CHAPTER 1: JENNA

I paused on my aunt's front porch. I frowned. Why am I even here? I should be miles and miles away from this wretched town. I shouldn't have come back here. But I did and it hurts. "Jenna honey, what are you doing out in the cold? Come on in," Aunt May said. I put down my suitcases next to the sofa. She led me to the kitchen and instructed me to sit down while she busied herself making hot chocolates. "Why, Aunt May?" I asked softly. "Why what, dear?" she asked innocently. The tears that I'd been fighting back for hours rolled down my cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me about Nadine's death ten years ago?" I asked again. She swung around to face me. "Because you're busy running away from this town! What did you expect?" she shouted. I flinched. I sighed and stared at my bare feet. Aunt May was right. I was busy running away from this town but I'm not going to tell her why.

Not knowing about Nadine's death was hard but I knew I wouldn't attend her funeral even if I want to. I just couldn't. I couldn't bear to see one face that I tried so hard to forget for fifteen years. "You and Nadine were so close. Then before graduation, you left this town and gone for fifteen years. Nobody knows where you're today and the next day afterwards. You seemed to be all over the states. What happened to my favorite niece?" The tears rolled down again and I couldn't seem to stop the flow. I really wished I could tell Aunt May but this secret was mine to keep. I wiped away the tears and smiled weakly at her. "I'm fine, Aunt May. I'm home now, aren't I?" I said cheerfully although my poor heart was breaking.

Aunt May had been like a mother to me after my mother died when I was only ten. My father died of grief five years later and she took me in. She was my father's sister and very close to us. She'd been married to Uncle Bill for thirty years and even though she never bore him children, his love for her remained strong until his last breath. Aunt May was alone now. No matter how hard the decision I took, I knew I must come home.

After dinner, I lay down on the couch, not wanting to spend the night in my old bedroom. So many unhappy memories lingered inside. I wished I could stop the pain, but I couldn't. The pain had been with me for fifteen years. Even if I wanted to, it wouldn't go away.

After a restless night, I got up from the couch and went to the bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Oh God, I looked terrible. Lack of proper sleep had started to show. I washed my face and brushed my teeth then arranged my tousled hair. I glanced at my watch. It's barely 5 am. I decided to change into my sweatshirt and pants. Time for my early morning jog. I unlocked the front door and stepped onto the front porch. It was still dark and cold. I closed the door behind me and walked down the short steps. I jogged to the only park in this small town. For half an hour, I jogged alone in the darkness. Then I realized I'm not alone. "Come on, boy! That's it!" I heard a man's voice behind me. I heard a dog's panting breath. Then before I knew it, I felt something hard knocked into me in the dark and I fall onto my back with a loud scream.

"Oh my God! Charlie!" the man shouted in alarm. I sensed a big dog but I'm not sure what breed. Hopefully it's not a Pitbull. Groaning, I tried to sit up and a big, wet tongue licked my face. He's lucky I'm a dog lover. I scratched at the back of his big ears and smiled. "Good boy. Sorry you had to knock into me that way. Guess you didn't see me," I said softly. I heard footsteps approaching us. I waited for the owner to scold his dog so I could defend the big fella, instead, "Jenna? Is that you?" I froze. That voice! It couldn't be Nadine's boyfriend, Jake. I got up quickly. "Jenna..." he started. "I got to go," I stammered and ran as far as I could from the man. "Jenna, wait!"

CHAPTER 2: JAKE

I let out a frustrated breath and looked down at Charlie. "So much for friendly bump," I muttered and Charlie looked up at me and barked. "Come on, boy. Let's go," I said and refastened his leash. After fifteen years, she was finally back in this town. Why did she leave in the first place anyway? Nobody seemed to know, not even her Aunt May. But I knew she'd travel a lot for these past fifteen years. I saw her articles. They're mostly about every day lives. She went from state to state. I, on the other hand, stayed here and opened up a diner. Business was great. Apart from the locals, outsiders came too. The Lakefront Diner had been in business for five years now. My father bought the place and renovations started soon after. Although he used to persuade me to become a doctor like him, but he knew too well not to argue with me about my passion for food. I went and graduated at a culinary school then gained experiences in the culinary world by working at various restaurants, cafes and diners outside of town before I came back and opened up the diner.

