“It isn’t okay. It’ll never be okay. I lost her, and she’s moved on with someone else.”

Aaron bent down and hit me on the arm. “Damn it, Scott. Don’t…don’t give up like this. She’s gonna call Dad in three days. He can tell her everything, and she’ll be on the first flight back. I promise you.”

I felt tears falling down my face, but I didn’t even care. I just needed a drink. I needed to forget about Jessica Rhodes…like she’d forgotten about me.

He’s helping me get over Scott.

“Hey, Scott. Fancy meeting you here at the Wild Coyote. What are you drinking?”

I slowly looked up and saw Karen standing there. I couldn’t even remember her last name. She had been a friend of Jessie’s in high school.

“Why are you here on Christmas Eve, Karen? Shouldn’t you be at home with your family?” I asked as I looked her body up and down.

She certainly looks good.Not as good as Jessie, but who the fuck cares? Jessie has moved on with a friend. She doesn’t want to be found. Maybe they’ve been friends this whole time, and that’s why she hasn’t come home.

Karen sat down next to me and asked for a Bud Light as she nudged me with her shoulder. “I live in New Orleans now, but I’m home, visiting my parents. They were driving me crazy, so I came down here for a couple of beers,” she said with a wink.

I looked down at the cream corset-type shirt she was wearing. Her breasts looked amazing in it. I slowly moved my drunk eyes up and looked at her lips. The moment she licked them, I put my hand behind her neck and pulled her closer to me.

“What the hell are you doing, Karen?”

She let out a laugh. “Isn’t it obvious, Scott? I came out for a little bit of fun. When I walked in and saw you sitting here, I thought I’d come check you out and see if you’re still single. I heard about you and Chelsea.”

I watched as she slowly took her left leg off her right. She spread her legs open before crossing her right leg over her left.

I didn’t feel a fucking thing. Here was this beautiful woman flirting with me with her fucking tits just staring at me, and I didn’t feel shit.

“You married, Karen?”

She shook her head and smiled. I grabbed her hand and led her out to the dance floor. I pulled her to me and pressed our bodies close to each other. She started moving her hands up and down my back before she placed them on my ass and pulled me even closer to her. She looked up at me and smiled. I began to feel my dick coming to life.

She’s with another man. She’s forgotten about me.

I couldn’t pull my eyes from Karen’s lips. She was biting down on her lower lip so hard that I swore it was turning white. I backed her up into a corner that was fairly dark. I put my hand behind her neck and pulled her up for a kiss. The moment our lips touched, she let out a long, soft moan. I felt her hand on mine, and she moved it up her skirt.

“Touch me, Scott…oh god…please touch me.”

I quickly stopped my hand and moved it out from under her skirt. Instead, I started to feel her breasts. As badly as I wanted to touch her, it felt so wrong.

She threw her head back and whispered, “Yes. I’m so wet for you, baby. I’ve always wanted to be fucked by you.” She snapped her head straight and looked at me. “Fuck me, Scott. Right here…in your truck…in the restroom…I don’t care. I just want you to fuck me hard from behind.”

For one brief moment, I wanted to pick her up and take her to the restroom to do just that. I could fuck her so hard and fast that I would surely be able to forget about Jessie…at least for a little while.

“Scott…” She reached her hand over and squeezed my dick. “Take me. I’m yours for tonight, Scott.”

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was Jessie’s smiling face. No. I won’t do this. I can’t do this. I love Jessie. I’ll always love Jessie.

I pulled my hand away from her and took a few steps back. “Um…I’m sorry, Karen. I’m in love with someone else, and I won’t be unfaithful to her, no matter what.”

Karen’s face dropped. “What? You’re gonna feel me up and then tell me you’re in love with someone else? What would she think if she knew you were about to fuck me?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Probably nothing since she’s fucking someone to forget about me.” I turned and walked away.

I saw Jeff and Gunner walking in with Josh following close behind. I smiled, knowing they were only here to check up on me.

Thank God I came to my senses with Karen before they walked in and saw us.

I walked up and shook Josh’s hand. “Dude, what in the hell are you doing in Mason?” I asked.

Josh gave me a quick hug. “Heather and I decided to take Gunner’s offer to stay with him and Ellie, so we could celebrate Christmas morning with the Mathews.”

I smiled as I nodded. Gunner and Ellie had invited me to stay with them, but I’d turned them down.

“Scott, are you sure you don’t want to stay with us tonight? Ellie and Heather are in a baking mood, and I swear that we have enough baked goods to feed a small army,” Gunner said with a laugh.

I shook my head. “I appreciate it, Gunner, but I think I’ll just head home and go to bed. I was planning on asking Jessie to marry me on Christmas Eve at my parents’ anniversary party tonight, so I kind of just want to be alone.”

Jeff hit me on the back and smiled. “Come on, dude. Let’s settle up your bill, and I’ll drive you home.”

“Did you get a new phone yet?” Gunner asked as we walked out to the parking lot.

“Yeah, I got it, but I haven’t turned it on. I’m not in any real rush to use it.”

“I am. I’ve been getting a ton of calls about a horse you wanted. I guess you gave them my number, Scott, and I knew nothing about it,” Jeff said.

“Damn…sorry, Jeff. It’s just…I can’t think about anything. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. She’s gone, and she’s using some fucker she met to forget about me.”

Gunner let out a long sigh. “Scott, you don’t know that. She’s gonna call Drake tomorrow, and then we can get this whole damn thing settled. Just hang tight, dude. One more day is all you’ve got to wait, and then Jessie will know the truth.”

I shook my head. It felt like I had a hundred pounds sitting on my chest. I just needed to get home and go to bed. I felt so tired for some reason.

I held my hand out to shake Josh’s and then Gunner’s hands. “Thanks, guys. Thanks for having my back. I really do appreciate each of you and your friendship. I don’t know how I would have done this if I hadn’t had your support.”

“Always, Scott. We’re always here for you,” Josh said.

Gunner told Jeff he would follow him to my house since Jeff was driving my truck for me.

As I made my way to the passenger side of my truck, I felt sick to my stomach. It didn’t even matter that she was calling home tomorrow. In my heart, I felt like she was already gone. She’d met someone else.

He’s helping me get over Scott.

“Scott, she’s gonna call. She wouldn’t let her dad down by not calling, and I know she still loves you. It’s almost over, dude. It’s almost over,” Jeff said with a weak smile.

I leaned my head back against the headrest and tried to smile. “I hope you’re right, but I have this sick feeling that everyone is wrong. Jessie has spent the last five weeks moving on. I feel her in my heart, but she’s slowly fading away.”

I looked over toward Jeff. He was just staring at me. He turned and started the truck before pulling out of the lot to take me home.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath as I pictured her in the arms of another man.

Jessie…please come back to me, baby.