Falling for the Backup
Page 23
Aynslee nodded as she said, “I am.”
“Are you dating him?”
Aynslee narrowed her eyes as she nodded again. “Yes.”
The woman’s eyes traveled up and down, taking Aynslee’s measure, then she raised an eyebrow. Clearing her throat, she hung her hand over the chair, showing off one hell of a rock on her left hand. “That’s so nice. I’m Leanna Masterson, his ex-fiancée.”
Aynslee wasn’t sure if the woman was holding out her hand to shake, so she simply said, “Aynslee Shaw.”
“So how is Jordan? His knee doing better?”
A part of Aynslee didn’t want to tell her anything, wanted to turn her nose up and return to her conversation with her friends. From what Jordan had told her, Leanna had left him in such a shitty way. How could someone walk out on the person she was supposedly in love with? Especially when he desperately needed her? This woman had ruined Jordan’s self-image, and if Aynslee hadn’t been so persistent with him, he would probably still be the socially awkward guy she had met on the plane.
Jordan was different now, more outgoing and confident. They had gone to dinner with Sadie and Phil one night, and they’d all gotten along so well. Phil and Jordan had even made a man date to play golf! He was branching out, and she knew it was because of her. He was happier, and all he had to do was get his career issues fixed and life would be great. As long as he didn’t leave.
“He’s doing great. We are really happy.”
Leanna gave her a snide smile. “That’s so nice, I’m glad. I think of him from time to time. I’m getting married to my amazing Justin—you probably know him, Justin Yates, with Yates and Yates? No? Well, he is wonderful, and we’re expecting our first child this August,” she said, with a wave of her hand. “We are really happy too.”
Aynslee felt as if Leanna was trying to rub something in her face, but Aynslee couldn’t have cared less. With a condescending smile, she mimicked, “That’s so nice.”
Leanna’s smile faltered for only a second before she said, “I hope it works out for you two.”
The words were like knives, because Aynslee wasn’t sure if it would work out. At this point the future was unknown. The past month and a half had been blissful, but they still hadn’t talked about what was going to happen after the season was over.
“It will. He is a dream come true,” Aynslee said, batting her eyes for good measure. “I wish you the best with your marriage and pregnancy. Congratulations.”
Aynslee was proud of herself, because what she really wanted to do was pour nail polish all over Leanna’s feet and then stick out her tongue like a three-year-old. But she managed to refrain and instead turned back around to her friends.
Unfortunately, though, the damage was done. Meeting Leanna had officially ruined Aynslee’s day, and probably her night with Jordan too.
Jordan was standing by the kitchen counter when Aynslee got home. A smiled played on his lips as he watched her throw her things down and take off her coat. She looked beautiful, as always, but her usual sunny smile was missing.
That was weird.
“Hey,” she said, sliding her flip-flops off before walking toward him. He thought she was going to come to him, but she went to the fridge instead and took out a bottle of water. He knew then that something was definitely wrong.
Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck before nuzzling his nose in her wild red hair. When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
She fell back into him and let out a long breath. “I saw your ex today.”
“How?” he said cautiously.
“She was at the nail salon.”
“So what happened?” he asked with concern. It was obvious that Leanna had said something to upset Aynslee, and it worried him.
Aynslee left his arms and leaned against the counter. “She’s pregnant and getting married to some rich guy,” she said slowly.
Okay, he knew that, and if he didn’t care, then why should she?
“Yeah, I know.”
She nodded as she looked down at the ground. “Oh.”
“I don’t care. She means nothing to me now, you know that,” he said reassuringly.
“No, I know. It isn’t that.”
“What is it, then?”
“She kept saying how happy she was, and it was annoying. But then she said, ‘I hope it works out for you two,’ and it just stung because …” She paused as Jordan’s heart pounded hard against his chest. He knew what was coming, and he wasn’t ready for it. Her eyes glazed over with tears, and it was like a shot to the heart. He couldn’t even look at her as she whispered, “I don’t know if we will work out, and it scares me.”
Jordan felt himself shutting down. This conversation wasn’t supposed to happen yet. Everything had been great and they were happy. Why put a kink in their happiness? With a shake of his head, he said, “I want us to work out.”
“I do too, but we’ve gone this whole time acting as if you aren’t leaving. I don’t know what’s going to happen when it’s time for you to go.”
“I understand that, but, Aynslee,” he said, looking directly at her, “we said we would reevaluate everything when the time came. Let’s not worry; let’s enjoy what we have together right now. I am so happy, and it’s because of you, baby. Why upset us both with the logistics of what could, what will, or what won’t happen?”
