“Get out!” I shouted.
Jack walked out of the library and hopefully out of my life for good.
Trevor pulled me into his arms. “Are you okay? Did he touch you at all?”
Burying my face in his chest, I fought to hold back tears and lost. “N-no. He d-didn’t touch me.”
“Fucking dick. We shouldn’t have let you come in here alone with him. Don’t listen to a word that asshole said, Waylynn.”
Drawing back, I wiped my tears away. “I know, Steed. I’m more upset that I let him get to me with harsh words and memories that are best left buried.”
Steed hugged me. Kissing me on the forehead, he said, “Let me get Jonathon. He stepped outside.”
Jonathon. I couldn’t see him right now. Not when I was this upset.
“I need to go back to my place…without Jonathon.”
Steed stopped short. “What?”
“I need to be alone and sort all of this out in my head.”
“All of what out? Waylynn, whatever Jack said to you, don’t listen.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhaled. “Let me go back to my place alone, will you?” My hand dropped and I gave my brothers a silent plea. “I need to be alone.”
I walked past them and out of the library.
“Waylynn? Waylynn?”
My sister’s voice grew louder.
“Not now, Amelia.”
“Waylynn, where are you going?”
“I said, not now!” I screamed, running down the hall to the front door. I could still see Jack’s taillights as he drove away. Getting into my car, I left in a rush to my house.
My house. Fucking hell. It was my parents’ guest house, for fuck’s sake. Even though I paid rent, it still felt like I was living off my parents. Jack’s words replayed in my head.
You were never good enough. I saved you the embarrassment of making a fool out of yourself.
Tears streamed down my face as I drove. The full moon lit up the pastures on either side of me. Any normal night, and I’d drive with the lights out to let the moon lead the way. But tonight, tonight I wanted to get out of my own head and away from everyone and everything.
Tonight, I wanted to forget Jack ever existed.
Chapter Sixteen
Jonathon
“Another beer?”
Glancing over my shoulder at Cord, I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve already had a couple and I need to head home.” I sat in Waylynn’s parent’s home surrounded by her family.
“You’re not going to Waylynn’s place?” Mitchell asked as he gave Corina a look I couldn’t decipher.
I shrugged. “No. She told Steed and Trevor she wanted to be alone.”
“Then that means you need to go to her,” Corina said.
I closed my eyes. “Corina, that makes no sense.”
Mitchell let out a chuckle, “Dude, don’t question it. Just follow the advice.”
“But it doesn’t make sense. She talked to her ex, then she decided she needed to be alone to think things through. What kind of things?”
“That’s what you need to go ask her!” Paxton said.
“Paxton’s right, Jonathon. I think the worst thing you could do is leave without at least stopping by and checking on her. Show her you care enough to at least do that, even if you don’t understand why she pushed everyone away.”
Amelia sighed lightly. “She’s hurting, that’s why she pushed everyone away. After what Trevor overheard, Jack got into her head. Jonathon, you need to go get him back out.”
My hands went into my pockets, and I looked at the ground. “I don’t know how, Amelia.”
She stood and walked over to me. Placing her hand on my heart, she smiled. “Yes, you do. Just follow it. You told Chloe today you’d given your heart to Waylynn…now listen to it.”
I nodded, knowing they were right. The least I could do was go check on her.
“Alright. I’ll drive over there before I leave.”
Everyone smiled, and it wasn’t lost on me that three of Waylynn’s brothers were giving me advice to go to her house. Alone.
“Let me thank your folks.”
“They took Vi home. She rode over with us but was feeling too tired and ready to head on home.”
“Yeah, she’s feeling tired from the party she threw last night,” Wade said with a chuckle.
“I’ve heard Aunt Vi’s crowd gets a little crazy.”
Amelia and Wade chuckled. “You could say that. We have to keep reminding her that sound travels great distances in the country.”
I forced a laugh. All I wanted was go see Waylynn. Make sure she was okay. “Tell them I said thank you for dinner, will you?”
Cord stood and shook my hand, followed by Steed, Mitchell, and Wade.
“Night, y’all.”
By the time I had pulled up to Waylynn’s, my hands were sweating and my heart rate had doubled. I pulled around the side of the house and parked by her car. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there before I finally got out. My fear was so new, and I didn’t like it.