Chapter 23: Chapter 23

JAMIE

Mason’s lips danced a trail of heat along my neck, sparking a warmth that radiated through me. A shudder coursed down my spine as his hand ventured up my thigh, his finger snagging my black lace thong and sliding them down. When his fingers finally found their way inside me, my breath hitched.

A soft moan slipped from my lips as I arched into him.

“You feel so damn good,” he murmured, his voice gravelly with desire.

His mouth claimed mine, hot and insistent. It was a fierce, possessive kiss that echoed the intensity of his touch. Every fiber of my being pulsed with longing.

Everything felt so right.

But then, abruptly, I felt a constriction around my throat. My eyes flew open, and it wasn’t Mason’s face I saw, but the face of the man from the file. His eyes, icy and unyielding, drilled into mine.

Panic surged through me as his hands tightened around my throat, choking off my air. I struggled against him, desperate to break free from his suffocating hold. I needed to get away…to breathe.

With a rush of adrenaline, I struck out, my fingers finding his eyes. He bellowed in pain, his grip slackening for a split second. I seized the chance, pushing against him with all my might.

I rolled off the bed, hitting the floor hard. Scrambling to my feet, I bolted from the room.

A shudder coursed down my spine, not from the cold, but from a creeping sense of dread. The night was silent, save for the soft crunch of leaves under my feet. My heart pounded in my ears.

Where am I? How did I end up here? The questions swirled in my mind, unanswered.

The satin of my nightgown clung to my damp skin, offering little warmth. A twig snapped behind me. My breath hitched in my throat. I spun around, my heart hammering like a drum.

It was him, his face contorted in a mask of fury. He was standing a few feet away, just watching me. Everything around us was so quiet, apart from my ragged breathing.

“What do you want from me?” I demanded, my voice quivering.

He didn’t respond. His eyes blazed with a chilling intensity. Instead, he took a step closer, a threatening snarl on his face.

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I spun to run, my satin nightgown offering no protection from the encroaching undergrowth. Branches scraped at my skin, but I ignored the pain.

Escape was my only focus.

Behind me, I could hear the man’s heavy footsteps. The sound grew louder with each passing second, a constant reminder of the relentless predator closing in behind me.

A glimmer of hope appeared in the darkness as I spotted a road up ahead. Desperation fueled my already weak legs. I ran for the road, my bare feet stinging with every step.

“Jamie… Jamie,” I heard Mason’s voice call from a distance. “Where are you?” he asked.

Relief washed over me. Mason! Hope flared within me. I took a step closer, my heart pounding less frantically.

But as the figure emerged from the shadows, my blood ran cold. I realized that it wasn’t Mason.

It was still him, the man from the file!

Fear engulfed me as I spun to run again. The downpour of the rain was now a relentless onslaught, soaking into the dirt beneath me. My lungs burned as I sprinted, the muddy ground pulling at my feet.

Behind me, I heard the crunch of leaves and the heavy thud of footsteps. Terror flared in my veins as his hand clamped down on my arm. I twisted and pulled, but his grip was like iron.

A wave of nausea washed over me as I inhaled the rancid stench of decay, a scent that seemed to seep into my very being.

I wrenched myself free, stumbling and falling onto the rain-slicked road. My knees scraped against the gravel, igniting a fiery pain. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding.

A blinding beam of light sliced through the darkness. A car was barreling toward me. A scream built in my throat, but no sound escaped my lips. I was frozen…like a deer caught in the headlights.

The impact—a blinding flash of pain.

My eyes flew open. I gasped for breath, my heart hammering against my chest in a relentless rhythm. I swiped the sweat from my forehead, sitting up on the couch and taking in my surroundings.

I’d fallen asleep… It was just a nightmare. But it felt so real… It always did.

I took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart, reminding myself it was just a bad dream. ~It’s not real. I’m safe here.~

The buzzer rang, and I reached over to the coffee table to grab my phone.

Vince’s face filled the screen. “Hello?”

“Hi, Miss Jamie. There’s a woman here to see you,” Vince’s voice, steady and professional, cut through my foggy thoughts.

I knew who it was. Carmen was here, and I won’t lie, the thought of facing her twisted my stomach into knots.

“You can let her in, Vince. Thank you.”

I ended the call and picked up my walking stick from its spot next to the couch. I moved toward the door, slow and steady. Her soft knock reached my ears just as I got there.

Hand on the lock, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come. I opened the door to find Carmen standing there, her face bare and a gentle smile on her lips. Her hair, a mix of brown and blonde, was pulled back into a tight ponytail, a look I didn’t remember her wearing often. She was dressed in a simple black sweater and jeans.

“Hi!” she greeted softly.

I managed a smile. Carmen’s soft voice was a stark contrast to her desperate cries for attention last night.

“Um, do you want to come in?” I asked.

She nodded, a tentative smile on her lips. I stepped aside to let her in. Ezra, who had been standing silently behind Carmen, resumed his post at the front door as it clicked shut.

As Carmen moved through the kitchen, her gaze lingered on every detail. She paused to admire the large pendant light over the kitchen island before heading to the dining room.

“Wow! I forgot how big this place was,” Carmen’s voice was a mix of surprise and nostalgia.

She turned to me, a small smile on her face. “Just once, after your accident. Do you want to sit and talk? Catch up?”

“Um, okay. I’ll make us some coffee first.” I moved to the coffee machine.

As I prepared two creamy cappuccinos and set out two delicate white mugs with gold spoons, I noticed the unusual amount of attention I was putting into creating the perfect atmosphere.