“Are you dating him?”
Aynslee narrowed her eyes as she nodded again. “Yes.”
The woman’s eyes traveled up and down, taking Aynslee’s measure, then she raised an eyebrow. Clearing her throat, she hung her hand over the chair, showing off one hell of a rock on her left hand. “That’s so nice. I’m Leanna Masterson, his ex-fiancée.”
Aynslee wasn’t sure if the woman was holding out her hand to shake, so she simply said, “Aynslee Shaw.”
“So how is Jordan? His knee doing better?”
A part of Aynslee didn’t want to tell her anything, wanted to turn her nose up and return to her conversation with her friends. From what Jordan had told her, Leanna had left him in such a shitty way. How could someone walk out on the person she was supposedly in love with? Especially when he desperately needed her? This woman had ruined Jordan’s self-image, and if Aynslee hadn’t been so persistent with him, he would probably still be the socially awkward guy she had met on the plane.
Jordan was different now, more outgoing and confident. They had gone to dinner with Sadie and Phil one night, and they’d all gotten along so well. Phil and Jordan had even made a man date to play golf! He was branching out, and she knew it was because of her. He was happier, and all he had to do was get his career issues fixed and life would be great. As long as he didn’t leave.
“He’s doing great. We are really happy.”
Leanna gave her a snide smile. “That’s so nice, I’m glad. I think of him from time to time. I’m getting married to my amazing Justin—you probably know him, Justin Yates, with Yates and Yates? No? Well, he is wonderful, and we’re expecting our first child this August,” she said, with a wave of her hand. “We are really happy too.”
Aynslee felt as if Leanna was trying to rub something in her face, but Aynslee couldn’t have cared less. With a condescending smile, she mimicked, “That’s so nice.”
Leanna’s smile faltered for only a second before she said, “I hope it works out for you two.”
The words were like knives, because Aynslee wasn’t sure if it would work out. At this point the future was unknown. The past month and a half had been blissful, but they still hadn’t talked about what was going to happen after the season was over.
“It will. He is a dream come true,” Aynslee said, batting her eyes for good measure. “I wish you the best with your marriage and pregnancy. Congratulations.”
Aynslee was proud of herself, because what she really wanted to do was pour nail polish all over Leanna’s feet and then stick out her tongue like a three-year-old. But she managed to refrain and instead turned back around to her friends.
Unfortunately, though, the damage was done. Meeting Leanna had officially ruined Aynslee’s day, and probably her night with Jordan too.
Jordan was standing by the kitchen counter when Aynslee got home. A smiled played on his lips as he watched her throw her things down and take off her coat. She looked beautiful, as always, but her usual sunny smile was missing.
That was weird.
“Hey,” she said, sliding her flip-flops off before walking toward him. He thought she was going to come to him, but she went to the fridge instead and took out a bottle of water. He knew then that something was definitely wrong.
Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck before nuzzling his nose in her wild red hair. When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
She fell back into him and let out a long breath. “I saw your ex today.”
“How?” he said cautiously.
“She was at the nail salon.”
“So what happened?” he asked with concern. It was obvious that Leanna had said something to upset Aynslee, and it worried him.
Aynslee left his arms and leaned against the counter. “She’s pregnant and getting married to some rich guy,” she said slowly.
Okay, he knew that, and if he didn’t care, then why should she?
“Yeah, I know.”
She nodded as she looked down at the ground. “Oh.”
“I don’t care. She means nothing to me now, you know that,” he said reassuringly.
“No, I know. It isn’t that.”
“What is it, then?”
“She kept saying how happy she was, and it was annoying. But then she said, ‘I hope it works out for you two,’ and it just stung because …” She paused as Jordan’s heart pounded hard against his chest. He knew what was coming, and he wasn’t ready for it. Her eyes glazed over with tears, and it was like a shot to the heart. He couldn’t even look at her as she whispered, “I don’t know if we will work out, and it scares me.”
Jordan felt himself shutting down. This conversation wasn’t supposed to happen yet. Everything had been great and they were happy. Why put a kink in their happiness? With a shake of his head, he said, “I want us to work out.”
“I do too, but we’ve gone this whole time acting as if you aren’t leaving. I don’t know what’s going to happen when it’s time for you to go.”
“I understand that, but, Aynslee,” he said, looking directly at her, “we said we would reevaluate everything when the time came. Let’s not worry; let’s enjoy what we have together right now. I am so happy, and it’s because of you, baby. Why upset us both with the logistics of what could, what will, or what won’t happen?”
