Come Back To Me (chapters 1-9) by Paige569 (top 100 books of all time checklist .txt) 📖

attempt at furthering any type of conversation. Every bump and whistle of the wind blowing past the open window was a reminder of the silence and I couldn't take it anymore.

"So... a towing company hu?" I asked looking out the window.

"Yep," he said. I didn't have to look at his face to know he was grateful for my attempt at being friendly.

"How long will it take to fix up my car?"

"Flat tire..." he sighed dramatically shaking his head before looking over at me with a smile," I'll tell you what, I'll have it fixed up and ready to go by the time were done eating breakfast," he bargained.

"Breakfast, is that a service that comes with all early morning towings?" I asked.

I did not want breakfast; I wanted to get the hell out of this town and as far away from everything as possible.

He only laughed.

"Look Jared I can't... I was actually on my way out of town," I said quietly.

I felt his hand on my shoulder and I didn't want to look at him. I knew what I was doing was weak and I didn't need to see the disapproval written all over his face. I was running away and Jared knew it.

"Come on Katie, leaving town... give it some time," he told me patting my shoulder.

Easy for him to say, what did he know about heart ache or love. You didn't just wish it away and so it was. I might never recover from something like this and I didn't need his advice in the first place.

"Look I don't want to talk about it okay, especially with you... I barely even know you and don't call me Katie call me Kate. No one calls me Katie except....," I instantly regretted how rude I was being, but for some reason not being able to help it. I folded my arms and scowled out the window.

"Yeah, but I know you," he said staring intently on the road, "your Kate, favorite color blue, won second place in the art fair your freshman year, had a funny lisp up until the second grade and you're in love with someone who doesn't love you back and is soon to be married, did I leave anything out?" I was surprised he just said that to me and my anger resolved into guilt and then hurt.

I deserved that I guess.

He was only trying to be nice and here I was being a total bitch. It still hurt though. I bit down on my lip to repress the tears that were stinging my eyes.

I didn't say anything else for a while. I just sat there thinking. Every now and then I would steal a glance at him, but he not once turned to look at me. His eyes were glued to the road and his fists tightly wound on the steering wheel. Pushing what little pride I had left aside I turned in my seat to look at him.

"How did you know my favorite colors blue?"

He inhaled a long heavy breath, 'I don't know... I guess I remember you saying it one time," he said in a soft voice.

He didn't say anything else after that and I let the silence fill the car.

He pulled off the highway and into the familiar town that was my home. Looking at the memorable streets I thought about how odd it is that no matter how many years pass and things change, there are so many things that remain the same.

On the corner of Johnson and third there's Pete's Diner where I had hung out nearly every day after school, the same shabby gas station still stands on the opposite corner and next to Mrs. Sherrington's bakery that has the best pastries I've ever tasted.

Sure the paint was a little lighter; faded from all the years out in the sun and the streets have became older, tired looking, but it still held the same homey comfort of being in a familiar place and I realized how much I had missed it this past year I had been away. I wondered if Dylan had had a chance to look around and if he felt the same way I did now as I looked at the old streets I had grew up on.

No I told myself. I couldn't think of that, not now. I needed to push Dylan out of my head and concentrate on new things, new streets and new memories. I needed to get back on the road before I lost my nerve and went back home just so I could be close to him while I still could.

Well if I was going to get back on the road then I needed my car up and running to do so and that wasn't going to happen if Jared was still mad at me. Clearing my throat I turned to Jared who looked like he was still ignoring me.

"So... is that breakfast offer still standing?" I asked trying to make up for my bad behavior.

He smiled a lop sided smile and I knew I was forgiven, "yeah, breakfast sounds good right about now," he said patting his stomach, "Pete's okay?" he asked pulling into an old warehouse that had been remodeled into the heart and garage of Jared's towing company.

"Sure, but then I really got to get going," I said pointing a finger at him

He only nodded. For a guy with so many opinions he had this funny away of silently answering me all the time. I had never paid much attention to him in school and wondered if he had always been like this.

