Chapter 7
The next day was just pretty lazy, Paul had to work so Seth and Leah came over to keep me company or rather Leah came over me, and Seth came over for Ari, I swear he adored that girl as much as Paul and I did, it was a little weird.
Leah could tell something was off about me, but I was too ashamed to tell her I had a date tomorrow with the guy that broke my heart, I knew she for one would tear me to pieces and judge me. I wanted to call Kaylie, Victoria, or Nathan, and talk to them, but they'd judge me worse than Leah, they put the pieces back together already once.
She left telling me to have fun on my day in Seattle tomorrow, I had told her I was going to take a day and just focus on me, go get my nails done, get all dressed up and treat myself to the Met, and all that shit, she was totally for it, said she needed to do that for herself as well.
I barely slept that night I was freaking out so much, I really wish Ari had chosen to sleep with me instead of Paul because I really needed someone to cuddle right now. The next morning I got up early and took way too long to get dressed. I had to look good but not like I was trying too hard. I wanted him to regret what he did and think I was attractive. He was the only person who had ever even claimed to think that.
Around ten I came out of the room to see Paul setting the table with breakfast and Ari clinging to his back like a monkey. "Momma, you look pretty!" Ari squealed causing Paul to turn around and drop the plate he was holding, luckily it was just a paper plate so it didn't break.
"You look gorgeous," he said and I blushed bright red at his comment and as if the words had left his lips without permission he blushed.
"Thanks," I said shyly tucking my hair behind my ear.
"I made breakfast," Paul said still staring at me, his eyes drifting over my body carelessly and it was almost as if he was undressing me with his eyes, which totally made me uncomfortable.
"That's nice, I think I'll have to skip out though, I have reservations for 1 at the Met in Seattle," I told him.
His eyes narrowed, "Who with?" he asked seriously.
"No one, just myself, treating myself to a girly day of retail therapy and a nice lunch is all," I lied.
"Leah can go with you then, she'd love to," he stated.
"I'm going by myself, I don't want company this is a ME day," I told him.
He frowned deeper, "I don't like the idea of you going to Seattle alone," he told me.
"Well, you don't have to like it, I'm a 25 year old woman, I drove here from Texas, I think I'm capable of driving to Seattle," I said a bit rudely.
"Fine, but you are eating breakfast it's only a 2 hour drive anyway," he told me.
I sighed sitting down obliging as he set a plate down in front of me, I was hungry, I quickly ate, when she suddenly noticed my necklace, "Momma, why are you wearing that?" she asked pointing to the necklace.
"It's pretty, and I thought it matched my dress you don't like it?" I asked slightly panicked. She was one, she could not remember what this necklace meant to me.
"You don't wear it anymore, it old," she said uneasily.
"Jewelry is timeless, I just gave it a break is all," I lied.
"That's the necklace Nay Nay broke when he screamed at you that one time," she said.
My eyes widened she was ONE how did she remember that, "He what?" Paul asked evenly.
"We just got in a fight, Paul, that's all, and Ari, I think you're confused, I wouldn't be wearing it if it were broken," I lied to her.
Ari leaned forward climbing onto my lap and she pulled at my necklace looking at it, "No it is your Aladdin necklace! It says A&J's Whole New World!" Ari argued.
"Okay, it is my Aladdin necklace, Ari, but I love it, so I got it fixed, it's my favorite necklace," I told her honestly.
"Nay Nay don't like it," she told me.
"Well, Nay Nay isn't wearing it is he?" I asked her slightly annoyed.
"I no like it either," she said folding her arms across her chest.
"Well, you don't have to wear it either, now I have to go, Ari, have fun with Paul today and be good," I said quickly kissing her forehead and getting up before dropping her in Paul's lap.
"I'll be home this evening," I told Paul before hurrying out the door to my car but not before I heard Ari tell Paul.
"That necklace is from someone Nay Nay calls the A Hole," she called out.
I squeezed my eyes shut as I clutched the wheel this was a very bad idea. VERY VERY bad idea, but the idea of seeing him again was just….too tempting. I pulled the car into drive and made my way toward Seattle and the guy that could cause me to have more emotions than I knew existed.
I arrived at The Met and just sat there hyperventilating, I couldn't do this it was so stupid. I didn't want to see him again he broke me…he hurt Ari as well. That's when I saw him in a tux and a bouquet of roses waiting at the front of the restaurant. I started shaking he looked beautiful more beautiful than I remembered with his creamy skin, curly dirty blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He drew me in like bugs are drawn to light. I gulped getting out of my car and as if it were a movie and we were the lead actors and actresses. We locked eyes and his face broke into a huge grin while I probably looked terrified.
I continued to make my way to him though shaking with every step I took until we were inches apart our eyes never losing each other. "Jazz," he whispered and his voice broke the trance I was in and I took a step back.
"Aaron," I said my voice cold and bitter.