I smiled as I remembered Nadine and her best friend, Jenna. They're totally opposites, but stuck like glue through good and bad times. They've been friends since toddlers, Jenna's Aunt May told me years ago until the day she packed and left us behind for fifteen years. Nadine was a pretty girl with long, wavy black hair, tall and slender. She was always loud and proud of it. She liked talking but she was a good person. Then there was Jenna. She had long, straight dark brown hair that always tied into a ponytail, short and chubby but cute. Where Nadine always wore fashionable clothes, Jenna on the other hand was clueless when it comes to fashion. She didn't even do make-up! Although shy, she loved sports. She played softball in school and dubbed 'The Wiggler' because of her habit of wiggling her hips before each throw. Those cute little wiggles could distract any batter and she was really good at it. Nadine and I always watched her play although she wasn't a sport fan. She came to support her best friend. "Look at her!" she would exclaim with a laugh. "She can really wiggle it!"

Disturbed by my sudden meeting with Jenna, I decided to go to the diner earlier than usual. I showered in the private bathroom inside my office and put on a navy colored T-shirt, blue jeans and black Adidas sneakers. After unlocking the door, I was ready for business. Charlie, my black Labrador sprawled inside the bar with me. Four years ago, I cooked everything on the menu but since a year ago, my older brother Joel and his assistant, Eddie who happens to be our cousin took over the kitchen while I handled the bar and my cousins, Daisy and Bella took customers' orders. I heard the bells on the door chimed. "Wow, you're early," Daisy remarked. I shrugged. "My morning run was cut short when Charlie knocked into another jogger," I said as I wiped the bar. Bella went to pat Charlie. "Bad boy, Charlie. Who did you knocked into?" she asked lovingly as she scratched the back of his ears. "He knocked into Jenna." They stared at me. "Jenna? Really? So, it's true. She's home at last," Joel said and sat on one of the stools at the bar. I shrugged again. "I guess so. I heard her Aunt May isn't feeling well lately. Maybe that's why she came home," I said, still wiping.

"What the hell are you wiping?" Daisy asked. "The bar is spotless!" I stopped and let out a frustrated breath. "She ran away at the sight of me," I muttered. "Running away so quickly as if i have cooties." The four brats laughed in my face. I frowned. Damn them to hell! I could feel my cheeks went warm. The bells chimed. "Better get to work. We have a customer," Eddie said and disappeared into the kitchen with Joel. My best friend since toddler, Lou sat at the bar. I poured his usual black coffee and shouted into the kitchen, "Lou's usual!" Lou sipped his coffee then stared at me. "What? I didn't do anything wrong," I remarked. He raised a brow. "Who say you did?" he asked in confusion. I leaned forward. "You're staring at me as if I broke the law," I muttered. He smiled and ran a hand through his short brown hair. Lou was tall and burly. He was also a sheriff. "Jenna's back," he said softly. I sighed. "I know. I bumped into her at the park just this morning. Guess what? She ran away as fast as she could at the sight of me," I muttered with a frown. "What happened to you and Jenna?" he asked and I sighed again. "I wish I knew."

CHAPTER 3: JENNA

I bought a one story house just five minutes drive from Aunt May's place. It used to belong to Greg and Vivian Hudson. They moved to the city and sold the house. The house was a beautiful white Victorian with a wraparound porch. It was a rather large house consisting of three bedrooms, a large kitchen, a large living room and a study. The backyard was facing the lake. I fall in love instantly with it. I urged Aunt May to move in with me but the stubborn old bat declined, saying she was fine all by herself. "After all, we're not that far," she pointed out. The moving truck arrived today with my furniture and everything else so we sat down on the porch steps, waiting. Ten minutes later, the truck arrived and we set to work. Nearly four hours later, we unloaded everything and put them at their respective places. Aunt May suggested we treated the movers with dinner at the Lakefront Diner, just ten minutes walking distances. We walked toward the diner and as Aunt May opened the door, the bells chimed. We walked inside and I froze in horror. Jake was standing inside the bar and smiling broadly at us.

A tall and slender woman walked toward us. "Jenna, good to see you again," she said with a warm smile. I stared at her face and tried to remember who she was. "I'm Bella, remember? Jake's cousin?" I smiled. "Hi, Bella," I murmured and we hugged. She inspected me from head to toe. "Look at you, girlfriend. You looked stunning! I hardly recognize you," she exclaimed and my cheeks felt warm. "Say hi to Joel, Eddie, Daisy and Jake," she went on. The others waved and smiled at me. Then I felt a nudge at my knees. I looked down and saw a gorgeous black Labrador. I knelt and scratched the back of his ears. "Hello, Charlie. Nice to see you again. You are one handsome dog," I said and he licked my face. Bella giggled. "Well...looks like Charlie fells in love with you, Jenna," she remarked. I stood up and she ushered us toward an empty booth.

