Second Chances - Unraveling Part 7

"I will, if you tell me what he said," his eyes bore into the side of my face.

"Fine," I snapped, "just buckle your seatbelt already."

I heard it snap into place and Rollo grumbled. "Happy now, mom?"

"Very," I said.

A few seconds of silence pa.s.sed and then, "Don't make me pull it out of you."

I came to a stop at a red light and glanced at Rollo. "He scares me."

Rollo opened his mouth to say something but I put a hand up to stop him.

"No- not like that." I floundered for the right words. "He sees more than any other person I've ever met. He sees me. He sees my pain, even though I try to bury it down deep."

Rollo sat back in his seat and clucked his tongue. "It sounds to me, like you've met your match."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, I think there's more to Jared than I can even begin to imagine."

"You mean?"

"He's been hurt too. By what, I don't know," I said softly, and ran my fingers through my hair. "But he... understands me."

"Well," Rollo said, putting the sun visor down, "maybe you should give the guy a chance... as friends."

"I don't know," I shook my head. "I'm afraid that being friends with him will lead to something else, and I don't think I can give my heart to someone."

"Katy," Rollo said with a huff, "I'm not asking you to jump in the bed with the dude. I'm asking you to give him a chance to prove himself to you. He seems like a nice guy and Katy... you really need to learn to live. You need to open yourself up."

"I'll talk to him... okay?"

Rollo grinned from ear to ear. "I love you, baby cakes. I promise you, everything will get better. Each day, the pain will get less and less, as long as you're willing to let it go. Do you hear me, Katy? Let the pain go."

I laughed and pulled in front of Rollo's dorm. "You're starting to sound like Sharon."

"I guess that means you better listen to me," he leaned over and kissed my cheek. I tried not to flinch, telling myself, 'This is Rollo'.

Rollo noticed my small movement and gave me a sad look. "You're never going to be the old Katy, I know that. But I know you can find some part of yourself again."

He opened the car door and ran inside the building.

I sat there for a moment.

Could I pick up the pieces of my shattered life or were the pieces too small to ever be found again?

I had just walked into my condo when my phone beeped. I pulled it out of my purse and read the text. It was from Piper.

Wanna meet for dinner?

What time? I need to shower. I typed back.

Is an hour and half from now good?

Perfect. I said.

I jumped in the shower and then dried my hair before curling it into loose waves down my back. I grabbed my silver headband and slid it on, to keep my hair from falling in my face.

I didn't really have, 'going out', clothes so I just put on jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black blazer. I had a pair of red ballet flats somewhere and after ten minutes of digging through my closet, I finally found them. I looked at my watch and saw that I had about thirty minutes left before we were supposed to meet.

I text Piper, and asked if she needed me to pick her up and where we should meet.

I can drive. How about Tate's? I heard they've got good food. She quickly replied.

That's fine. I text back, even though I wasn't sure it was. I'd never been to Tate's but I knew it was a bar. I didn't do bars. I didn't really do anything, though.

With a sigh, I grabbed my purse and keys. I squared my shoulders and said to myself, "It's all about healing, Katy. It's time to heal."

Piper was already there, and it looked like everyone that went to our college was there too.

The place was packed.

Piper waved me over to the table she'd snagged.

"I'm so sorry for texting you at the last minute," she said, before my b.u.t.t had even connected with the seat.

"It's fine," I smiled. "I've never been here before."

"What?" her jaw dropped open. "According to everybody, this is the place to be and haven't you lived here for a year, now? You're a soph.o.m.ore, right?"

"Yep," I nodded, "I just don't get out much."

"Girl," Piper drew out the word, "I'm going to have to change that."

I laughed. "You already are. I'm here aren't I?"

She smirked. "Huh, you're right. Let's have some fun, shall we?"

I laughed. "Not too much fun."

"Never," she winked.

By the time our food arrived, Tate's was even fuller and the noise level was off the charts. I was going to have a killer headache, between the loud music, guys yelling at the TV's, and the people playing pool.

Yep, I could already feel one coming on, the pounding behind my eyes a telltale sign.

I dug some Advil out of my purse and swallowed them down.

"Headache?" Piper asked.

"Yeah," I said before taking a sip of water.

