Break Me (The Summer Series) (22 page)

Escaping Heartbreak

Coming June
2014

It’s time for Sawyer
to start living her life. Since she was fifteen she has taken care of everyone
but herself, including her older brother Dane. She has been lying to herself to
keep from feeling the pain of her parent’s death. Now she is twenty and she’s
ready to start a life of her own. Moving into her parent’s lake house would be
the perfect escape. Wouldn’t it? That’s what she thought. Only, it led her
right into the emotional place she’s been hiding from all this time. All of
those years of running from her feelings, she now has to face them. It’s too
much. She can’t deal with it alone. Someone has to help. She’ll do anything to
escape the heartbreak, but you can only run so far.

Travis can’t believe
his eyes; his half-opened, blood shot eyes. Sawyer Evans was in the flesh and
standing over him. He hadn’t seen this girl since he was ten years old. Travis
only saw the Evan’s during the summer when they moved into the lake house. He
and Dane were best friends. When Dane invited him and the old gang to a welcome
back party at the Lake House, he couldn’t wait to go. It turns out getting
wasted was only half the fun. Seeing Sawyer was the other half. She was the
sexiest girl he’d ever seen and he was going to make sure that she knew it.
Only she shot him down time and time again. He’s determined to break down those
walls and get inside her head, but he’ll have to be sober to do it, and no
matter how hard he tries, she’ll always run. He can’t keep chasing her. He has
to figure out a way to make her stay.

It’s time to stop
running, stop hiding, and start learning where the true escape lies. Everyone
will face heartbreak, but not everyone will find love.

ONE

Sawyer

“Earth to Sawyer,” Uncle Jake snapped
his fingers in front my face. “Where are you at?”

Today marks the six year anniversary of our
parent’s death. It still feels like it was yesterday. I was fifteen and my
brother Dane was eighteen, when the accident happened. The rain was coming down
hard that night. The semi lost control and crossed over the yellow line. The
officer said that it was instant and no one felt any pain. There’s no way in
hell that he could know that. At fifteen you feel like your life is shattering
around you, but when everyone else is crumbling, you have no choice but to be
strong. I’m grateful that I was there to help everybody, keeping busy made
things easier for me.

The snapping continued. “I’m here.” I shook my
head and tried focusing my attention where it was needed. Uncle Jake was such a
handsome guy. His long brown hair hung down in front of his blue eyes. He had
aged so much over the past several years. After mom and dad died, he stepped in
as sole guardian for me. Dane was eighteen and in his first semester of
college. He couldn’t handle the responsibility. Uncle Jake was only thirty at
the time and had absolutely no clue what it meant to raise a daughter, a
teenage one at that. He was so young himself. The two of us have practically
raised each other. Actually, I’d say I raised him. I did all the cooking and
household responsibilities. Someone had to. He worked and made sure that the
manly duties were all taken care of. As far as teenage female issues, he had no
clue. I learned a lot of things on my own or from my best friend Wren.

“It doesn’t look like you’re here.” He narrowed
his eyes at me. “I asked you what you want to do for your birthday.”

“It’s two weeks away. Do we really have to
discuss this now? Besides, I’m sure Dane won’t come home. It’s been nearly six
months since I’ve seen him. He barely even calls me anymore. We used to be so
close and you’d think that today of all days, he’d call.”

“I know pickle, but he’ll come around. He’s
probably busy with finals or something.” I love that about Jake. He finds the
good in everyone. He has to stop making excuses for Dane though. Dane is a big
boy, he needs to start acting like it.

“Uncle Jake,” I said taking his hand.

“Yeah,” he squeezed my hand. I gave him one of
those overly serious, we need to talk looks. He lifted his brows. “What is it?
You’re freaking me out.”

“How long has it been since you’ve had a date?”

He looked down at his watch. “What day is it?”

“I’m serious Uncle Jake.”

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know maybe a
year.”

“Or three,” I waved my fingers in front of his
face. “You have to get out and get yourself a life. You will never be married
at this rate. You don’t want to end up an old lonely man with nothing but a
computer and a dog.”

“Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.
You haven’t been living much yourself, you know.” He tugged on my ponytail.

I set back in my chair and shut my mouth. He
was right. Besides my best friend Wren, I have no life. I haven’t had a date
since my junior year of high school. It went so bad that I refused to do it
again, ever. I prefer spending my time taking care of Jake and when Dane’s home
I take care of him. Dane’s the older of the two of us, but certainly not the
wiser. I was supposed to go to college right out of high school. It was what my
parents and I had always talked about. I chose to work instead and stay home
with Jake. We’ve always been a team. Only recently have I been thinking that
it’s time to do my own thing. I’ve just not found the right time to tell him.
Or, maybe I’m just scared of what it will feel like to be on my own.

“I think it’s time that you got out more
pickle.”

“I’m twenty years old. Don’t you think it’s
time you stopped calling me pickle?”

“Hell no, you’ll always be my pickle.”

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes. The thought of
eating pickles now makes me sick. I used to eat them jars at a time when I was
little and the name just stuck.

“What about swimming? It used to be your
thing.” I took a deep breath. This was not where I wanted this conversation to
go. I hoped that it would never be brought up again.

“I don’t want to have this conversation.” I
rolled my eyes and stood up from the table. I poured the left over milk from my
cereal into the sink.