Within five minutes of Carmen’s arrival, questions were swirling in my mind. She’d been here before…but Mason never mentioned it. ~It’s probably nothing to worry about~, I thought, deciding to ask him about it later.

Twenty minutes had passed since Carmen arrived, and we hadn’t really talked about anything substantial. The warmth of my cappuccino was the only comfort as I sat on the couch, lost in thought. Carmen was across from me, her eyes darting around the room as she sipped her coffee.

Finally, she broke the silence.

“You look so good, Jamie. Honestly, I’m loving the new hair.” Her smile widened.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” I confessed. “I was trying to figure out who I was…who I am now,” I added. “You look great too. I don’t remember you wearing your hair like that often. It’s nice.”

She ran her hand down her ponytail, a gesture that seemed both confident and a little vulnerable.

“It’s for work,” she explained. “I changed jobs, I’m waiting tables at a restaurant. It’s a really nice place… You and Mason should come by sometime.”

I nodded.

“Yeah, maybe,” I replied, trying to be polite. But more questions were forming. Like, why is she waiting tables at a restaurant?

Carmen took a deep breath, her eyes filled with a mix of regret and determination.

“So um, I guess that’s enough small talk,” she chuckled quietly. “I’ve been eager to talk to you. I just wanted to make amends and apologize to you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Well, it’s a start, I suppose. But that’s not why I invited her over.

“What happened between us?” I asked. “Mason and Ethan told me their version, but I want to hear it from you.”

Carmen inhaled deeply, her eyes a cocktail of guilt and shame. She set her mug on the coffee table, the clink echoing in the silent room.

“The night before my wedding…,” she started, her voice quivering. “I walked in on what I thought was you and Brent together.”

A wave of nausea hit me. I don’t remember Brent, but the stories I’ve heard about him are enough to make me sick.

“And you believed him over me?” I asked softly.

Carmen nodded, her eyes brimming with regret.

“I was confused,” she admitted. “Deep down, I think I knew you were telling the truth. But I was scared.” Her voice faltered. “The morning of my wedding, I found out I was pregnant. I was terrified of doing it alone. I’m not strong like you.”

I let out a sigh.

“I’m not strong…far from it, actually.”

“But you’ve always been strong, Jamie,” Carmen insisted. “I was there when you raised Penelope on your own. Even now, after everything—the coma, losing your memories… your mother. You’re the strongest person I know.”

I silently appreciated her words. I wasn’t about to exchange pleasantries. I didn’t want her to think everything was forgiven…not yet. And honestly, I didn’t see myself as the strong person Carmen painted me to be. I don’t feel strong… I never have.

“Ethan told me about your miscarriage the night of the accident,” I began. “I’m sorry, that must’ve been tough on you.”

“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted, her eyes filling with a mix of sadness and recognition. “Brent’s reaction was to drink and stay out all night. I was a mess, grieving not only for my baby…but for you too.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her. Losing a child is devastating, and dealing with an absent partner must have compounded the pain.

“What happened between you and Brent?” I asked.

Carmen hesitated, gathering her thoughts.

“I, um… I just decided I’d had enough of his crap and dumped him,” she finally replied, a half-smile playing on her lips. “We filed for divorce and it was over in a matter of weeks. I haven’t seen him since.”

“And that’s it?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.

Carmen nodded, her expression turning serious.

“I don’t think he ever really wanted me. There were signs from the beginning, I just ignored them. We always used to say, never ignore the signs. But it’s hard when you’re head over heels for someone.”

I couldn’t shake the unease that had settled over me. Carmen’s casual attitude toward her divorce was unsettling. I didn’t remember anything about her relationship with Brent, but I had assumed it was more complicated than she made it seem.

“Anyway…,” Carmen began. “I’m better off without Brent. I’m not blinded by love anymore, now I can see what he was doing to me. I’m sorry for what I did to you… I should have never trusted him over you.”

I nodded, my heart aching. She shouldn’t have trusted him over me. We’d been friends since childhood. I would never have done anything to hurt her. It was clear she was blinded by love…or what she thought was love.

The heaviness of the conversation lifted, and as I walked Carmen to the door, I felt a sense of relief. We had confronted the difficult questions, the unspoken truths that had been looming between us for too long.

Carmen turned to face me, her eyes filled with a vulnerability I hadn’t seen all day. Suddenly, she pulled me into a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around me. I was caught off guard, unprepared for the sudden display of affection. But as she held me, a warmth spread through me, and I found myself hugging her back.

“I’ve missed you, Jamie,” she whispered, pulling away. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

As she stepped back, I smiled genuinely. She opened the front door and I watched her as she stepped out.

I watched her walk away, a twinge of guilt gnawing at my insides. The Carmen I was seeing was a mere shadow of the vibrant girl I once knew. She was alone, and all she wanted was to rekindle our old friendship. All she was asking for was a little forgiveness.

“Carmen…,” I called out, my voice echoing in the empty space.

She turned, her eyes filled with anticipation, waiting for me to say something. I stumbled over my words, trying to find the right ones. I didn’t want to dismiss her, to tell her “never mind.” After a moment of silence, I finally found the courage to speak.

“We’re…um…hosting a dinner party on Saturday night. Just a few people, family and friends. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”

Her face broke into a smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

As she disappeared into the distance, a glimmer of hope sparked within me.

Maybe, just maybe, with time and effort, we could mend the broken pieces and rebuild our friendship.