"It is really loud here," she nodded in sympathy.

"The food's really good, though," I took a bite of a burger the size of my head.

She smiled and dipped a fry in ketchup and then in honey mustard. "It is-" her brows furrowed together as she looked over my shoulder. Suddenly, a smile broke out across her face. "Hey, it's that guy from the coffee shop."

Before the words were even out of her mouth, I was turning around.

Immediately, as if he was the only person in the room, my eyes met his.

Jared grinned widely and then turned to say something to the guy he was with.

Like Jared, this guy was gorgeous, only he was blonde, the hair a little longer on top of his head and shorter on the sides.

Jared turned back towards me and began to saunter over. I realized I was still staring at him like a lovesick puppy; so, I quickly turned back around to face Piper. I sent her a 'help me' look but she was too busy checking out Jared to notice. I kicked her shin and she finally looked at me.

"What?" she hissed, but it was too late.

Jared now stood behind me. Heat rolled off his body and I found myself leaning back, trying to get closer.

"Hey Katy," his deep voice rumbled through my body, making me clench all over.

"Jared," I answered.

"I thought you didn't go out," he grinned, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"I said, I don't date, not that I don't go out. There's a difference," I looked up at him. Lord, he was tall.

"So, go out with me," his lips lifted when he knew I was caught.

Darn him, I'd walked right into that one.

"Fine," I grumbled, knowing he would never let it go until I conceded.

He chuckled and rubbed his chin. "Don't sound so enthusiastic about it."

I looked away.

"Come on, Katy," he coaxed, "it might help you heal."

I turned and glared up at him. "I already said I would go."

"No, you just said, 'fine,'" he did a poor imitation of my voice. "That doesn't sound like someone that's very enthusiastic to hang out with me. I promise that I don't bite."

"Yes, Jared, I will go out with you. Does that suffice as an answer?" I smiled and batted my eyelashes for dramatic affect.

"Why yes, yes it does," he grinned at me.

"Would you like to inform me as to where we'll be 'going out'?" I put my fingers up in air quotes.

He smiled, a real genuine smile, not a c.o.c.ky smirk. "For you kittycat, I'll have to come up with something... creative."

"Kittycat?" I raised a brow.

He chuckled. "Yep," he leaned down so that we were face to face. In a low voice he said, "You're a kittycat, because even though you look so sweet and innocent, you have claws and when they come out to play, someone always gets hurt."

And just like that, he was gone.

I swear, he really had a knack for disappearing and leaving me completely frazzled in the process.

"Whoa, that was intense," said Piper.

I shook my head and tried to focus on her. "Huh?"

"You two," she motioned to me and then over my shoulder to where I presumed Jared was. "It was like you were in your own little bubble and no one could infiltrate it. You guys have some crazy chemistry going on," she said; fiddling with the dyed, pink ends of her hair.

"We don't have chemistry," I shook my head vehemently.

Piper raised a brow and looked at me like I had lost my mind... or killed a puppy.

"You're in denial, or else you're delusional. When you two are together, because I noticed it at the coffee shop as well, you're practically combustible," she pointed her fork at me. When I didn't say anything, she continued, "And the way he looks at you... d.a.m.n girl, I want a man to look at me like that."

"He doesn't look at me any certain way," I shrugged, before taking another bite of my burger.

Piper snorted and wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Are you seriously that oblivious? He looks at you, like you're a gla.s.s of water and he's been stranded in the desert."

I snorted. "Are you sure you're not majoring in poetry?"

"I'm serious, Katy. You know... I guess, what I'm really trying to say is that he looks at you. He really sees you, Katy. He doesn't look at you like he's wondering how long it will take to get you out of your panties. Don't push him away before you even give the guy a chance," she pleaded.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Jared and his friend now sitting at the bar. He brought a beer to his lips, but just before it met, he suddenly turned and looked into my eyes. A smile broke out across his face and he winked.

A strange feeling filled my belly.

Were those... b.u.t.terflies?

"Katy? h.e.l.lo? Earth to Katy," Piper waved her hand in front of my face. "You okay?" she asked once she had my attention.

"Uh-huh," I nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'm fine... just confused."

"Confused? Why?"