A Butterfly in Maple Grove Read online

  Chapter Nine

  After saying my goodbyes to Jen, Mom, and Charlie, I packed my carry-on suitcase, and got into my Dodge. The last conversation I had with Jen left me feeling kind of numb. Why in the world had she mentioned Ryan? Who cared what he had been up to or if he looked good or not these days?

  It was getting a bit stuffy in my car, and I suddenly wished I had grabbed a bottle of water out of Mom’s fridge before heading out. I decided to pull into the parking lot of a convenience store before heading onto the highway, and making my way back home to Virginia.

  Before I was able to get out of the car, my cell phone started ringing and vibrating. It was Logan. He no doubt wanted to know what time I’d be getting home.

  I really considered answering it, but at the same time, I didn’t really feel like talking to him. So, I let my phone continue ringing and made my way out of the car. I’d call him once I was back on the road.

  I quickly grabbed a Poland Spring and a small bag of potato chips for the road. If it all went according to plan, I’d be home right around eight this evening and I would see if Logan wanted to grab a bite out somewhere.

  I made my purchase and headed out the door. It was just past noon and a really beautiful early October day. The autumn colors covered the small town of Maple Grove creating a picturesque effect. As much as I had wanted to leave my cute little town after high school, I missed being here with all my loved ones close by. Maybe I should visit more often, I thought.

  As I spotted my car in the parking lot, I heard a deep, husky voice from behind me calling my name.

  “Lacey McAllister!”

  I turned around, and to my utter surprise, there stood Ryan Acosta in all his glory. I hadn’t seen him in years, but it didn’t matter because he had not changed much. The only thing that was there now that wasn’t before was the facial hair, giving him a sexy, scruffy look.

  Don’t go there, Lacey. Don’t go there.

  He was standing just a few feet ahead, and as I waited, he started making his way toward me. Fuck.

  Now what? I wasn’t in the mood for small talk or whatever he had in mind.

  I looked at him from head to toe and admitted to myself that he still looked like the guy who had once broken my heart. In my eyes, he was still that gorgeous quarterback with the mesmerizing emerald eyes. I was not ready to have a conversation with him regarding that day, and hoped he would not be bringing it up.

  He wore tan-colored work boots, denim-blue jeans, and a blue-and-green opened flannel shirt, revealing his white tee underneath. Maybe he was on his way to work and wouldn’t stick around long enough to make casual conversation. One could only hope.

  “Lacey, I heard about your aunt. I wanted to give my condolences to you and your family. How have you been, otherwise… I know it’s been a long time,” he stated, finally reaching me.

  “Thank you, Ryan. Yes, it has,” I managed to muster, hopefully letting him know I was not in the mood.

  From the expression on his face, I gathered he realized I still held a grudge against him.

  He nodded then and asked, “Look, I know things between us were left off kind of rocky back then, but do you have a few minutes? I’d like to sit and talk with you.”

  I shook my head. “I have to get back. My boyfriend is waiting for me back home.” I casually stuck the word “boyfriend” out there so that he could know he had lost me for good.

  He nodded again. “Yeah, Jen told me you moved a couple hours away and were doing well.”

  Of course, she had. My best friend would always have my back.

  Motioning toward my car, I said, “Look, Ryan, it’s been nice seeing you again, but I really have–”

  Cutting me off, he exclaimed, “Hey, is that the new Charger? That’s a sweet ride.”

  That’s right. He had always loved cars.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Nice, good for you, Lacey. Mind if I take a peek inside?”

  Um, nope, don’t want to go there.

  “Okay…” I said instead, since he had already started walking past me to peer inside my car window.

  He leaned in and stuck his hands to the glass to peer inside. As he did, I could see his biceps, big and bulging.

  He was still fucking irresistible. I hated thinking this way, but it was damn true.

  As we stood there for a few minutes talking about my car–I didn’t know much about cars, but the basic questions he was asking me, I was able to answer–I felt myself relaxing a bit. Sure, I was still livid with him for the way things happened so long ago, but maybe it was time to just let it go.

  “I’m happy for you, Lace. Nice car, good job, great guy who makes you happy…” He gave me a sad smile, and it was all I could do to follow suit.

  “Thanks,” I responded. Then, “What about you? No wife, no girlfriend? I thought by now you and Sarah Michaels would’ve been married living somewhere in Hawaii or something, living the dream, in paradise.”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Me and Sarah? No, Lacey. There was never that option once you and I got together. Even after we broke up, I never went back to her. I’ve always wanted you.” Quickly steering the conversation into safe grounds, he continued, saying, “But no, I’m single. I work all the time… I have my own carpentry company, and we build residential homes. I built my own not long ago. Just need to find someone to share it with.”

  “I see,” I responded.

  I leaned my back against my car and saw him look intently into my eyes. His stare, always so demanding, still had that captivating hold on me.

  He stepped a bit closer to me, decreasing the distance between us. How I wished things would have turned out differently back then.

  “But are you?” he asked.

  Perplexed, I asked in a whisper, “Am I what?”

