The Comeback (book 1 of the Miller Family)

5. Hallmark town

Jenna’s P.O.V.

“Hey, Jenna! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call so early in the morning? Did you discover a secret treasure map or find a talking parrot down by that cute little harbor in that even cuter Hallmark town of yours?” I chuckled at Jules’ words, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease.

“If only my life was that exciting! I’ve just had a mind-boggling conversation with the lawyer handling my Uncle Ben’s will. You won’t believe what he just told me.” I sighed, stepping inside the hotel and walking straight towards the elevators that would take me to the right floor.

“Do tell, my friend! I’m all ears and ready for the grand reveal.” Jules answered me, and by the way her voice was sounding, I could have sworn she was eating something at the other end of the phone.

“Well. He basically left me everything he owned. His house, but also his construction business. And it even turns out that my dear uncle wanted to play a final prank on me from beyond the grave since he left me with the daunting task of working with ‘he who shall not be named’. Yes, you heard that right.” I groaned, waiting for the elevator doors to finally open up.

Jules burst into laughter on the other end of the phone. I just gave her some time to stop laughing as finally the doors of the elevator opened and I stepped inside, pushing the button and hoping the doors would close before anyone else would be able to step inside with me.

“Are you serious right now, Jenna? Did your uncle suddenly decide to infuse some Harry Potter drama into your life? Who on earth is ‘he who shall not be named’? Is he a secret wizard or a mythical creature?” Jules asked me, clearly crunching on something now.

“What the hell are you eating?” I asked her out loud, sighing in relief as the doors closed and nobody else had stepped into the elevator with me.

“Froot loops.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“What are we? Five?” I asked her, hearing her giggle.

“It does tend to keep me young, so whatever works, I guess. Now, do tell me, who are we really talking about here?” Jules asked me, to which I groaned and leaned my back against the wall.

“Adam freaking Miller.” I sighed.

“Oh, s**t. Wasn’t he the guy who…”

“YES!” I groaned, lying my hand over my face to hide my own embarrassment.

“Oh, s**t… that’s messed up, Jenna. I mean, how could he even be alive? Didn’t we set his voodoo doll on fire in college at some point in time?” Jules asked me, to which I couldn’t help but giggle because it was actually true. I guess I found out the hard way that that crap doesn’t work for me either.

Well…

at least I tried…

“Well… didn’t your new year start off with a bang then.” Jules sighed as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Yeah, happy new year to you too, Jules.” I smiled, even though the happiness didn’t quite reach my heart because I missed my dear friend and I would have wanted nothing more but for her to be here with me.

“Happy New Year Jenna. I do have to say, I miss my partner in crime.” Jules answered me, followed by more crunching sounds.

“I miss you too. How did you spend New Year’s Eve?” I asked Jules, who hummed at the other end of the phone.

“We went to Club Twilight and I ended up spending January first in a handsome officer’s bed instead of his jail cell.” Jules giggled, to which I rolled my eyes because even though Jules had a heart of gold, this was her way of life basically. I guess where I ran away from things, Jules ran straight toward them, especially if it meant into the arms of a handsome man.

“Please tell me you were safe, at least?” I groaned, hearing her giggle again.

“Always. I might be adventurous, but I’m not stupid. And I definitely don’t want to end up pregnant.” She told me, to which I nodded, grateful that at least she was being safe.

“So, how did you spend New Year’s Eve?” Jules asked me, to which I sighed deeply, thinking back at the event of that night.

“I met up with my High School friend, Renee. She still lives down here.” I stated, and I could basically feel Jules nod her head at me without saying a word because I knew her that well.

“She asked me to come to celebrate with her at some local bar, it was fun, I guess. Apart from one thing.” I shrugged, as suddenly the crunching sounds on the other end of the phone stopped.

“OK, who was the guy, what did he look like, and what did you do to him?” Jules asked me, clearly already reading me like a book.

“You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you.” I swallowed, finally making it back to my hotel room and opening the door as soon as I had placed my keycard on the door and the light flickered green.

“Oh, tell me. Now I’m really curious.” Jules stated, to which I rolled my eyes.

“None other than Adam Miller himself,” I stated, hearing Jules gasp.

“No freaking way!” Jules gasped while I nodded.

“Yes freaking way.” I sighed deeply.

“What did you do? Spill the beans girl! Now I need to change my Froot Loops for some popcorn, hang on girl!” She begged me, to which I giggled now, feeling content with myself and the way I had handled that situation.

“I threw my wine in his face when he wanted to kiss me.” I laughed, which was quickly followed by Jules’ own hysterical laughter as well.

“OK, now you have to tell me everything. Every little dirty detail, PLEASE!” And I sighed, thinking back at two nights ago.

***

New Year’s Eve;

I stared at myself in the hotel room mirror, my fingers fumbling nervously with my top. I had planned on spending New Year’s Eve in the comfort of my hotel room, far away from the memories and faces of Fairview. But when I had gone grocery shopping, or do I need to say wine shopping because I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve in a hot bath with a wine in hand? Instead, I had run into Renee, my old high school friend, who seemed to have other ideas for both of us. Forcing me to follow her along just like in High school all those years ago.

“Come on, Jenna!” Renee’s voice echoed from the other side of the door.

“We’ve got to ring in the new year in style! Fairview has changed, I promise.” Her voice tried to shush me, but I rolled my eyes, hardly believing that to be true. But after giving myself one last critical look, I opened the door and was met with Renee’s infectious smile and sparkling eyes. She was dressed in a red dress, exuding confidence and excitement. Both things she already had in college as the captain for the girls’ soccer team, things I had always lacked back then.