I guess the whole town already knew that I came home because every time the bells chimed, people would walked over to our table and welcomed me back to the town. I've been smiling and now my jaw hurts. Crap. To top it off, Jake Wilson was watching me. Not good. After a delicious dinner, we stood up to leave. Joel really was a good chef. I paid and tipped Bella and Daisy handsomely. They smiled in appreciation. We walked back toward my place and I drove Aunt May to her house after the movers left. She asked me to come in and treated me with a mug of hot chocolate. We sat down at the table, enjoying our drinks. "What happened to you and Jake, honey?" she asked and I stiffened. "Nothing happened, Aunt May," I lied. God, I hate that question! She narrowed her eyes as she stared at me. I could feel it in my guts that she wasn't convinced. "Young lady, I maybe old but I'm not blind!" she said sternly. "You, Jake and Nadine were close friends before. Now you treated the man like a stranger! What went wrong between you and Jake?" I shook my head. "Like I said, nothing happened. Look, thanks for your help today and for the hot chocolate. I got to go." I got up, kissed her cheek and walked toward the door. "Jake came here nearly every day. We talked about you, Jenna," she said softly. I closed my eyes, trying hard to fight back the tears. "Good night, Aunt May. I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered and closed the door behind me. As I walked toward my black SUV, the tears finally rolled down my cheeks.

CHAPTER 4: JAKE

I unlocked the front door and walked inside, flipping on light switches as I went. I filled Charlie's water bowl and put it down on the floor. I leaned over the kitchen sink and frowned. The Hudson's old house was bathed in lights and I remembered I saw a black SUV in the driveway. I'd never seen that type of car in this side of town before. I sat down on the couch and turned on the large flat screen TV. Charlie sprawled at my feet. As I flipped through channels, my mind wandered back to a few hours before when I saw Jenna stepped inside my diner.

I couldn't see her very clearly at the park this morning but in the bright lights of the diner, I took a very good look at her. Her once waist length hair was cut to chest length now and no longer tied into a tight ponytail. Her brown eyes twinkled as she smiled at Charlie and scratching the back of his ears fondly. She stood at five foot five and not chubby anymore but beautifully curvy. Damn! She sure looked lovely. "What a beauty," Bella had said. "Make sure your cooties don't scare her away again, Jake." I glared at my cousin as she walked toward Jenna's booth, chuckling like a devil.

What I didn't understand was the way she was treating me. She treated me like a stranger and I hated that. I missed the moments we shared in high school. Ever since I started dating Nadine, she distanced herself saying she didn't want to intrude although Nadine and I tried asking her to join us every time we went to the movies. She and Nadine were best friends but Jenna was the only best friend that I really cared about. I punched and kicked whoever made her life miserable. That made me got more dates with the principal than Nadine.

Prom night was one memory that I won't forget as long as I live. Jenna arrived with her date, Peter and I swore to God my eyes jumped out of their sockets. She wore a long and strapless purple dress that hugged her body nicely. Her long hair hung loose like a flowing silk. The other guys fixed their eyes on Nadine with her skimpy and sleeveless knee length pink dress while I couldn't stop staring at Jenna. She was definitely stunning. Poor Jenna. Peter was definitely an A class jerk. He drooled over Nadine and deserted Jenna. As a good friend, I got up and asked her to dance with me. Just as we reached the dance floor, the fast number ended and Shania Twain's love song started. She hesitated and looked at Nadine who was talking to Peter. I assured her that it was okay and Nadine wouldn't mind. I stepped closer and gently put her hands on my shoulders. As I put my hands on her waist, she stiffened and her face turned red. I smiled and guided her on the dance floor, gazing at each other as we moved together. Staring deep into her brown eyes, I swore something happened to me right there on the dance floor. Mesmerized by her lovely eyes, I almost leaned forward when suddenly the song ended. I caught Nadine's eyes across the dance floor, staring at us. My cheeks felt warm. Was she mad at me for asking Jenna to dance with me?