  I was being drawn to him, and in that very moment, I wanted to pretend like the last eight years had never happened, and I could kiss him.

  “Happy?” he asked, wistfully.

  Coming out of his trance, I replied, “I guess,” suddenly breathless.

  Leaning in even closer, he whispered in my ear, “Butterfly, you should know. You should be happy… you deserve it.”

  Chills immediately ran up and down my spine. He moved his face so close to mine that if I were to breathe a certain way, our lips would touch.

  We just stood there for a few seconds staring into one another’s eyes. I wanted to so badly kiss him, like I had back in the day.

  What are you thinking, Lacey! This man broke your heart, broke you, so long ago! You can’t let him back in! And you have a boyfriend, soon-to-be-fiance, back home! Get out! Abort mission, now!

  “I have to go,” I said, softly.

  “Lacey, I know you still feel the chemistry between us. If you still feel anything for me, please stay. Don’t go. Come back to me, butterfly,” he bluntly stated, gently grabbing my chin, forcing me to continue looking at him.

  His nickname for me brought back a thousand memories, and I was beginning to drown in them at that very moment.

  With his other hand, he grabbed my hand. I let him hold it, not moving an inch, even though I knew I should have pulled it away, and jumped into my car.

  “I can’t stay, Ryan. I have to go.”

  I pulled my hand away then, and got into my car. He stood there holding on to the opened window as I adjusted my seatbelt, getting ready to start making my drive.

  We exchanged sad stares, and right before I pulled onto the main road, Ryan said, “I know you have to go now. But if you can’t stop thinking about me once you get back home, if you still love me, as I do you, come back to me, butterfly. Spread your wings and fly back home to me. I’ll be waiting.”

  As a few tears pulled at my eyes, I glanced away and headed back home to Virginia. To Logan.

  Chapter Ten

  “Babycakes, you’re home!” Logan greeted me as I walked into our apartment once I arrived back in Virginia. It was a small place, but it was enou
gh for two people just starting out.

  “Hi, Logan,” I responded, avoiding eye contact as I placed my bags down on the sofa.

  He walked over and gave me a kiss. I still avoided looking into his eyes. I felt guilty, but he didn’t seem to pick up on it.

  “How was the trip back? Traffic?” he asked, picking up the magazines from the end table and placing them back on the proper rack.

  “Not really. It was fine.” I said, my mind elsewhere.

  He looked at me from his spot on the opposite side of the living room and quickly examined me. “You seem out of it, babycakes. Hungry?”

  I shook my head and brought my hand up, rubbing my right eye. “I’m actually pretty tired, and not feeling so well. Do you mind if I just head on up to bed?”

  He frowned, crossing his arms. “Sure, go ahead. Want me to tuck you in?” he smirked at me, winking.

  I knew what that wink meant, and I had no intention of going there tonight with him.

  Quickly grabbing my cell phone, and turning around to make my way to our bedroom, I replied, “No, I’ll be fine, thanks,” and closed the door behind me.

  I placed my cell on my night table, and quickly stripped down to my bra and panties. I hopped into bed, bringing the covers way up over my head. Ryan Acosta’s green eyes and luscious lips flooded my head. His sexy goatee, muscular arms, and killer dimples haunted me. I tossed and turned trying desperately to block the image of him, but it was pointless. His sexy smile was clouding my brain. Eventually, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

  Two weeks later, there were still no changes; I still tried hopelessly to keep my mind off of Ryan.

  What was happening with me? I was supposed to be eternally mad at him for what he had done to me so long ago. But seeing his smile once again had melted away all the bitterness I had felt inside toward him. Maybe I had forgiven him after all.

  But what good would that do? I was with Logan now, and he was waiting on me to be his wife. Could I do it? Could I marry a man I didn’t even know if I loved or not?

  Today, Logan had asked me to be ready when he got home from work. He’d be cutting out early to have lunch with me and said there was something he needed to talk to me about.

  He had said things felt off between us and that I seemed distant, so he wanted to take me out to show me he still cared. Personally, I knew why things felt off and why I was distant. Try as I might, I could not get Ryan off my mind. I had even called Jen and told her about it. All she had said was that she knew I still loved him. I told her it wasn’t love and that I was just confused. She didn’t buy it, though.

  As I sat across the table from Logan, I nervously fidgeted with my ring, twirling it back and forth. I wasn’t sure why my nerves were acting up. It wasn’t as if Logan were about to propose. He had already done so. Now, he just waited on an answer.

  “Logan, are you all right? You look nauseated,” I stated, searching his face. He had a pale look about him with a sad smile.

  His hands were folded on the table. His dark hair was parted neatly to one side.

  He unfolded his hands and wiped his forehead with the back of his left hand. He was beginning to make me feel nervous. What the hell was going on with him?

  “Logan?” I repeated.

  “I’m sorry, babycakes.” He reached across the table to grab my hand, his was sweaty.

  “Maybe we should get out of here, you don’t seem fine,” I stated, getting up.

  “No!” he exclaimed, grabbing my arm, willing me to sit back down.

