Pieces of Paisley by Leigh Ann Lunsford Read Free Book Online Page B

or obstacle you have to find ways around.”
    “You are. But it has been a minute since you set my world on fire, and regardless of what you want to believe there are obstacles. In every aspect of life, that doesn’t mean we can’t work our way around them, but give me a minute.”
    “I have to go.” He looks at me once and is about to speak. Instead he turns around, walks up the stairs without a word. He turns to look down at me, and I won’t give him anything. No emotion, no feeling, I have nothing to give. I see him punch the side of the house, and I jump in my seat.
    “Now, Krista.” I tell her noticing the tremble in my voice. Once she shuts her door I pull out on the road. “Not a word, not now.” And for once, she listens.

Chapter 6
    Jake
    Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.
    H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
     
    I don’t know why she ran away. My brain and mouth didn’t work fast enough to react to the bombshell that she just dropped. In normal circumstances it wouldn’t be huge, but in this case, because of the military, it is so much more. When she turned her eyes on me and they were dead, lacking any kind of feeling, I felt sick . . . then furious because I somehow caused that unknowingly. I wanted to yell at her, shake some sense into her, and beg her to talk to me. Instead I gave her what she wanted and left her alone. I let the feelings engulf me; the adrenaline rush, my hand and fingers tingling, begging for a release, and not hearing anything but the pounding in my ears, I punched the side of the house. I stopped after one hit, but I wanted to keep going. I wanted blood, needed to control this feeling since I couldn’t control what was happening with her thoughts and feelings. I was seconds away from letting this inferno of rage take over me when I heard Kara say, “Stop Jake. This is going to make her run further. Take a deep breath and reel this shit in.”
    I want to listen to her, I know she is giving me sound advice right now, but I am blinded by everything except watching Paisley’s Jeep disappearing out of sight. “Fuck!” I shout. Chad rounds the corner right now and looks at me with pity. “Don’t look at me like that,” I snarl at him.
    “Take it up with yourself, Jake. I didn’t cause this.”
    “Neither did I.” I didn’t. I can’t blame Paisley for it, either. Our circumstances suck and we, whatever we means, are fragile and unknown territory. Only forty-eight hours . . . again I had no desire for a relationship that lasted through the night, and now I am questioning everything.
    “Neither of you did, Jake. It is what it is, but what happens next, falls on both of you.” Kara tells me.
    “What do you suggest?”
    “Clean up your hand, it is a mess. Get in the shower. I will text Paisley, and Chad will call Krista. We have a dinner to attend in a few hours.”
    “Is that smart? I know they both said her parents were okay with everything, but what if they aren’t?”
    “Remember those words last night that rocked your world?” When I don’t answer her, she realizes I don’t know what the hell she is talking about. “Shit or get off the pot. Well, if you want to take that leap of faith, keep that feeling you have worn like a badge of honor for the past twenty-four hours, then you need to trust you can clear this obstacle.” I want to think that it could be that easy, but nothing has been so far in life.
    “I don’t trust it,” I tell her honestly.
    “Then you aren’t worth it. That girl may be everything you ever wanted, or she could be nothing you will ever need. If you want to live with the question unanswered, then continue beating the shit out of everything around you. This is something only you can decide.” She grabs her cell phone and walks down the steps leaving me to ponder what my next step will be.
    Trust is not an easy thing for me to give. Love is another emotion that I don’t like to deal with. Those two go hand