“What is going on Jacks?” I asked leaning against the granite countertop with my arms folded across my chest.
“What are you talking about, Jens?” She always called me Jens. My father had nicked named me Jens and my sister Jacks and the duo of Jacks and Jens had kind of just stuck all these years.
“How do you know Jamieson?” I cut to the chase.
“I don’t…well not really.” she responded quietly still stirring the mixture in the bowl in front of her.
“What does that mean? Did you guys date or something?” Please Lord don’t let it be true.
“No, we didn’t date,” she reassured me. “I dated his older brother, Ethan.” What?
“You did?” I was in complete shock.
“Yes. It was only for a few months, but I thought I was in love with him.” Jacqueline sighed and stopped working on her cheesecake to turn to face me. She placed her hands over her growing belly and I could see she was struggling with whatever she needed to say.
“What happened? Tell me everything,” I pleaded with her.
I watched her examine my face. She was contemplating how much she should tell me. I could see that clearly. She glanced toward the door for a quick second before she began. “There isn’t much to tell. We met through mutual friends and we had this amazing chemistry. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It took me by complete surprise. I quickly fell for him, but it didn’t last. He cheated on me. It gutted me. I was a wreck for a long time. Then I met Lukas and my life finally began again.”
I didn’t respond to her, I didn’t really know what to say. If Jacks and Ethan ever experienced anything remotely close to what Jamieson and I had, I could only imagine how much that must have hurt my sister.
“Did you know about this?” I asked my mother who was quietly listening while continuing to work.
“Yes, I did,” she said simply.
“Mom helped me pull myself together.” Jacks shot an appreciative smile towards our mother. “To this day I don’t really know if it was just one-sided with Ethan, like a figment of my imagination or if it was real. It felt real to me at least,” she explained, giving me a sideways somewhat defeated smile.
“I’m so sorry, Jacks. Why didn’t you ever tell me?” My sister and I had always been close but she had never mentioned Ethan Wellington or her epic heartbreak.
“You were in school and you didn’t need to hear about my broken heart. I knew you would worry about me and I didn’t want that. It was bad enough I was going through it, I didn’t need you to go through it with me.”
“You should have told me,” I scolded her.
“Maybe so, but it’s in the past now. Life is funny that way, just when you think things couldn’t get worse something amazing can happen to turn it completely around.” She said rubbing her growing belly again. I knew she was talking about Lukas and it made me happy to know my sister had found her happiness.
“So you met Jamieson during that time?” Even though Jacks had explained her relationship with Ethan, I still wanted to know how she had come to know Jamieson.
“I only met him once; it was at some birthday party for one of their childhood friends. I only briefly talked to him.”
“Hmm…” I said still contemplating how Jamieson clearly knew my sister and didn’t seem surprised to see her.
“What?” she asked catching my suspicion.
“It’s just that he acted as if he knew you more than that.”
“Well maybe Ethan has told him about us and he put it together that we were sisters.” she offered.
“Maybe.” I knew Jacks could tell that I wouldn’t just let this go.
“If you’re that curious Jens, just ask him.”
“I think I will.” I replied and began to turn to leave the kitchen in search of Jamieson.
“Jens…” Jacks’ voice stopped me.
“Yeah?”
My mother had stopped cooking and was now looking at me along with Jacks. “Just be careful, okay? The Wellingtons are a strange and complicated family. You would be smart to keep your guard up.”
I didn’t know exactly how to respond to everything she was saying so I just nodded and left the kitchen.
Part of me wanted to drag Jamieson aside as soon as I could and demand to know what he knew of my sister and his brother, but another part of me said to be smart and ask when the time was right. I choose to go with the calm rational choice and bide my time until the right moment presented itself to ask him. If there is more to the relationship with him and Jacks it will come out. Secrets always have a nasty way of coming to the surface, eventually.
“Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, I must thank you for inviting me today. I have had a wonderful time.” Jamieson spoke from beside me. We had stuffed ourselves to the brim and were now relaxing in the living room.
“It was our pleasure Jamieson,” my mother said warmly.
“The food was amazing,” he complimented her.
“Dude, just wait until Christmas. Mom goes all out.” Lukas exclaimed from the corner with Jacks sitting perched on his lap.
“Well I’m afraid I will have to miss out on Christmas.”
My heart fell to my ankles. We hadn’t really discussed our Christmas plans yet, but maybe Jamieson wasn’t planning on being around for much longer.
Jamieson must have noticed my anxiety because he grasped my hand. “Actually I was going to ask you all if it would be alright if Jenna accompanied me to my family’s home in Aspen to celebrate Christmas.” He what?
I looked up at Jamieson totally stunned. I hadn’t seen that one coming.
“Of course! I’m sure Jenna would love to go with you,” my mother quickly answered.
“What do you say Jenna?” Jamieson flashed me his sexy grin.
“I would love to go with you,” I beamed.
He kissed me lightly on the forehead and snuggled up against me on the couch. I couldn’t have been happier.
“Alright, Thanksgiving tradition time!” Lukas said excitedly fiddling with the remote until he came to the movie he was searching for, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
“Love this movie,” Jamieson responded to Lukas’ selection.
“How could you not love Uncle Eddie?” I offered with a huge grin.
Jamieson smiled back at me with warmth in his eyes. The others focused on the movie as it started but not us, we were lost in each other.
As I settled into the couch more, I looked up to catch my sister staring at us. I knew she was analyzing us; the concern in her face gave it away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What do you want, Jamieson? Did you come to gloat?” I spat as I pushed past him flinging my front door to my apartment open.
“Gloat? Why would I gloat?” he asked catching the door and following me inside.
I tossed my purse on the couch and spun around to confront him.
“Oh I don’t know…maybe because you ruined my life!” I yelled.
Jamieson looked at the ground in shame, which pissed me off more.
“He left me but that isn’t a surprise, is it?” I demanded.
He continued to not say anything.
The tears finally returned. I was a total mess but I didn't care, Jamieson needed to see what he had done to me.
“He called me a slut after he admitted to cheating on me for basically our entire relationship.” I croaked out. I didn’t even think about it, I just vomited it up.
Jamieson’s head snapped up. “He did what?” He demanded angrily. He stood up and I immediately grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Let it go, Jamieson. I know what a piece of shit he really is now. You attempting to settle some score won’t do any good.” I said through my sobs.
Jamieson growled something low I couldn’t hear and fisted his hands at his sides. “He had no right to do that.”