FATE’S WHISPERS

A Mercy Cove Novel

~

By Courtney Maree

~ TEASER ~

AUTHOR NOTE:

This is an unedited rough draft of Jake and Zoe’s breakup scene that happened before the events of Fate’s Crossing, and as such, is subject to change during drafting/editing.

The scene is told from Zoe’s point of view.

However, in the final version, there will most likely be snippets from Jake’s perspective too.

Here’s where it all fell apart for these two lovers…

~

In the fading afternoon light, Zoe all but skipped up the stone path that led to her new apartment.

Correction; their new apartment.

She smiled at the thought, balancing the paper bag of groceries on her hip as she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

“Honey, I’m home,” she called.

The place still smelled musty and echoed in that way that empty spaces always did, but it wouldn’t take long to change that. Depositing the bag onto the kitchen counter, she looked around for Jake.

“Hope you’re okay with Mexican,” she said, unloading the tomatoes, lettuce, tortillas and a can of beans. “And before you ask, yes, it’s going to be mild. I know you like it spicy, but my stomach can’t handle it, and since I’m the one cooking…”

When her words were met with nothing but silence, Zoe stopped moving. Her eyes narrowed. “Jake?”

She poked around the tiny apartment until she found him in the bedroom, sitting on the bare mattress of the bed they’d bought at a thrift shop that morning. His elbows rested on his thighs; his head hung heavy.

“Hey,” she said, stepping closer. “You okay?”

“I can’t do this, Zo.”

Her stomach dropped at his tone. “Do what?”

He lifted his head, his eyes a mixture of love and guilt and something else that made alarm bells blare in her head. “This place. I don’t know why we—” He stopped himself. Licking his lips, he said, “I think we made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“This kind of life, it’s not what we—” He cleared his throat. “It’s not what I want.”

Hurt bloomed in Zoe’s chest. Feeling like a fool in her dirty jeans and sweaty tank top—evidence of their perfect day picking out thrift shop furniture, stocking up on necessities like cutlery, toilet paper, and a dish rack, that now seemed like a million years ago—she crossed her arms. “You don’t want to live with me?”

The words were less a question for him and more for her to try to wrap her mind around, but he answered anyway.

“It’s not that, I just… I don’t think it’s the right time. I think maybe we rushed into this.”

“Uh huh.” Zoe’s lips went tight, the blow sinking in. “And you thought now was the best time to bring this up, after we’d already signed the lease, paid the first month’s rent, and started moving all of our shit in?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” she snapped. “That’s all I get?”

She felt the sting of tears but refused to let them out, choosing instead to embrace the swirls of anger bubbling under her skin.

Jake stood and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Are you going to Lakewood in the Fall?”

His question caught her off guard. She blinked. “I-I don’t know yet. I’m still thinking about it. I was going to tell you I just—what does that have to do with—”

“Because your parents already invited my family to your farewell party.”

Zoe sighed and closed her eyes.

Dammit.

“They’re just excited.”

Jake came closer, his intense gaze burning through any illusion that she could get through this without admitting her doubts. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”

“Tell them what? We haven’t decided anything yet,” she shot back. “I’m not going to worry them until there’s actually something to worry about.”

“Right.” He huffed out a sad laugh. “Because coming with me would be so awful.”

“Jake…” This wasn’t how this conversation was supposed to go. Had she known her parents were planning an event she would have talked to him sooner; would have helped him see that her going to school was the smartest choice right now—for both of them. “It’s just an option.”

“Is that all?” he asked. “Because throwing a party to celebrate your acceptance into college kinda implies that you’re going to college.”

Feeling her heart pickup, Zoe dropped her eyes to the floor.

“And here I thought I was the asshole,” he said, pacing away.

Zoe’s back straightened. “You are being an asshole. What am I supposed to do? Pass up an opportunity my parents have worked so hard to give me to just blindly follow you into the unknown?” She shook her head at him; at his immaturity. “You don’t even have a plan, Jake. Freelancing isn’t going to—”

“Earth Chronicles called,” he interrupted. “A couple days ago.”

Zoe froze.

“They were impressed with my work,” he continued. “The contract is mine if I want it. The team leave for Alaska in two weeks, and they want me there.”

