.”
We rounded the corner, and I lowered my arm and gave her back her space. “I’m sorry. That must be hard.”
“I go for months, years even, thinking I’m past the whole thing, and then there he is. With a new girl every time, flaunting them in front of me. It makes me sick to my stomach.”
“Well, we got back at him today.”
She chuckled and gave me a little half-smile. “Yeah.”
“Did you know he was engaged?”
“ Pfft! No. It’s not the first time he’s given a girl a ring, though.”
My mind suddenly whirled with questions. “Did he give you a ring?”
Her face screwed up. “What? No.”
“Did you want him to?”
“As if.” She pushed on ahead of me.
“I feel sorry for that girl. If only she knew what he was really like,” I said.
“I don’t think she’s the kind of girl who cares who he truly is, only how much money is in his bank account.”
I nodded. “You’re probably right.”
We headed to the checkout, rang up our purchases, then went to the car.
On our way back to my house, I looked over at Jessa, and my breath caught in my throat. Her beauty was overwhelming sometimes. I could still feel the skin of her cheek against my lips, even from that brief soft touch.
I wished things were different, that I could tell her how I felt, that I could show her what it meant to have a good man who genuinely cared for her. But I knew what Jessa’s reaction would probably be, and I valued my life.
I noticed Jessa’s lips were pursed and her brow was furrowed.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“I know this isn’t usually our thing and my sister is the one you’d go to for advice, but if you need someone to talk to, I’m a really good listener. Especially this weekend, since Ellie’s going to be so busy.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Okay, but if there was—”
“I don’t want to talk. I want to go watch a movie with our friends.”
“Just trying to help.” I wished she would open up to me, just once.
The grooves in her forehead deepened like she was thinking hard, and then she glanced my way for a millisecond.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
I gasped. “I’m sorry … what was that?”
“Don’t push it.”
I chuckled, and she shot me a glare.
“Just so you know, my offer has no expiration date. My listening ear is yours if you need it. I’m always here for you, Jessa.”
A hint of a smile crossed her face, which made me happy.
“Ethan …”
“Yeah?”
“If you put your lips on me again without my permission, I’ll break your arm.”
I nodded and held in my smile. I should have been focused on the last part of that sentence, but my brain locked on the middle—w ithout my permission. I spent the rest of the drive home imagining ways I could get her to grant me just that.