It's complicated

“I’m sorry you went through all that.”

“It’s not your fault Jenn, you didn’t do anything wrong, I screwed my life up myself.”

“I’m sure you made mistakes Scott, but you didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Scott couldn’t answer that, he had been dumb enough to stick with the relationship when he knew it wasn’t good. He often felt like Amanda gave him what he deserved.

“Scott?” Jess’s voice was unusually timid as she broke the hug.

“Yeah.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you never wrote, why you cut off contact completely.”

“You know I left under not the best circumstances. I just wanted to get away from everything, and then the relationship with Amanda was like a whirlwind. We ended up getting married, and I never heard from people back home so I just lived my new life, put everything into it.”

The timidness disappeared from Jess’s face and voice.

“What do you mean you didn’t hear from us?”

“I got one letter from you Jenn, and that’s it.”

“Bullshit, I wrote you every month for four years Scott.”

“I didn’t get them, but I was staying with Amanda by my second month in.”

“That bitch. I’ll fucking kill her.”

“Jenn!”

Jenn had tears starting to run down her face, and her face was burning red. Scott knew what it meant when Jenn was mad enough to cry.

She stomped around the shop, snorting like an enraged bull.

“Dad pulled in some favors to make sure we’d hear if you got hurt or worse, I thought you hated me, I thought. . . I thought all kinds of things. I wrote you so much, about so much Scott, and she. . . AAUGH!”

Jenn took some breaths. “Fucking whore ass bitch.”

“Jenn, I’m sorry.”

“No Scott, I’m sorry, I just. . . AAUGH! I pictured you reading my letters and choosing not to respond, not caring. . . it really hurt Scott, it was awful, and the whole time you thought no one cared about you here.”

Jenn was coming down, the last time Scott saw her that mad Tommy Johnson had pulled Doug’s pants down in front of a girl he liked, underwear and all. Jenn broke Tommy’s jaw and three fingers on his right hand.

Scott walked over to her, put his hands on her shoulders.

“I’m sorry Jenn. I was such an idiot.”

Jenn sniffled.

“Yeah, well at least that didn’t change.”

“I should have written.”

“Yeah, you should have.” Jenn punched him in the shoulder, but it wasn’t a hard punch at all. “Don’t run off like that again, okay?”

“I won’t, especially if you get me a job here.”

Jenn laughed. “Shit, I’ll put a cage in here and keep you tied up, then I won’t even have to pay you.”

Scott laughed, that was the Jennifer he remembered. He hugged her.

“I’m sorry Jenn.”

“Stop apologizing Scott, I forgive you.”

Jenn wiped her eyes and changed the subject.

“So, I’m guessing you are the surprise Doug told me to expect tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Did he not tell you? It’s Raul’s birthday Scott.”

Scott’s jaw dropped. He had completely forgotten about Raul. He grabbed out his phone, he had turned it off when talking to Mrs. Carter and never turned it back on.

“I totally forgot about that.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you last night.”

Scott wasn’t, last night was a crazy night, and his time was dominated by Suzie. He thought about telling Jenn about him and Suzie, but decided against it, Jenn and Suzie were like oil and water, he didn’t want to start that discussion after what they just got through.

“Here it is, yeah, 6PM at the Stable.”

“You have anywhere you need to be Scott?”

“No, why?”

“We have several hours and I’m running behind because someone distracted me, you want to lend me a hand?”

“Is this an ‘on-the-job’ interview?

She reached out, taking hold of his arm.

“You already got the job Scott, whenever you want to start let me know.”

Jenn turned and walked back to the bike, her hand keeping contact as long as possible with his arm.

Scott smiled. It was like old times.

“Grab a pair of coveralls and get over here.”