‹ Prequel: Fuel to the Fire
If I Only Had The Heart
Chapter 7
Weeks passed, but not fast enough. I had to take care of the agency – the site and stuff – since Pat wasn’t here to help Tim. Thankfully, today was calmer; things were easy since everything in the European tour – what was our priority now – were already settled. Tim said I could go home earlier, and that’s exactly what I did.
On my way home, I stopped at this small restaurant near my house; me and the boys used to come here all the time when we were younger. I was waiting for my order when this guy stopped behind me; I didn’t really notice him until I was ready to leave and he called my name.
“Leigh?”
I almost choked when I recognized him. The tanned guy wearing a Nirvana shirt, with dark brown hair and baby blue eyes grinned softly at me, scratching the back of his neck. Wow, and he had… good arms.
“J-Jamie” I stuttered and cleared my throat. Do you know when you have those awkward flashbacks, with embarrassing moments you had in your life? Yeah, I was having them right now.
Jamie was my boyfriend during my sophomore year in high school; he was more an escape to me, when I realized I loved Garrett. I hadn’t seen him since we broke up, which was about three or four years ago. God, he was still beautiful.
“What’s up?”
“N-nothing much” I stuttered again, looking even more stupid “just got home from work, and what about you?”
“Work?” Jamie repeated, surprised.
“Ha, come on, I’m responsible now! I changed. Plus, I’m working at 8123 with Tim, he’s probably the only person who would hire me.”
Jamie chuckled.
“I thought you were going to college.”
“Me? College?” I snorted.
“Ha! I should’ve known better.”
I smiled and then bit my lip, not knowing what to do next.
“But hey, how is your family? The boys? Garrett?”
A sheepishly smile slowly spread across my face and my cheeks burned red.
“Garrett… You know, one day Garrett told me this funny story: we were hanging out in the parking lot, drunk, and I apparently tripped over something and fell down, and then, we kissed…. I was still dating you back then.”
Jamie’s face turned into different shades of pink as he understood what I meant.
“That’s why you broke up with me, right? I had no idea! I do get wasted when I’m drunk and I was like, sixteen? I didn’t know… sorry Jamie.”
He smiled, still awkwardly to this situation.
“It’s okay, I guess. we should leave it in the past… You still owe me an answer, how’s your family?”
I let out a breath when he finished speaking.
“They’re doing great! Pat and Lauren broke up, but we’re still best friends.”
“Wow, Pat and Lauren broke up? Hard to believe.”
“I know right! Everyone in the band did, except for Tessa and Jared.”
Jamie’s eyebrows shut up.
“Everyone, even Garrett and Rachael? Even harder to believe.”
I bit my lip, looking down.
“Yeah, uh… Gare and I dated for almost a year after they broke up.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Jamie asked softly, as if more to himself.
“Yeah, everyone but us knew it was going to happen.”
“I thought once you started dating, it’d last forever.”
“Shit happened” I shrugged “we’re still best friends though; he, the band to be exact, is in the UK on tour. I haven’t seen them for three weeks.”
“Tour sucks” Jamie said and grinned at my pout.
He knew how I felt. Jamie used to have a band back in high school; he even played some concerts with The Maine.
“Hey, I know this is like… weird, but it was really good to see you again; you changed a lot.”
“I’m not that awkward socially teenager anymore, I know.”
He grinned.
“So, Amanda Leigh Kirch, can I get your number?”
“Wow Jamie, that’d be so… duh, of course you can. Call me when you can, I’m sure my family, especially my mom will love to hear from you.”
I took a black pen from my purse and wrote my number on his palm – cliché, I know.
“Sure, I’ll stop by…”
“Great! Now” I said, eyeing my phone “I gotta go. I’m not sure if my mom’s home and I need her help.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll call you.”
I pulled him to a hug, but it felt strange. He was my ex, but this time it wasn’t like Garrett. Gare was still my best friend, Jamie wasn’t. It felt like high school all over again, but, for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
On my way home, I stopped at this small restaurant near my house; me and the boys used to come here all the time when we were younger. I was waiting for my order when this guy stopped behind me; I didn’t really notice him until I was ready to leave and he called my name.
“Leigh?”
I almost choked when I recognized him. The tanned guy wearing a Nirvana shirt, with dark brown hair and baby blue eyes grinned softly at me, scratching the back of his neck. Wow, and he had… good arms.
“J-Jamie” I stuttered and cleared my throat. Do you know when you have those awkward flashbacks, with embarrassing moments you had in your life? Yeah, I was having them right now.
Jamie was my boyfriend during my sophomore year in high school; he was more an escape to me, when I realized I loved Garrett. I hadn’t seen him since we broke up, which was about three or four years ago. God, he was still beautiful.
“What’s up?”
“N-nothing much” I stuttered again, looking even more stupid “just got home from work, and what about you?”
“Work?” Jamie repeated, surprised.
“Ha, come on, I’m responsible now! I changed. Plus, I’m working at 8123 with Tim, he’s probably the only person who would hire me.”
Jamie chuckled.
“I thought you were going to college.”
“Me? College?” I snorted.
“Ha! I should’ve known better.”
I smiled and then bit my lip, not knowing what to do next.
“But hey, how is your family? The boys? Garrett?”
A sheepishly smile slowly spread across my face and my cheeks burned red.
“Garrett… You know, one day Garrett told me this funny story: we were hanging out in the parking lot, drunk, and I apparently tripped over something and fell down, and then, we kissed…. I was still dating you back then.”
Jamie’s face turned into different shades of pink as he understood what I meant.
“That’s why you broke up with me, right? I had no idea! I do get wasted when I’m drunk and I was like, sixteen? I didn’t know… sorry Jamie.”
He smiled, still awkwardly to this situation.
“It’s okay, I guess. we should leave it in the past… You still owe me an answer, how’s your family?”
I let out a breath when he finished speaking.
“They’re doing great! Pat and Lauren broke up, but we’re still best friends.”
“Wow, Pat and Lauren broke up? Hard to believe.”
“I know right! Everyone in the band did, except for Tessa and Jared.”
Jamie’s eyebrows shut up.
“Everyone, even Garrett and Rachael? Even harder to believe.”
I bit my lip, looking down.
“Yeah, uh… Gare and I dated for almost a year after they broke up.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Jamie asked softly, as if more to himself.
“Yeah, everyone but us knew it was going to happen.”
“I thought once you started dating, it’d last forever.”
“Shit happened” I shrugged “we’re still best friends though; he, the band to be exact, is in the UK on tour. I haven’t seen them for three weeks.”
“Tour sucks” Jamie said and grinned at my pout.
He knew how I felt. Jamie used to have a band back in high school; he even played some concerts with The Maine.
“Hey, I know this is like… weird, but it was really good to see you again; you changed a lot.”
“I’m not that awkward socially teenager anymore, I know.”
He grinned.
“So, Amanda Leigh Kirch, can I get your number?”
“Wow Jamie, that’d be so… duh, of course you can. Call me when you can, I’m sure my family, especially my mom will love to hear from you.”
I took a black pen from my purse and wrote my number on his palm – cliché, I know.
“Sure, I’ll stop by…”
“Great! Now” I said, eyeing my phone “I gotta go. I’m not sure if my mom’s home and I need her help.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll call you.”
I pulled him to a hug, but it felt strange. He was my ex, but this time it wasn’t like Garrett. Gare was still my best friend, Jamie wasn’t. It felt like high school all over again, but, for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.