A loud scream jolted me back to the present. It seemed to be coming from right next door, the old Hudson's house. I got up and jerked open the door. "Come on, Charlie!" I shouted and the black Labrador jumped onto his feet, running right beside me toward the house.

CHAPTER 5: JENNA

Damn! I lay sprawled on the floor like a sack of grain. My butt hurt like hell. I was in the middle of hanging a picture on the wall when the stool I stood on wobbled and I crashed onto the floor, butt first. "Jenna! Are you okay?" a voice asked me in alarm and a wet tongue licked my face. Charlie and his good looking master, Jake. Damn him for making me confused and excited. I should have lock that God damned door. "Are you hurt?" he asked. I didn't want to look up at him but my whole body had other ideas. I looked up and wished I hadn't done that. Jake knelt in front of me with concern in his brown eyes. I tore my eyes away, afraid I might drown in its depth. "I'm fine," I gritted and tried to stand. I winced. He frowned. "No, you're not," he muttered and lifted me off the floor as if I weighed no more than a feather. "What are you doing?" I shrieked. "Put me down!" He ignored my protests and kept walking toward the couch. My stupid heart was doing the familiar flip-flops at the close contact. Too close I'm afraid. My eyes drawn toward the slightly open button down shirt he was wearing. My fingers itched to touch the flesh underneath. I kicked myself mentally. Stop it, Jenna! What the hell were you thinking?

He put me on the couch carefully and sat next to me. "Let me check for injuries," he said and I stiffened. No way I'm going to let him touch my butt! "You don't have to do that!" I snapped. He glared at me. "Would you rather I bend you over my knees and smack your butt?" he snapped back. "I know what I'm doing. Now sit still!" I turned my body away from him so he could check my back. I felt him lifted up my shirt, then touching and pressing my exposed skin. I closed my eyes, trying hard not to tremble although there was nothing I could do to stop the heat from creeping up my neck and cheeks. I must have resembled a well cooked lobster. When he pressed his fingers at the painful area, I winced. "Nothing too serious. Just a nasty bruise," he said. I turned on the couch to face him, totally ignoring the pain. "How the hell did you know that?" I snapped and glared at him. The jerk smiled. Smiled! "My dad's a doctor, remember?" he answered. "Now stay put while I get the ice." I glared at his back as he walked toward the kitchen. Stay put? What am I? A dog? I stared at Charlie. "No offense buddy," I murmured to the big fella.

Jake reappeared, carrying a bag of ice and proceeded putting that thing onto my back. "Ouch! Jake that hurts!" I shouted, fuming at him. "It wouldn't hurt if you just stop turning around so much!" he snapped. I clamped my mouth shut and stared down at Charlie. I heard Jake let out a heavy sigh. "Look Jenna. I'm tired of arguing with you. We haven't seen each other for fifteen years and here we are, bickering like old enemies. We used to be good friends. Really good friends. To tell you the truth, you're the best friend that I really cared about," he murmured. If my aching back permitted it, I would turn around to face him but I stayed put and stared at Charlie instead. My chest tightened with emotions. No, don't cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

I felt Jake shifted on the couch. I heard a soft curse then, "Please don't cry, Jenna. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." I felt his strong arms held me as I cried unashamedly against his shirt. He apologized again and again and I cried some more. Why did I have to be such a crybaby? He helped me but I treated him like a trash. I shouted at him.

If my poor heart didn't break like this, I would have treat him nicely. But being in this town hurt and seeing him again hurt even more. Why oh why did I have a crush on Jake? We were only twelve when I had that stupid crush. He was really cute, with charming dimples and tousled dark hair. He'd been like a big brother although we're the same age. He would punch and kick whoever bullied me at school. Then senior year rolled in and I found out he was dating Nadine. My fragile heart crashed to thousand pieces. Every time I saw them embraced and kissed, I felt like I'm dying day after day. I distanced myself, too hurt and too distress to watch their acts of passion. Tears and loneliness had become my faithful companions as I detached myself from society and hid in my bedroom, drowning in my sorrow.