We walked around the block to the diner and the smell of maple syrup and sausage sizzling on the stove hit my nostrils and my mouth nearly began to water the second we stepped foot through the door. I hadn't eaten much yesterday and I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now.

"Hey Pete," said Jared as he grabbed two menus from behind the counter and sat down in an empty booth.

"Hey there Jared," said Pete, a stalky middle aged man working over a hot stove.

I trudged behind him and slouched down in the seat across from Jared squinting my eyes from the glare of the sun propelling down on my face through the glass window.

"You know you could smile," said Jared as he looked over his menu and set it back down.

He looked at me like I just might obey and turn into a happy camper all of a sudden.

"I don't feel much like smiling these days," I said grabbing my own menu and scanning over it.

The waitress approached and I ordered pancakes with a side of potatoes, eggs and bacon. I looked up to see Jared eyeing me with wide eyes.

"What, I'm hungry?" I said handing her my menu.

After Jared had ordered he began staring at me again, "Where were you headed anyway?" he asked.

I sighed.

"Rachel's," I said rolling up the sleeves to my sweater and unfolding my napkin to set on my lap.

"Rachel's she lives up in Boston, that's nearly a three day drive," he said frowning.

"Yeah so what?"

"So," he said exasperated, "Kate you just can't travel up and down the state by yourself its dangerous out there," he threw his hands up in the air, "you can't even fix a flat tire for Christ sakes," he said with disapproval.

"I'll be fine." I said as the waitress walked over to our table carrying two trays of food that looked so good despite the annoying conversation Jared was putting me through. The last thing I needed was someone worrying about me and trying to tell me what to do. Nothing he could say would make me stay and who did he think he was anyway?

Suddenly a triumphant smile spread over Jared's face like he had just discovered gold or found an alternate source for oil. It was creepy how happy he looked and frankly his happiness was making me sick. I didn't want happy, I wanted to wallow and fester in my pathetic sadness.

"You know what, your right you will be fine," he said taking a bite of his food.

That was a surprise.

"Thank you, I'm glad you.... Wait. What do you mean?" I said narrowing my eyes and setting my fork down.

"I know you'll be fine," he said scratching his head and running his hands through his tangled hair, "because I'm going to be going with you."

I stared at him wide eyes and with a heavy scowl.

He stared back and I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks. He was making me mad and was turning out to be harder to lose then I would have liked him to be. What did he mean he was coming with me?

The expression he wore on his face said don't fight this. Well, if that's what Jared thought, he really didn't know me that well at all.

I closed my eyes and wish I had never been born at all. Leaving town sure ending up being a lot harder then I had thought it would be.


chapter 7


I closed my eyes inhaling slow calming breaths. I don't know what it was about this guy that got my blood to boil like it was sitting over an open flame.

Jared seemed not to notice how unforthcoming I was to the idea of having a traveling companion, but he was about to.

"Look Jared, that's a sweet offer and all, but I don't think that would be a very good idea," it took everything I had to keep my voice at a calming level.

'Now drop it Jared,' I pleaded inside my head.

"And why is that?" he asked setting his fork down. He slid his plate of food to the side. He was staring at me seriously and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it looked like I was going to have to.

"Well for one I just don't want you to go," I said trying to match his seriousness with a frown.

His brow creased and he nodded his head, "I see... and secondly?" he asked leaning over the table and staring into my eyes. I felt as if he were challenging me to come up with a better excuse.

"Secondly?" I asked leaning as far back against my seat as was allowed.

"Well you said for 'one' you didn't want me to go... and I'm just wondering what the other reason may be," when I didn't answer he continued, "afraid you'll finally subside to my charm?" he asked with a grin.

I could tell he was only trying to lighten the mood, but he picked the wrong girl, wrong morning and wrong life time to try it with me.

"Yes Jared that's exactly what I was afraid of," I said rolling my eyes.

He sighed and still held the same grin on his face. He brushed his hair aside with his hand and leaned backwards. He looked like the kind of guy who didn't have a care in the world.

"Well if those are your only reasons I really