“Listen to me Sawyer,” Jake walked over and
stood next to me in front of the sink. He’s not much taller than I am so we
were nearly eye to eye. “You never want to talk about this, but we need to.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. Swimming was your life. You
can’t just give everything up because you feel like the accident was your
fault. It was an accident. It was no one’s fault. Start living already, you
hear me.” I hear him alright. This isn’t something that I’m prepared to argue
about.

“Swimming was my life back then. I’m grown up
now. I need to experience new things and find new goals.” And I seriously
needed a diversion from this conversation.

“Oh yeah, like what? Talk to me.” He said.

Good, the diversion worked.
It’s now or
never, Sawyer.
“Actually, I was thinking about spending some time at the
lake house. No one has been there for a while.” He nodded. “I could take care
of the place and maybe get a job there, or maybe even take some college
classes. I have lots of money saved.” I really didn’t have to save money the
way I did. Mom and dad left us pretty well set. The lake house was our summer
home since we were kids. I haven’t been there since my parents died. I’m sure
the place is a mess and could use some love.

“You know what? That sounds like an awesome
idea. I think you should do it. After all, your parents would want you to use
that house. There were some amazing memories made there.”

I shook my head. “I think I will.” He pulled me
to him and hugged me. He kissed my temple and whispered how proud he was of me.
“I love you, Uncle Jake.”

“I love you too, Pickle.” I sighed loudly.

“I’m going to work. We’ll work out the details
of my trip later tonight.” I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. “Oh and Uncle
Jake,” I yelled back.

“What,” I heard him yell from the kitchen.

“I’m going to find you a date. A hot, sexy,
blind date,” I laughed and ran out the door. I heard him yelling something and
running through the house. I was in the car with my doors locked when he came
barreling out the front door. The dish towel was still hanging out of the side
of his basketball shorts. I smiled and waved and blew him a big kiss. He shook
his head and laughed, as I backed out of the driveway. We always have so much
fun together; it will be hard being away from him for very long.

The drive to work was a quick one. We only
lived about three miles from town and traffic didn’t get bad for about another
hour. When I pulled in the parking lot of the Printing Shack, it looked empty.
I’ve been working here since my senior year of high school. It screams future
potential every time I develop someone’s pictures. I’m climbing the corporate
ladder one photo dweeb at a time. NOT! Hence the need to get my butt out of
town.

 I put Sally in park and patted her dash,
silently thanking her for another successful trip. She has yet to fail me. I’ve
drove this little Ford truck for so long. I’m wondering when the wheels will
fall off. I have the money to buy a new car, but I don’t have the heart to part
with this one. My dad bought me this truck about a few months before my
fifteenth birthday. I had begged him for it and couldn’t wait to get my
license. I swore that I’d never part with it. I think about how petty it was
for me to want this truck and about how the bright yellow really stands out
now. I would trade it back if I could get my parents back. That’s only wishful
thinking.

I had about twenty minutes before my shift
started so I figured I’d call Dane.

Pulling the cell phone from bag, I dialed his
number. After about the fourth ring his machine picked up. “Figures,” I huffed.
He was probably avoiding me. “Hey Dane, this is your sister. I’m reminding you
in case you forgot about me. I have some big news that I want to talk to you
about. I’m going to work right now, but I’ll be home around six o’clock. Call
me back please. It’s important. Okay, well, I love you. Talk to you later.” I
pressed the end button and thought no more about it. I had to get inside and go
to work. Hopefully, the butt head will call me later.

~*~

When I got home I was surprised to
see Dane’s civic parked in the driveway. The lime green practically glows in
the dark. His car is fixed up to race and stands out about as bad as my yellow
Ranger.

If Dane is home then that means Wren will be
here soon if she isn’t already inside. She and I have been best friends forever
and she is so much in love with my brother. She always has been. She’s dated
other guys, but swears that she’s holding out to marry Dane. Funny I know,
right. I’m sure she heard his car pass her house. She’s stalkerish in that way.
She lives at the end of the street by the stop sign. He had to pass right by
her house on the way in. Sometimes I think that he would rather cut off the
engine and push his car home than risk her hearing. Dane says she gets on his
nerves at that she is too young, but every year Wren’s boobs get bigger and so
does his eyes. It’s only a matter of time. It doesn’t bother me. I love them
both so I could care less if they get together. As long as I don’t have to hear
the details, we’re good. Honestly, I think Wren is just what he needs to
straighten his ass out.

I walked in the front door and set my bag down
by the stairs. Our house is big considering it’s just me and Jake. It used to
seem small when mom, dad, and Dane were all here.

 I saw the lamp still on in the living room so
I walked in. The television was playing some kind of sports and Uncle Jake was
laid back in the recliner napping.

“I didn’t wake him up.”

“Shit Dane,” I said as quietly as possible. I
put my hand over my heart. I thought that it might beat out of my chest. “You
scared the crap out of me.” I whisper yelled. I looked up and saw a shadow of
him standing in the doorway of the kitchen. I tiptoed slowly toward the
kitchen, trying not to wake up Jake.

“Why haven’t you called me?” I started to fuss.
“Oh my God, Dane! What happened to your eye?” Clearly he’d been in a fight. It
was swollen shut and as black as night.