Unraveling (Second Chances) - By Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,28
mouth opening and closing.
How could one person understand and read me so well? It was like my soul was an open book to him.
“Am I right?” he raised a brow.
“Y-yes,” I stuttered.
“I know how hard it can be to open up to people, especially someone that scribbles everything you say in a notebook,” he said. “But there are certain people out there that you can trust, Katy. You can trust me, and I believe that I can trust you. I just don’t think you’re ready for the truth, yet.” He sighed and leaned back in the chair so that the front legs didn’t touch the floor. “Besides, according to our deal, I can’t tell you my story until you tell me yours.”
“You might be waiting a long time,” I whispered.
“Kittycat, I would wait forever if that’s what you wanted, but there’s a fire in you and I know that soon, the inferno will consume you and you’ll open up to me. Then, you’ll finally be free.”
“Like a phoenix rising from its ashes?” I asked with a raised brow.
“You don’t miss anything,” he said. The girl appeared at our table with Jared’s pizza.
“Here you go. Can I get you anything else?” she asked, in a soft, quiet voice.
“No, but thank you,” he flashed her a smile.
She scurried away.
“Do you mesmerize everyone you come into contact with?” I asked, before taking a sip of my tea. Ew, the water had started to melt, leaving the tea weak.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jared chuckled, grabbing up a slice of pizza covered in… well, everything.
“Oh please,” I crossed my arms over my chest. “All you have to do is bat your eyelashes and people are falling at your feet.”
He gazed at me and batted his lashes. “I don’t see you falling at my feet. They must not be working right,” he prodded his eye. “Maybe, I should try again.”
“You’re full of it,” I laughed. A real, genuine, carefree laugh. The kind of laugh that leaves you with tears in your eyes.
“Finally! She laughs!” Jared exclaimed.
“Thank you, I needed that,” I said, using my napkin to dab at my eyes.
“I’m just glad I could help. I hope you’ll give me the chance to make you laugh more often. You know what they say?”
“What?”
He swallowed a bite of pizza. “’Laughter is the best medicine.’”
“You really believe that?” I asked, not mocking him, but truly curious.
“Yes,” he answered immediately. “Laughter can cure anything, when you laugh, it pushes the darkness out of your soul.”
“You’re a strange dude,” I shook my head.
“I prefer to think of myself as a deep thinker,” he winked. “Not strange.”
“Well, you win on both counts…” I paused, “I don’t even know your last name.”
“Seriously?” he put his pizza down and his mouth hung open. “I never told you?”
“No,” I shook my head.
He grinned. “Why don’t we use tonight as a little, get to know each other better, session. Deal?”
I chuckled, “Deal.”
“My full name is Jared James Reed. I’m twenty-four years old. I have a sixteen-year-old, pain in the butt, little sister named Karlie. She lives with me, and most days I want to ring her neck, but I love the squirt. My best friend, who you saw me with at Tate’s, is Holden. His last name is Marks, since you make such a big fuss about knowing people’s last names,” he winked. “You already know I do MMA and so does Holden. Dan and his wife Patsy, who own Fight For It, took my sister and I in when we were foster kids. Thanks to them, I’ve turned into a halfway decent man. I owe them everything. Now, Katy,” he leaned towards me, his eyes boring into mine, “tell me about yourself.”
I swallowed. I hated talking about myself. I’d rather go to the dentist.
“My name is Katyrina Grace Spencer,” I pronounced it, Kat-a-reena. “I’m an only child, to a single mother that didn’t want to raise a child. I pretty much raised myself, despite the nanny. No pets. Rollo has been my best friend since we were in diapers, because our mom’s are best friends. My mom would love for me to leave school and marry a lawyer or doctor, but that’s just not me. I see a therapist once a week, because I’m messed up, I mean what other reason does one have for seeing a therapist?” I laughed, humorlessly. “I spend most of my time doing homework. I hope to become a counselor so that I can help other