He looked away, "These are for you," he said softly handing me the bouquet of roses, "They are going to be dead by the time I get back to La Push," I said stupidly and he actually laughed.
"What happened to it's the thought that counts?" he asked.
"Its only when that thought is chocolates," I replied sassily unable to help the smirk that spread across my lips.
"Which is totally why I brought these as well," he said pulling out a box of chocolates from his coat, and I couldn't help but laugh but then my eyes widened when I saw what type they were.
"You got my favorite," I whispered.
He shrugged, "I figured you probably hadn't treated yourself right lately, and splurged," he told me with a shrug.
I bit my lip and took the box from his hand and opened it unable to stop myself as I put one of the peanut butter truffles in my mouth and breathed in pure contentment. "So would you like to go inside and eat those as our appetizer?" he asked.
I bit my lip, "Your appetizer, it's my appetizer," I joked.
"Good thing, I brought my own box," he grinned pulling out his own and that was how our date started.
We sat there and talked for hours, laughing and enjoying each other, I hadn't had that much fun since well the day we got engaged. "I can't believe she's three," he said in shock as I showed him yet another picture on my phone of her.
"It's crazy, I miss my dates out with my two favorite girls," he told me honestly.
"I miss them too," I replied staring at him and then he reached across the table and grabbed my necklace.
"You're wearing it," he whispered.
I looked down, "I haven't worn it in two years, but I…." I couldn't even finish before he held out his watch that had engraved in it the same thing.
"I haven't taken it off in two years, it's the only thing I have left of you," he told me.
I looked down, and just stared at my empty plate of cheesecake, "What are we doing Aaron," I whispered.
"I'm trying to start over with you, and prove to you that the future that we both saw together, isn't a lost cause! I never stopped loving you, Jazz," he told me.
I just stared at the plate some more, "I have had more fun in these few hours than I have since we got engaged," I replied.
"Jazz, it isn't over between us, we both know you ended it because you were scared we'd end up like your parents and you didn't want that life for Ari. I swear to you, we are not them, Jazz, I will love you till the day you die, and I will love Ari just as much as I love our own children. I can give you the life you always imagined having….and I'm being moved to Seattle, Jazz," he informed me grabbing my hands.
My eyes widened, "We can go to Vegas, get married, then move back here and get a house, start a family, Ari would be driving distance away from Paul, and you could work something out like weekends or something, even if you only got her weekends, you could drive there anytime you wanted," he started to tempt me.
"Aaron, please stop promising everything I ever dreamed of, it's clouding my judgment," I begged.
He sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry, I just got excited, and I apologize, I move here in a month, and I'm on business here until then, I just fly back the last week to get my stuff. We have time, Jazz, it doesn't have to be now," he told me.
I was silent, "Can we go one step at a time? Like a clean slate, starting over?" I whispered.
He squeezed my hands, "If that's what you want," he told me.
I nodded meeting his eyes, "I'm sorry sir and ma'am, but you have overstayed your time," a hostess came up and said snootily.
Aaron and I both chuckled, but nodded getting up not thinking it was worth a fight. We'd been here for…. I looked down at my own watch and my eyes widened, four hours… "Oh shit, Paul's probably panicking and texting me like crazy, I said I'd be home by evening," I told Aaron a bit panicked.
"And I've missed three meetings…." He trailed off and then we looked at each other and laughed before he pulled me into a tight hug.
"When can I see you again?" he asked me smoothing my hair while I was enveloped in his familiar scent.
"Soon," I promised.
"Monday?" he asked.
"Maybe," I said biting my lip again as I looked up at him.
"You know you told me, that anytime you bit your lip around me it was because you wanted to kiss me," he whispered leaning down entrancing me.
"Crap," I breathed.
He smirked slightly, "You can stop me if you want to," he told me his eyes zeroing in on mine, as he came so close I could feel his breath.
Like the idiot I was, I pulled him in the rest of the distance and kissed him. It was so familiar and safe, and happy, he was the only guy I had ever made out with, and the only guy I had ever REALLY kissed, besides my first kiss of course but that wasn't a REAL kiss. When we practically finished swallowing each other outside the Met he leaned his forehead against mine, "I missed you," he whispered stroking my neck.
I was just breathing heavy staring at him wide eyed not believing what I just let happen. "You should go, before I don't let you leave," he told me.
I nodded and continued to stare at him frozen in my place. "Your so cute when your dazzled, fine I'll walk away," he said winking at me before pecking my lips one last time before running off to his car.
I groaned the minute I got my bearings back I was an IDIOT! I stomped to my car and punched my steering wheel, why did I let him kiss me, it brought all those feelings back, and he made me vulnerable. I didn't like feeling vulnerable. I screamed loudly into the emptiness of my car as I drove back to La Push. I was angry at myself for falling back into his arms so easily, I mean one date and he freaking had me ready to marry him again, but I wasn't completely naïve. I knew he wasn't the same guy he was two years ago. I didn't trust him, but I did know….that there was a very great possibility that I would be trusting him again.
