The Wrong Way Back To You

Ch. 19

Jake's tires on the gravel snapped the peace and quiet that Allie was enjoying on the front porch. It was one of the things she loved about this place. Some nights she would just sit on the porch after everyone was in bed, decompressing and enjoying alone time.

She grabbed her purse and sunglasses and walked over to his truck. "Are we taking yours or mine?"

Tyler thought for a minute. "We can take mine." He was going to suggest Allie's but figured that since her truck was nicer than his, he did not want to take the chance of messing it up with any unexpected terrain they may encounter for the day. He knew where Maddie had a tendency to shop and just decided to avoid that area completely.

Allie climbed into the truck like she had so many times before. She could not believe that he still had it. "I figured this thing would have been in the junkyard a long time ago."

"Never! I will drive this until the wheels fall off. She has been loyal and reliable. Yeah, the interior is not the cleanest, but what do you expect from a guy who works in construction? It is going to be dirty. There are going to be little dents and dings on the body, but she is still holding up great, and she doesn't look that horrible."

"No, considering how old it is, she does look pretty good. I was not knocking it by any means. I just figured that you would have gotten something newer."

"I like tried and true. I can count on this to start every morning. And I do not like the way the newer trucks look. They just look weird and have all the fancy upgrades that I do not need."

"So, where are we going? Are you going to take me into the woods, kill me and leave me for dead?" Allie laughed, remembering she said that to Jake the first time they journeyed out without their family in tow.

"Still the comedian. I just figured that we could drive for a little bit. Talk some more. Since I have you in the truck, it is not like you can get mad and run away from me."

"Planning on me getting mad at you already?"

"Just in case." Jake turned out of the drive and began driving further into the mountains.

"So, what did you want to talk about that you had to get me where I could not escape?"

"I want to know what happened after, well, after everything happened?"

"Had a baby, got married, buried my husband. That about sums it up."

"Come on, Allie. You know what I mean."

"I don't know if you can handle all the details."

"I'm sure I can. Tell me. I want us to talk. I want to get everything out in the open and resolved. We are going to be co-parenting and I don't want any tension or anything between us."

Allie sat looking at him for a moment. She was honest in her feeling that she was not sure if Jake could handle all the details of her life. "So what do you want to know? Where do you want to start?"

"I guess where it all started. What happened after the phone call? Was that the plan the whole time?"

"No. I did not call you planning on saying that. When you reacted the way you did, I panicked. I said the first thing that came to mind. The only reason Steve was mentioned is because he was with me when I called you. He was just as shocked when I said it. When I hung up he pleaded with me to call you back and set the record straight, but I could not do it. I did not want you to feel like I ruined your life. I didn't want you to resent me or Dominic because he was unexpected. I know what I did wasn't right, but once the words came out of my mouth I felt I couldn't take them back. And then if I would have called back and told you, would you have believed me? Would you have thought I was telling the truth it was Steve's and lying that he was yours. I was young and panicked."

"I get it. I know I did not act the way that you expected. I think that I was just shocked and thrown off by it all. I know it doesn't mean much now and I can't change the past but I am sorry for the way I reacted. You did not deserve that."

"No, I really didn't. Now I have a question for you."

"Go for it."

Allie shifted in the seat to where she was partially facing Jake. "Did you ever think about calling me after that phone call or did you decide right then and there that you were done with me and the entire situation?" After she asked, Allie felt a slight bit of regret. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to know the answer. She had always wondered if he thought about her and the baby after.

Jakes grip on the steering wheel tightened a bit. He wasn't prepared for that question. He knew that he would have to answer it sometime. It was bound to be asked. He just didn't know it would be asked so soon. He knew the answer but did not know how to answer. He thought about just vaguely answering her question but knew if he did that, Allie would dig deeper and ask more questions. That was just the type of person she was. If he answered truthfully, she may not be able to handle the truth, He wasn't sure if he could handle telling her the truth. There was a happy medium between the two. He figured he could give her just enough information to keep her satisfied.

"Honestly, calling you was the last thing on my mind at that moment and for the days that followed."