Then prom night came and it was a night I would never forget as long as I breathed. Peter was supposed to be my date that night but he was too busy ogling Nadine that he deserted me. I sat at the table like an idiot and trying hard not to cry. The night was a disaster and I felt miserable. "Dance with me." I looked up and saw Jake standing in front of me, offering his hand. I hesitated because I didn't want Nadine to be upset with me. He smiled and assured me that she wouldn't mind. So I accepted his hand and he led me to the dance floor. The fast number ended and Shania Twain's love song filled the hall. I hesitated again and stared at Nadine who was busy talking to Peter. I looked back at Jake. Again, he smiled. Then he took my hands and put them on his shoulders. Slowly and gently, he put his hands on my waist. I felt heat crept up my neck and cheeks. We danced and gazed at each other. There was something I couldn't put my finger on as he gazed at me. Something flashed in his eyes but I couldn't guess what it was. I fought back tears as I looked up at him. Knowing he'll never knows about what I really feel about him choked me and at that exact moment, I knew I had fallen in love with Jake Wilson. Then he started to lean forward as if wanted to say something when the song suddenly ended. He raised his head and his face went red. I didn't need to turn around to guess what he was seeing. I knew Nadine was staring at us. Maybe even fuming at him for daring to ask me to dance with him. I excused myself and left the dance floor. After I went out the hall, I took off my strappy high heels and ran all the way home as tears rolled down my cheeks.

My feet ached when I got home. Luckily, Aunt May and Uncle Bill were visiting relatives for a few days. I certainly didn't want them to see how miserable I was. I unlocked the front door and ran into my room. I threw myself on the bed, crying my heart out. I promised to leave this town after graduation. I couldn't possibly smiled at Nadine or Jake and acted as if nothing was wrong because everything was wrong and my heart was breaking more and more each day. A day after graduation, I left and didn't look back. Nadine called often but I made a lot of excuses not to talk longer because talking to her depressed me. I didn't want her to tell me about her happily ever after with Jake. After graduated from college, I became a journalist and traveled a lot. I was constantly moving from state to state covering stories and eventually forgotten about the small town where I grew up. Until one day Aunt May called and told me about Uncle Bill's death.

CHAPTER 6: JAKE

I held Jenna as long as I could. I never saw her cry before. Except maybe when we're kids. But growing up, I never ever saw her shed a tear before until tonight. Maybe she wasn't as tough as I believe. Listening to her cries tore at my heart. She was a vulnerable woman. Losing her mother and father at a young age enough to break anyone but she remained strong. I thought I would never see her again until the early morning Charlie crashed into her in the park. Then a few hours ago at the diner and now here. I must have done something right because God delivered her right next door to my house.

I heard her sniffed then she raised her head. "Sorry," she mumbled. I shrugged and smiled. "That's okay," I said as I ran my right hand through my hair. Why did I feel nervous all of a sudden? "Thank you for coming so fast," she murmured and I shrugged again. Why did I keep shrugging like an idiot? This is Jenna for God sake! An old friend and the woman that could make me tremble for no reason at all. "I heard your loud scream and came to investigate," I answered. She nodded then, "You must live nearby to be able to heard my scream." I looked at her and noticed that she was talking gently to me. Was she trying to be nice to me now? "I live right next door," I told her. "It's closer to the diner too so I wouldn't have to drive there every day." I got up and Charlie stood next to me. "Well...we'd better get going." She stared at me and smiled. My heart slammed hard against my ribcage. Damn! "Thank you, Jake," she said and I nodded. "Come on, Charlie. Let's go."

I closed the door behind me. My legs suddenly felt wobbly and my heart hammered wildly against my ribcage. That prom night, I felt the same thing. What the hell happened to me? Why do I have to felt like this toward my own friend? I remembered the electrical shivers that traveled all over my body as I cradled her in my arms just a few hours ago. I'd never felt like this before, not even with Nadine. Why was it different with Jenna? She made me confused for years. I sat down on the couch and put my elbows on my knees with a heavy sigh.

Nadine and I broke up that prom night. We parted ways nicely of course. I remembered she walked up to me after Jenna excused herself to go to the ladies' room. I prepared myself for the attack. Instead she glared at me and shook her head. "You're a fool, Jake Wilson!" she scolded. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, clearly confused. "Why in the world did you date me when it's clearly Jenna that you always wanted?" I froze. I expected her to be mad, maybe even screaming at me for dancing with Jenna but not this. "She's my best friend, Nadine," I said frowning. "I love her like a sister." Nadine planted her hands on her hips and glared at me. "Bull and you know that! Your head maybe stupid but your heart knows better. You don't love her like a sister. And I know Jenna loves you too even though she never said a word about it," she said as she jabbed at my chest with her finger. "She does?" I asked stupidly. She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Are you that blind, Jake? Why do you think she distanced herself? Why did she avoided you in the school hallway?"

