Page 24 of Nashville Cowboy
“Hey,” Matt answered.
“Do you still want to go out with me?”
It only tooktwo dates for Eve to realize that Matt was not the man for her. He’d behaved himself fairly well on their first date. They’d gone to the local grill and hangout, where among his entourage of friends he made her feel like the only woman in the room. Held her hand, pulled her close and tucked her next to him. Tenderly pressed a kiss to her temple. He’d laughed when she spoke up and told him he was wrong about this or that, as if shocked anyone would disagree with him. Eve could feel every woman’s eyes on her, and she kept thinking of Jackson, wishing he could somehow see this display. Look at her, the modern, liberated woman getting out in the world. She took a selfie with Matt and texted it to Sadie, hoping somehow through the magic of the internet, mutual connections, and social media it might eventually get back to Jackson.
On their next date at a frat party, Matt became very drunk and very gropey. She yelled at him to settle down and keep his hands to himself. But because she was so worried about him on the road, she drove him back to his dorm. He expressed his gratitude by unzipping his pants and inviting her to go down on him.
“Are youkiddingme? Get out of my car. You’re stinkin’ drunk.”
She went to find one of his friends to help get him out of her car, and loudly declared that she didn’t date creeps. When Eve got home, she texted Sadie to please delete the photo she’d sent of the handsome football player. She would never be seeing him again. Matt sent flowers in apology the next day, called and texted, even bugged Marisol to put in a good word. A small part of Eve was flattered. Another, much bigger, part was annoyed.
“You’re just the kind of old-fashioned girl I need in my life. Please give me another chance,” he’d said.
Old fashioned?Because she wouldn’t go down on him on the second date? She informed Matt that she’d decided to take a vow of abstinence for the rest of the year and concentrate on her studies.
This wasn’t a lie.
Matt didn’t listen.
When the texts and voice messages got nastier, Marisol sat Eve down and leveled with her. “Honey, he’s stalking you.”
It wasn’t easy to frighten Eve. She’d grown up in a town filled with strong women who taught her a thing or two about standing her ground. With the kind of men who would never hurt a woman.
“He’s just mad and not used to hearing ‘no’ from a woman. Soon he’ll find someone else.”
But according to the grapevine, Matt had already found someone else. Still, the nasty calls and text messages continued. One particularly threatening text finally frightened Eve enough that she agreed with Marisol’s advice. She’d have to report Matt to the campus police. On an early spring afternoon, Eve had just finished eating lunch when someone knocked on her door.
She opened it to find Matt, his blue eyes nearly black with fury, his lips curled into an unnatural sneer. Her last memory was of Matt’s huge fist before everything went black.
When she woke up in the hospital, Eve was surrounded by her mother, Marisol, and Sadie. Eve got the rest of the story in small bits and pieces. Marisol interrupted the attack, chasing Matt off. He’d been arrested hours later. Eve was brought to the hospital unconscious. She’d suffered a severe concussion and several broken ribs. Two black and swollen eyes.
Eventually, she would come to find out that the hearing loss in her left ear was permanent.
But she’d survived.
Eve lay on that hospital bed for weeks healing, receiving the kind of encouragement and support everyone who’d been the victim of a vicious and unprovoked attack should receive. Teachers and classmates rallied around her and organized crowdfunding for her medical bills. Even Bobby drove up to see her. The room was filled with cards, colorful flowers, and bright balloons. Marisol and Sadie took turns reading out loud to her. Her mother wouldn’t leave her side, night or day. But crazy though it was, and even though it had been years since she’d last laid eyes on him, one thought ran through her mind and heart like it was on a time loop:
Jackson would know what to do.
Jackson would know what to say.
Lord, I miss Jackson.
Chapter 10
Sunday was filled with last-minute wedding errands. Eve, Sadie, Brenda, Wanda, and Mima drove into Pleasanton for some serious shopping. Sadie had bridesmaid gifts to buy, and Brenda was still searching for the perfect tea-length dress to wear to the wedding. They split up into groups and divvied up the tasks.
“How about this one, Mom?” Eve held up a beautiful magenta dress with a ruffle near the hem of the skirt and a sweetheart neckline.
“That would look wonderful on you.”
Eve frowned, looking from the dress to her mother. “I’m abridesmaid. We’re shopping for you. Remember?”
“Oh, yes, I know, but you could wear it another time. It will flatter your complexion.”
“But what about for you?” Eve twirled the dress. “Don’t you like it?”
“When I was younger, I might have worn that dress.” Brenda waved it away.