“I still can’t believe you talked me into going out,” I grumbled, stepping out into my room and following her into the hallway as I tucked away my hotel room key in my small purse.

Renee looped her arm through mine and leaned in conspiratorially.

“Trust me, you won’t regret it. Fairview is not the same place it used to be when we were teenagers. Things have really changed, for the better, I swear.” And even though Renee’s words sounded sweet and honest, I also understood that in contrast to myself, Renee had never left Fairview once, so really… how could she even compare a small town to a big city? But also, just like in old times, Renee just had her ways of persuading me into making me do whatever she wanted.

As we made our way toward the bar that Renee had told me we would head over to, my apprehension grew. Fairview had been the site of my darkest memories, where the torment of my high school years had left scars I thought would never fade away. The thought of facing the people who had made my life miserable sent shivers down my spine.

Entering the bar about half an hour later, I noticed a different atmosphere than the one I remembered. The dimly lit room was adorned with cheerful New Year’s decorations, and the air buzzed with anticipation. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the space, drowning out my memories, if only temporarily.

Renee guided me to a high table near the window, strategically positioned to offer a view of the lively crowd. We settled into our seats as a waiter approached, ready to take our orders.

“So, how did this place change, Renee?” I asked her after we ordered our drinks, my voice laced with skepticism. Renee’s gaze softened as she studied me.

“OK. You remember Todd, right?” Renee said, her eyes dancing with mischief. And I burst out into laughter, almost spilling my wine in the process since that was the time when the waiter came back with our drinks.

“Oh, how could I forget? The self-proclaimed king of Fairview High!” We exchanged knowing glances, recalling Todd’s arrogance and his constant need to assert his dominance over others. But time had a funny way of leveling the playing field.

“He tried to start his own business after graduation,” Renee said, barely able to contain her own amusement. And I raised an eyebrow, my interest piqued.

“Do tell.” I smiled as Renee leaned in, her voice dripping with dramatic flair.

“Well, turns out his brilliant idea was to open an antique store.”

I couldn’t help but burst into another fit of laughter. Trying to get a mental picture of Todd selling antiques. Nope… not possible.

“An antique store? The guy was as high-tech as could be. And he didn’t have one friendly bone in his body. How on earth would he ever communicate with customers?” I laughed, shaking my head in awe, to which Renee nodded, agreeing with me.

“Oh, but it gets better! Apparently, his grand opening was a complete flop. Nobody showed up, since he never really made any friends around here by always acting like a d**k to everyone in high school. The next thing I heard, the shop was closed up and Todd was off, by the sounds of it, he now lives in Alaska, working for a fishing company. Too ashamed to show his face here again.”

I doubled over in laughter, clutching my stomach. Somehow the image of awful Todd’s failed business and him now fishing was too hilarious to resist. By the sounds of it, Karma had done a job well done right there.

“Also remember Rachel?” Renee asked me, to which I rolled my eyes. Rachel, Miss Perfect, head cheerleader, and bully number one to me.

“Of course,” I mumbled. Rachel had been the epitome of popularity, and her disdain for anyone who didn’t fit into her definition of ‘cool’, was unmatched.

“Well, get this,” Renee began, her voice filled with glee.

“After you left town, Rachel’s life took an unexpected turn. Karma had something special in store for her.” I leaned in, my excitement growing.

“What happened?” I asked as Renee leaned back, savoring the moment before continuing.

“So, you know how Rachel always dreamed of becoming a famous actress?” My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Rachel’s aspirations had been the talk of the school, as she often boasted about her so-called acting talent.

“Well,” Renee continued

“She did manage to land a role in a production. But here’s the catch, she ended up playing the role of a talking tree!” I couldn’t help but snort, my mind conjuring up images of perfect Rachel, dressed in a leafy costume. It was a far cry from the glamorous acting career she probably had envisioned for herself getting leading role after leading role.

“But wait, it gets even better. During one of the shows, a gust of wind blew through the theater, knocking Rachel off balance and causing her to stumble right off the stage!” And now, I had to clutch my sides, tears streaming down my face from the sheer hilarity of the whole situation I wished I could have seen with my own eyes.

“After that, she decided to pursue other career options, but luck wasn’t on her side. She tried her hand at starting a fashion blog, but her fashion choices were, well… let’s just say ‘questionable’ and way overpriced.” I sighed deeply, still chuckling as I shook my head.

“I can only imagine.”

“So now, Rachel’s life mission is to tend to her sugar daddy.” Renee shrugged, to which I gasped.

“Seriously?” I asked her, to which Renee nodded.

“Seriously. But you know what?” Renee said,

“As much as we can laugh at their misfortunes, I think Rachel and Todd’s journey serves as a reminder that we all have our struggles and that life has a way of humbling even the most arrogant ones among us.” And I nodded, my laughter subsiding as I reflected on Renee’s words.

“I guess we all have our struggles at some point in time.” I sighed deeply, seeing how Renee leaned over to grab my hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

“We might have struggled in High school, but look at us now. I mean… look at you, you’re a bombshell!” She winked at me.

“You grew into a gorgeous, independent woman, my friend. And I am proud of you for doing so.”

“Independent, yes. Gorgeous, not so much.” I laughed at Renee even though her words warmed my heart, seeing her eyebrows rise all the way up her head as if somehow, she didn’t believe what she was hearing right now.

“Well, if I have to ask any single man around here, I think they would all agree with me, especially that one standing right there as if he got just struck by lightning,” Renee spoke, her eyes looking over somewhere behind my right shoulder, and so, I turned to look at what she was seeing. And my breath got caught in my throat, as I made eye contact with none other than Adam freaking Miller.

Shit…