  “Okay…” I said, slowly trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

  He took a deep breath and said, “Lacey, darling. My babycakes.”

  Oh boy, I thought, here we go again.

  Continuing, he said, “Look, babycakes, we have been together for two years, and I love you more than my life. I want to marry you. I proposed, and I’m still waiting for an answer.”

  My gaze left his as I looked around, not wanting to have this conversation right now.

  He went on. “Now the time has come, Lacey. You need to let me know if you are going to be my wife or not. I’ve waited five months, every day praying that you’ll accept. But for some reason since you’ve come back from your aunt’s funeral, you’ve gotten even more distant… if that’s even possible.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “It’s true. You’ve never been all that lovey-dovey toward me, and I just suspected that some people are just not like that. But now that you’ve gotten even more further from me, I need to know, Lacey. I need to know that you love me and want to spend the rest of your life with me. Tell me I’m not wasting my time waiting. Tell me you’ll marry me.”

  He looked at me dead in the eyes. He was serious and he wanted an answer now. I knew I had to give him one. It wasn’t fair to keep him waiting. If I wasn’t going to marry him, then I just needed to tell him. But if I was, what difference would it make if I were to tell him now or another day? It would put his mind at ease, and probably take some stress off of me.

  Logan was safe territory. I knew exactly what I’d be getting, and I knew exactly what to expect. I knew what our life would be like once we’d be married, and I knew that he would take care of me and love me every single day of my life. We would have kids and one day have grandkids that we would watch grow as we grew old together.

  It was, without a doubt, the right decision. It was what I had spent the last two years working toward. It was what needed to be done.

  Looking up at him, giving him a gentle smile, I gave him my answer after making him wait five long months.

  Present

  Chapter Eleven

  I got up off the bench that faced Maple Grove’s High School football field. A cool, autumn evening settled on the town; the star-filled sky was beginning to shine through.

  As I looked up, there he stood, all six feet, three inches of him. He still looked the same, just like he had two weeks ago, just like he had in high school. He was still my one true love and no amount of time would ever erase that.

  I had chosen Ryan. As I had sat across the table from Logan, I apologized, and told him I couldn’t marry him. I told him that my heart just wasn’t in it, and that I couldn’t go on with our life in Bloomshine, Virginia. My heart and my life belonged in Maple Grove, with Ryan Acosta at my side.

  Immediately after revealing my feelings to Logan, I took the ring off my right hand, placed it into his palm, gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, and walked away. I didn’t even go home to grab anything. I jumped on the first express train to Maple Grove and phoned Jen.

  I told her I was coming home. I told her I was coming back to Ryan. She was happy and said that she had known all along that I was still in love with him. I had been too hurt to see it before, too unwilling to believe it. But I had finally admitted the truth to myself, and I was ready to begin my new life with Ryan.

  I waited for him to meet me at the high school. It was our special spot, right underneath that maple tree. Jen had found his number for me, and when I had arrived here, I had called him. He knew it was me right away and said he’d be over to meet me in less than ten minutes.

  He wasn’t kidding. Ryan walked up to me within five minutes of us hanging up, and immediately, I had snaked my arms around his neck.

  “You flew back to me, butterfly, just like I knew you would.”

  I stared deep into his gorgeous green irises, seeing a world full of possibilities waiting for me.

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I couldn’t get you off of my mind. I couldn’t stay and marry Logan. My heart wasn’t in it. It was with you. It has always been right here in Maple Grove with you. It’s always been you,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

  “Don’t cry, butterfly.” He held me close, and our lips finally met after years and years that had kept them apart.

  “I love you, Ryan. It’s always been you. I’m sorry for storming off that day at the dance and never speaking to you afterward. I should’ve
given you a chance to speak. I should’ve let you say what you had to say.”

  He pressed a finger to my lips and shushed me. I longed to feel his touch on me. I wanted to kiss his finger and wrap my tongue around it.

  “Shh, butterfly. It’s okay, and it doesn’t matter now. I want you to know that Sarah never meant a thing to me. After she and I broke up, and you came into my life, it was always about you. You have always been the one my heart has wanted. That day at the dance when she kissed me, she just took advantage when she saw Charlene and Jen walking back in. She knew you would be with them. I was facing the other way joking around with Bobby when she suddenly called my name, I turned around, and she threw herself on me, just in time for you to see it. But I pushed her off immediately and went chasing after you. And that’s the truth, butterfly. I never wanted her. I have always loved you.”

  It was nice to finally know the truth, and I wished I had listened to him back then. It would have saved me a ton of rainy days and tears. Instead, I had been stubborn and imagined my own stupid version of what had taken place.

  “Oh, Ryan!” I exclaimed. He kissed me again then.

  Suddenly, he pulled away, and bringing his mouth up to my ear, he said, “You’re mine. You’re mine, butterfly. You flew away, and now you have come back to me where you shall forever stay. I love you. You have always been my butterfly in Maple Grove.”

  I nodded. “I am yours, now until forever more.”

  The End

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for taking the time to read

  A Butterfly in Maple Grove.

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  ~Bella ❤

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