Chương 20: Chapter 20

Jared

Laynie was pretty quiet on the car ride home. She asked me about the appointment and what the doctor expects but hasn't said much else since. The appointment went well. Dr. Toring says my injuries are just about healed. My ribs still hurt a little if I exert myself too much, but other than that I feel great. They gave me different pain meds and I only take them once a day now. I can also start driving. Even though I drove last night, I feel a little better knowing my injuries wouldn't put Laynie in jeopardy. Dr. Jones did a CT scan and a few other tests on me. Told me everything looks fine to him. He needs me to do another one in a few weeks, but he will be back in Jersey by then so Dr. Toring will send him the results and he will call me and discuss my options. For now, we wait. Again. To be honest I'm fine with never remembering. Too much pain may be caused if I do.

"Laynie? You okay?" I ask getting a little worried about her. We have been parked outside our house for a few minutes and she is just staring straight ahead.

She startles in the seat not realizing we are home. She shakes her head as if she is trying to clear her head and looks up at me with a smile.

"Yes, I'm okay. Just thinking." She responds.

She seems to be a little clearer minded so I let it go. I have to remember that just because I don't recall this past year doesn't mean she doesn't. The pain is still there I'm sure. We walk in the house where she goes to make us some lunch, and I sit on the sofa and open up my phone to call Alan and let him know how the appointment went. We have stayed in close contact since they left a few days ago.

After lunch is served we binge watch some movies that came out this past year, eat some junk food and make love on the sofa. Feels like heaven. That becomes our routine for a few weeks. I wake up in the morning doing some exercises that Dr. Toring wanted me to do to help with my ribs. Laynie makes us breakfast, and we go down to Maggie's to clean, order, and make love on the floor. Okay so that last one we only did once, but hot damn she looked good showing me what the uniform will be for the waitresses. Laynie goes to her follow up appointment for her injuries and everything has healed perfectly. We talk to Alan and Anna almost every day. Usually through facetime since Alan can't text for his life. Life becomes perfect.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Laynie asks me as I walk into the office for my attorney. Today is the meeting for me and my father, to relinquish the company back to him. I have tried calling and leaving my father messages so we can sit down and do this right, but he refuses to answer me or budge. Says the company is mine, he won't take it back. Makes no sense to me, doesn't seem like he even wanted to retire so I'm not sure why he won't take it back, but I don't want any part of it. Not after I found out it may have changed who Laynie married.

"Yes, I'm more than ready. I don't want any part of the company that has cause us so much pain." I say.

I know Laynie doesn't feel like the company is to blame for my sudden demeanor change, but I just can't shake that I moved us down here so boldly, just so I could work for my father. I thought I had more pride than that.

We walk in and shake hands with my attorney and my father's attorney. My father is nowhere to be seen. Typical. We sit and go over everything we need to sign the company back over to him. Because he is not here the ball is now in his court. All he has to do is accept and the company goes back to him. If he chooses not to accept than I signed a clause that has the company go up for bid. I was serious when I say I want nothing to do with it.

Later that day, we were out at lunch celebrating her newest addition to Maggie's, a three-stage dishwasher, whatever the hell that is. I make a mental note to google it when she goes to the restroom so I can keep up with the conversation.

"I'm happy for you baby, I was thinking that you may be able to open in six months." I say to her feeling her excitement.

"Jared, I can't open in six months I have to apply for a loan from the bank. I need to hire, and do more repairs and that's going to cost money." She says seeming overwhelmed.

"Baby, part of the agreement for my father not purchasing the company back is that I can sell it.My lawyer told me that I already have offers lined up for that. If my father does want the company back then there is a clause there to pay me out. Don't worry, we will have the money for Maggie's." I explain.

She nearly chokes on her salad. When she clears her throat enough times she continues.

"Jared are you serious, I wouldn't accept that money from you." She almost yells.

"Laynie, think about it. What if you did go straight to work when we moved here? You would have been making enough money to save up for your own place by now. At minimum, the down payment. Let me help you with this. Please." I plead.

I have put her through absolute hell and she stuck by me. The least I can do is allow one of her dreams to come true. The other one I'm still working on with Anna's help.

She just stares at me and I think she is about to argue but she places her fork down gently, stands up and walks over to me. She leans down and slowly kisses me. Gently at first then it gets a little heated. I stop her before I have an accident in my pants and look up at her. Her smile is worth every single penny I'm turning over to her for her restaurant. We are married after all. The money is hers as much as it is mine.

When we get home, we start to resume where we left off at the restaurant. I'm in the middle of leaving a trail with my mouth along her thighs. I stand up to remove my shirt when I trip over something. Laynie laughs her ass of while I try to get up. I look for whatever tripped me so I can somehow blame it on Laynie, the girl leaves her shoes everywhere. What I find has me stopping in my tracks. It's that little blue blanket I saw before. When I flip it over I see there has been some added stitching to it. It's a baby blanket, and it has the name Adam written on it with that stitch lettering stuff Laynie used to love playing with. I hear a gasp and look up to see Laynie with her hands on her mouth and tears in her eyes. I look back at the blanket too afraid to ask the question I know will end us. I can't see the future, I can just feel the present shifting. It's not a good shift.

"Laynie, what is this?" I ask, hands shaking.

"Jared I'm s-so s-sorry." She cries. She is shaking as bad as I am. I look from her to the blanket several times before I turn towards the door with the blanket in hand. I reach the guest bedroom that is locked. What a fucking fool I am. I always thought it was her room away from me when I was the old me.

I reach it and slam my body into the door. Shattering the wood. I hear Laynie scream out but I can't look back and check on her. Not because I don't want to. I want to hold her, tell her it's okay, let her know I'm sorry, but I have to figure out what I'm seeing in front of me. This room is furnished, just not with a bed I can sleep in. The whole room is painted in the same blue that that marks the blanket. There is a mahogany colored crib, a changing table that matches and a white rocking chair in the corner. The name Adam is written on the wall in bold white wooden lettering. There are little flags hanging around the room in decoration and a picture of me and Laynie at my prom on the dresser. She always said that was her favorite picture of us.

I look back at Laynie who is crying sitting on the floor holding the blanket right outside the nursery. My world shifts, it feels like I'm going to throw up and pass out at the same time. I turn to head towards her and fall to the ground. I feel the darkness finally take over.

bình luận bình luận của 0

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

Load failed, please RETRY