Chapter 5/Thoughts Interrupted
Landon woke startled on Monday morning to the sound of the phone beside his bed. He groaned and sat upright, rubbing his eyes viciously.
"Yea," he asked, annoyed at the early caller.
"Landon, hey how was your trip," a familiar female voice asked.
He groaned again and let his head fall back onto his pillow. Lauren. Gee why can't these people leave me alone, he wondered crudely. "Lauren, It was fun but I'm still sort of tired from it, can I get back to you later toda- ," he was cut off by Lauren's shrill interruption.
"Listen Landon do you like Emily or not?"
"Huh?" He rolled his eyes and laughed out loud. "Of course I like her." Why else would I be spending so much time with her, he thought laughing again, this time to himself.
Emily laughed at him this time, dryly. He could practically sense the irritated sarcasm in her voice. "I know you like her stupid, I mean like her like her. Like date her like her." She paused, as if she was considering whether she did the right thing or not.
"Lauren, I've explained to her numerous times, my heart belongs to Jamie. I have no interest in any other woman whatsoever."
Lauren sighed loudly on the other line, obviously ticked. "Fine Landon. Listen I know you've told her. She has nothing to do with this, but it's been like 5 years. I know you cared about her but I think it's about time to get over it already." She hung up the phone, slamming it down on the receiver.
Landon collapsed back against his mound of pillows, tears stinging in his eyes, the harsh reality of Lauren's words irking him sharply. He knew that her words had somewhat of a meaning, but he was still grieving. Couldn't people understand that? But he knew the truth as well as they did. He wasn't recovering any faster. Even Reverend Sullivan had remarried last year. He was the only person left in the town that was still always grieving over the loss of Jamie Sullivan and he knew if he didn't start dating again he might never stop.
"Riiiiiiing." The phone rang again, once more interrupting Landon's thoughts. It was now 2:00 pm on Monday evening. He'd been lying there all day, trying to make some sense of the situation, but he just couldn't bring himself to forget her. But he knew he didn't have to do that to move on like everybody else. He had to forgive Jamie for leaving him and try to put her away, in a special place in his heart like everyone else…if only he knew how.
"Hello?" He picked up the phone on the 3rd ring.
"Landon? Hey I'm SO sorry about what Lauren said…it wasn't right. I wish I could take her words back somehow. Are you alright?" Emily sounded genuinely sorry on the other line.
"It's ok Em," he replied sadly. "In fact Lauren sort of got me thinking. I realize it has been five years. I need to start getting out again. In that case, would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"
"Sure," Emily said sounding surprised. "We can finish more of your story."
"No, we can't talk about Jamie and me on our date," he said laughing awkwardly.
"No, no I want to."
"Ok, it's a date then?"
"You bet."
"Oh and Emily?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be alarmed if I seem a little cold sometimes. This is going to be hard for me. I have to take it slow."
"Sure I understand. Pick me up at 8?"
"Ok I'll see you then."
"I'm anxious already."
Landon hung up the phone and frowned slightly, pondering whether he was making a major mistake or not.
A/N: I hate this!! Lol but Jamie will NOT be forgotten I won't let that happen. I promise so don't freak out readers, thanks.
Landon woke startled on Monday morning to the sound of the phone beside his bed. He groaned and sat upright, rubbing his eyes viciously.
"Yea," he asked, annoyed at the early caller.
"Landon, hey how was your trip," a familiar female voice asked.
He groaned again and let his head fall back onto his pillow. Lauren. Gee why can't these people leave me alone, he wondered crudely. "Lauren, It was fun but I'm still sort of tired from it, can I get back to you later toda- ," he was cut off by Lauren's shrill interruption.
"Listen Landon do you like Emily or not?"
"Huh?" He rolled his eyes and laughed out loud. "Of course I like her." Why else would I be spending so much time with her, he thought laughing again, this time to himself.
Emily laughed at him this time, dryly. He could practically sense the irritated sarcasm in her voice. "I know you like her stupid, I mean like her like her. Like date her like her." She paused, as if she was considering whether she did the right thing or not.
"Lauren, I've explained to her numerous times, my heart belongs to Jamie. I have no interest in any other woman whatsoever."
Lauren sighed loudly on the other line, obviously ticked. "Fine Landon. Listen I know you've told her. She has nothing to do with this, but it's been like 5 years. I know you cared about her but I think it's about time to get over it already." She hung up the phone, slamming it down on the receiver.
Landon collapsed back against his mound of pillows, tears stinging in his eyes, the harsh reality of Lauren's words irking him sharply. He knew that her words had somewhat of a meaning, but he was still grieving. Couldn't people understand that? But he knew the truth as well as they did. He wasn't recovering any faster. Even Reverend Sullivan had remarried last year. He was the only person left in the town that was still always grieving over the loss of Jamie Sullivan and he knew if he didn't start dating again he might never stop.
"Riiiiiiing." The phone rang again, once more interrupting Landon's thoughts. It was now 2:00 pm on Monday evening. He'd been lying there all day, trying to make some sense of the situation, but he just couldn't bring himself to forget her. But he knew he didn't have to do that to move on like everybody else. He had to forgive Jamie for leaving him and try to put her away, in a special place in his heart like everyone else…if only he knew how.
"Hello?" He picked up the phone on the 3rd ring.
"Landon? Hey I'm SO sorry about what Lauren said…it wasn't right. I wish I could take her words back somehow. Are you alright?" Emily sounded genuinely sorry on the other line.
"It's ok Em," he replied sadly. "In fact Lauren sort of got me thinking. I realize it has been five years. I need to start getting out again. In that case, would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"
"Sure," Emily said sounding surprised. "We can finish more of your story."
"No, we can't talk about Jamie and me on our date," he said laughing awkwardly.
"No, no I want to."
"Ok, it's a date then?"
"You bet."
"Oh and Emily?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be alarmed if I seem a little cold sometimes. This is going to be hard for me. I have to take it slow."
"Sure I understand. Pick me up at 8?"
"Ok I'll see you then."
"I'm anxious already."
Landon hung up the phone and frowned slightly, pondering whether he was making a major mistake or not.
A/N: I hate this!! Lol but Jamie will NOT be forgotten I won't let that happen. I promise so don't freak out readers, thanks.