The huff of air that left Zoe’s body was equal parts shock and denial. She’d known he’d interviewed for the job, just like he’d done for half a dozen others like it. She also knew that he had big plans for himself far away from here, but she’d foolishly believed it would take a lot more time for him to arrange the pieces and put those plans in motion—if at all. By a stroke of luck—good or bad—it seemed someone was willing to take a chance on Jake, a budding photographer with minimal experience, which meant their clock had officially run out.

Her stomach contracted. A cold chasm cracked open somewhere inside her as her breathing became jagged and uncertain.

What now?

“Wow, that’s…” She swallowed, trying to smile. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

Jake knew her too well. Seeing the lie for what it was, he muttered, “You don’t look happy.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. “Here you are making me feel like shit for even considering college as a possibility, meanwhile you’re already packing your bags for fucking Alaska.”

“I never lied to you about my plans,” he countered. “You knew what I wanted from the beginning.”

“But you didn’t tell me you got the job,” Zoe snarled, gratuitous anger having snaked it’s way around her heart and was now squeezing it tight. “What were you going to do, just sneak out of here early one morning and leave a note on the fridge?”

Jake looked away like just the thought offended him. “Of course not. We’d already signed the lease on this place. I… I just needed some time to get my head straight and figure things out before I talked to you.”

“Talk about what? You’re going, aren’t you?”

A long silence answered her question as loudly as if he’d shouted it from the rooftops.

“You could still come with me,” he murmured.

“And do what? Hold your camera bag?” She scoffed. “I’m sure that’s a nice fantasy in your mind, but I’m going to need a little more than that.”

“You can do whatever you want,” he said, grasping her shoulders. “Tend bar, make art, do something online. That’s the beauty of it. I’ll be earning enough to keep us fed and happy. Lodging comes with the contract. Hell, you can just spend your time exploring if that’s what you want to do. We can have a real adventure, Zo. You and me, just like we always talked about.”

Despite her best efforts to stop it, moisture welled up in her eyes. “I thought we already were.”

He dropped his arms. “No, you were. And since we’re talking about fantasies; where do I fit into yours, huh? What I sit here and play house for four years while you’re off getting a degree, then tag along to wherever your fancy career takes you?”

“Come on, that’s not fair.”

“Not fair? I stuck around this godforsaken town waiting for you—”

“I never asked you to wait for me.”

“No, you just let me believe that’s what I was doing while you planned a whole other future behind my back.”

“That’s not what happened. And would you stop acting like I signed some kind of contract?” she shouted. “We were kids for chrissake. And yeah, I got swept up in your dreams and excitement, but that’s not reality, Jake. This is reality. And you were free to leave it any goddamn time you wanted.”

Jake’s jaw clenched. “Well, I’m not a kid anymore, and this is my life, too.” He took a step back. “And I refuse to waste any more of it.”

Zoe ignored the sting from his words and waited for her breathing to level out before speaking again. “I’m just trying to be realistic, here. If at least one of us goes to college, it could make our lives so much better in the long run. Surely you can see that?”

He didn’t answer for a long time, so long that Zoe wondered if he would at all. Eventually, he cast his eyes down and gave a resigned nod. “Seems you’ve made up your mind.”

“I have not.”

“Are you coming with me?” he demanded. “Or not?”

Silence filled the room. She didn’t dare speak; didn’t trust what she might say if she did.

“It’s a simple question, Zo,” Jake said when it became obvious she wasn’t going to answer.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Zoe stood frozen, wishing he would ask her anything else. Because as much as her lips longed to say yes, she couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

Jake looked torn up. Slowly, he reached out to touch her cheek. His fingers snaked around her neck like they’d done a thousand times before, then pulled her in for a long, lingering kiss. A kiss that felt an awful lot like goodbye.

When he stepped back, letting his hand fall away from her skin, her stomach clenched.

“I can’t stay,” he said, and her world crumbled.

“Please…”

Don’t go.

The words dried up in her throat as she gazed into his eyes, seeing his resolve. His pain. She felt the hot slice of it in her heart, too, and couldn’t comprehend how they’d gotten here.

He was really going to do it. Leave. Without her. Just like that.

Love told her to beg him not to go.

Pride wouldn’t allow it.

And so she stiffened, lifting her chin to meet his angst-filled gaze.

“Get out,” she said, barely recognizing her own icy whisper. “Don’t come back.”