She let out a heavy sigh and looked up at me. "Do you know what I saw on the dance floor a few minutes ago?" she asked softly. I shook my head. "You and Jenna gazing into each other's eyes as you two moved to the music together. I saw a stunning pair that are in love with each other but didn't know about it. You and Jenna looked perfect together. I know you never love me, Jake. I can see it in your eyes. Why did you waste your time dating the girl you didn't love is beyond me."

I pondered over her words. "You're not mad at me?" I asked and she giggled in amusement. "Hell no! I don't love you too. I agreed to date you because you're the hottest boy in school and it could help with my reputation," she answered. "Go find her, Jake. And Mr. Wilson? As of tonight, you're a free boy." I finally smiled and patted her hand. "Thank you," I murmured then made my way toward the ladies' room. I waited right outside the door when the door suddenly open and Gina stepped out. "Jenna?" she asked in confusion when I asked her to call Jenna for me. "She's not inside, Jake. I saw her left the hall just a few minutes ago. What's going on? She looked terribly upset." I wanted to banged my head against the wall. She left? "Where did she go?" I asked. She shook her head gently. "I honestly don't know, Jake," she replied. With my heart slamming so hard against my ribcage like a jackhammer, I thanked Gina and sprinted toward the front door.

"Jenna!" I shouted as I ran outside. I searched all over the place with no luck. I almost went crazy with panic. Finally I reached the big tree where I always waited for Jenna and slumped on the ground. Where the hell was she? Why did she left? As I sat there feeling helpless and confused, something caught my eyes. I got up and walked toward the parking lot. I picked it up and stared at it when a realization hit me. It was one of Jenna's strappy high heel shoes. Where was the other one? I swung around but saw nothing. I stared at the shoe again. Trying hard as I could, I failed to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. Who said boys don't cry?

The next day, I went to her house. "Good morning Aunt May," I greeted Jenna's aunt as she watered the flowers. "Why good morning young Jake! What can I do for you?" she greeted back and smiled. "Is Jenna home? I want to see her," I said. She suddenly frowned and shook her head gently. "Not today dear. Jenna was acting weird. She locked herself in her room and she sure looked like hell. Her feet are badly blistered too. What in God's name happened to that girl, Jake?" I flinched slightly. "I wish I knew," I murmured. She offered to make me a mug of hot chocolate but I declined, telling her my dad wanted me to help him wash his car. I walked toward my car, slid inside and sighed heavily. I stared at Jenna's shoe on the seat. I remembered Aunt May mentioned Jenna's badly blistered feet. Had she been running bare footed all the way to her house? Tears stung my eyes thinking about her lying on her bed, crying in pain. I gripped the steering wheel hard. Jenna was shutting me out and I hated it.

It was graduation day today but I felt like crap. Jenna was distancing herself further away from me and wouldn't even look my way. I scowled as I stared at a roll of paper in my hand neatly secured with a red ribbon. It felt meaningless when your best friend turned her back on you. "Wipe that ugly scowl off your face, Jake Wilson!" Nadine scolded. I scowled even more. "Don't tell me you don't feel anything. Jenna ignored you just as much as she ignored me," I said carefully. I was angry but I didn't want to make a scene on graduation day. She sighed and turned to look at Jenna, who was standing far away from us. "What happened to her?" she murmured.

Jenna left town a day after graduation. I went over to her house when Aunt May told me she left without specifically stating where she headed. I felt numb with shock. "I'm sorry, dear. I know how close you are with Jenna. I thought she told you her plans," she said. I shook my head, not understanding what happened to Jenna and why she didn't tell me or Nadine about her decision to leave town. "Did she tell you why she left?" I asked. Aunt May shook her head sadly. "I know there's something she's not telling me but she looked sad and I didn't want to upset her. She just said she needed to get away." I lifted my eyes to look at her. "Away from what?" She sighed and shook her head again. "I wish I knew, dear. Please be patient with her. She'll come back one day. I'm sure of that. When that day comes, you can ask her why did she leave us."

Nadine called Jenna many times but she never mentioned where she was. I tried calling her myself but she never answered any of my calls and that angered me. I visited Aunt May every day, just talking and keeping her company. She told me that Jenna studied journalism in a university in some city that Jenna didn't mentioned. Years went by and I enrolled myself in a culinary school not too far from town. I came home often and Nadine's condition worried me. She became distraught and thin. Her face was pale and prefered the safety of her bedroom. When I came to visit her, she would burst into tears and complained loudly about Jenna.

