Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)(19)
Darrell: Hi Jack. Sorry to do this so late in the game but the project I’m currently working on is running longer than anticipated.
Darrell: I’m not going to be able to take on your house next week after all.
I fire back a text.
Jack: That’s unfortunate. How much later are you anticipating the project running? It’s not ideal but I’m willing to wait and book you and your crew for when you’re finished with your current project.
Darrell: Well . . . actually . . . I can’t help you after this project either.
Huh. That’s concerning.
Jack: Do you mind if I ask why?
Darrell: Because I’m moving.
Darrell: To another country.
Darrell: Have a nice day. Sorry I can’t help.
I might have actually thought he was genuinely booked up until those last two texts. I clue back into the conversation around me right as I hear them speculating that I would have been a great resource for the local softball league too.
I shove my phone back in my pocket. “Okay, I’ll bite. Someone tell me what’s going on. Why are you all talking about me like I’m already one foot out the door when I just moved to town?”
Harriet’s lips press into a line. Phil’s gaze drops to his sneakers. Mabel elbows Will in the side. He grumbles a little but then looks at me. “We may or may not have been warned to give you the cold shoulder because there’s someone here who doesn’t want you sticking around . . .”
“What? Who would do something so . . .” But then it all clicks into place, and I remember the little furrow between Emily’s eyebrows. All the comments about the town’s loyalty to her too.
Emily Walker, you sneaky, conniving . . .
My thoughts are interrupted when my gaze snags on the very woman in question as she’s passing in front of the market windows. I’m ready to meet her out there and let her have it, until I notice she’s wearing cutoff shorts that display her mile-long legs and a thin white tank top. Her golden hair is pulled back in a clip with her bangs wild around her face. She’s always so polished and professional at school but . . . this must be summertime Emily.
And before I realize it, I’ve been walking backward trying to keep sight of her until—
Bam.
I slam my back into a center display full of soup cans. It tumbles to the ground in a long slow slide of horrifically loud crashes. One after another in an onion soup avalanche.
Once the onslaught is complete and an awkward silence finally blankets the room, I look back at Phil, Harriet, Mabel, and Will. Their mouths are hanging open and I can practically see their feet itching to run and tell everyone they know about this.
Especially their ringleader: Emily.
“I’ll buy all of this right now if you swear not to tell anyone what just happened.”
Harriet nods.
TWO YEARS AGO
FROM: Emily Walker <[email protected]> TO: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:25 AM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation I’ll cut to the chase. I woke up sick today—but I was supposed to present my proposal for the second grade field trip at the all-teacher meeting after school. If you present it for me, I’ll take over your carpool duty for two weeks.
FROM: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> TO: Emily Walker <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:28 AM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation Interesting. Why not ask Jessica?
FROM: Emily Walker <[email protected]> TO: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:30 AM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation And risk her terrible monotone delivery? No thanks. You may be a jerk, but I’m mature enough to admit your presentation skills are above average.
FROM: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> To: Emily Walker <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:33 AM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation Three weeks and you have a deal. But I’m going to spice up the presentation.
FROM: Emily Walker <[email protected]> TO: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:35 AM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation Fine. Three weeks. But don’t do a damn thing to my presentation, Jackson!
FROM: Jack Bennett <[email protected]> To: Emily Walker <[email protected]> DATE: Tue, Sep 20 6:30 PM
SUBJECT: Field trip presentation Oops—didn’t see the email before spicing it up. Your presentation won thanks to me. You’re welcome.
Chapter Six
Emily
This morning started out tough. Without having anywhere to go or any pressing needs, I struggled to get out of bed. It’s been happening more and more lately and if I’m being honest, it scares me a little. During those moments I just feel so . . . heavy. Sad. Dark.
I lay there for a while just staring at nothing until I got a text from Madison saying she’s coming home next weekend. The news was enough to get me out of bed and power the most productive day of my year. I cleaned my house from top to bottom. I officially put away all of my winter clothes and traded them out for my summer stash. I washed my truck. I went thrifting for new classroom décor and found the cutest little tufted stools that will go perfectly in my reading corner. But most of all, I managed to somehow avoid all contact with Jack.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to avoid thinking of him every time I glanced at the sad pod out front housing his stuff. In his email, he told me it was so small because he wanted a clean slate. Why? What could have happened between him and Zoe that would make him want to give up nearly everything he owned? She told him she already had someone in mind to take his place; does that mean she was cheating? And why does that thought bother me so much?