"She's always busy!" she fumed as she paced the floor of her bedroom. "We're no longer important to her. She's turning into Miss Smarty-pants now and wouldn't give a shit about us." I said nothing as she kept pacing in front of me. It hurt seeing her slowly destroying herself like this. I understood her feelings. They used to be so close, almost like sisters. She lost her best friend without knowing why and just three months before, she lost her boyfriend, Justin to cancer. I'm the only close friend she had left but I was clueless as how to help her. I would be around whenever she needed someone to talk to and made myself scarce when she shut everyone out. I tried calling Jenna again and again until I grew frustrated. Damned that woman!

Then one day, Nadine collasped at her workplace and her boss rushed her to the hospital. My dad shook his head gently as he walked out to meet us. "What's wrong with my baby, Dan?" Nadine's mom asked. Dad let out a heavy sigh. "It's an illness that I have no idea how to treat," he replied softly. "What do you mean?" Nadine's dad asked in confusion. "Have you heard from Jenna yet, Jake?" dad asked me instead and at that exact moment, I knew what was wrong with Nadine. She was heartbroken, depressed and missing Jenna terribly. I sighed and shook my head. Dad was right. It was an illness he had no idea how to treat.

For months I tried calling Jenna with no luck. Either she was really busy or refused to answer my calls. I was desperate to talk to her because Nadine was getting weaker. I couldn't just stand by and watched my friend surrender to her despair. Jenna was the only one who could save her. Without Jenna, Nadine would definitely die. She didn't eat or sleep. She would cried for hours and refused talking to anyone. After ten months, she breathed her last believing her best friend hated and deserted her. I closed my eyes as dad pulled the sheet up and Nadine's mom cried hysterically. I ran out the room and toward my car. I kicked the tire and punched the door as tears rolled down my cheeks. "Damn you, Jenna! I hate you!" I cried and slumped on the ground next to my car. I was angry beyond words and beginning to hate myself for thinking what a nice person Jenna was. I was wrong. She was a selfish bitch.

Thinking about Nadine and why she died made my blood boiled. I marched back to Jenna's house and once there, started pounding on her door like a madman. When she finally opened the door, I pushed her back inside and closed the door behind me. Luckily I left Charlie at home. He would become a distraction if he was here with me. Jenna looked up at me, her pretty eyes looked as big as saucers. "Why the hell did you come back?" I demanded. I wanted so much to throttle the life out of her for making a lot of people who love her miserable, including yours truly. Whoa! Hold your horses. Love? Where did that crap came from?

"I came back to take care of Aunt May. I thought you knew that," she replied softly. "After fifteen God damned years you decided to come back to this wretched town. During these fifteen years, you broke so many hearts. You broke Nadine's heart and sent her straight to her grave! Before she died, she begged with us not to tell you because she believed you hated her. She died believing you, the best friend she loved like a sister deserted her in the end. You broke her heart and killed her!" I shouted. 

"No!" she screamed, burying her face in her hands and sobbed. Whether she really felt sorry or not, I didn't give a damn. I was pissed off beyond words. "Is your job more important than your friends? More important than your family that you're willing to shake us off your boots like dirt?" She cried even louder. "Please, Jake. Stop. I can't take it anymore," she begged. I dropped onto my knees, grabbed her shoulders and shook her real hard. "You're a selfish bitch, Jenna. Do you hear me? A selfish bitch!" I growled. Then I got up and left her crying on the couch.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 7: JENNA

I curled on the couch, crying my heart out. I hadn't stopped crying since Jake came to my house, releasing his anger on me...full throttle. Pain gripped my chest when I realized I was the cause of Nadine's death. She died thinking I hated her. I was miserable but I never hated her. She was my best friend and like a sister to me. I shouldn't have pushed her away like an uwanted trash. I left because I couldn't bear to keep on loving my best friend's boyfriend. Oh, God! What had I done? 

I opened my eyes and groaned. My back and eyes hurt like hell and it wasn't even 5 am yet. I got up slowly from the couch and headed towards my bedroom. In the bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I winced. Truth be told, I looked like hell. I showered, brushed my teeth and put on a green halter top and white pants that hung low on my hips. 

Impressum

Bildmaterialien: My own image.
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 15.05.2013

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