The Deep Spark by KttySaysRawr (recommended ebook reader .txt) 📕

eyebrows. "Who? Sydney?"
"Nah, he'd tell me first. Sister privileges."
"Then who?"
"Just someone who goes by the initials J.A," came the lofty reply.
Mel's foot smashed into the brakes. Quickly, she parked the car on the side of the road. "James Anderson?" she yelled.
"J-james came back?" Althea's voice had been reduced to a squeak and her color had gone pale.
Janise nodded. "Justin heard from one of their friends. He will be back for a while; long enough to attend the wedding even." Janise ran a hand through her hair while Althea let the news process.
"Why is he even coming back?" she asked. James hit the road the minute Stanford sent their acceptance letter and he never looked back. She didn't even know what he was doing for a living now.
Janise shrugged. "Vacation I guess, and to visit his dad."
Mel blinked. "I forgot the old man still lived around here. He lives such a quiet life. How boring." Mel said and leaned back in her seat, looking at Althea. "So, what are you going to do?"
Althea scowled. "Why should I do anything?" she countered.
Mel and Janise sighed and rolled their eyes. "Althea, this is your chance to make everything right again. Who knows, maybe he's coming back to see you." Janise smiled and took Althea's hands in her own.
"I doubt it," Althea muttered, looking out the window.
Mel revved the engine and pulled onto the street. Janise continued. "Athena," she lifted her chin in response to Althea's surprised and irritated look, "you have to let go of this silly high school grudge. You two were the best of friends and were almost more. Can't you give him a chance?"
Althea clenched her jaw and looked away again. "I'm getting married. There is no second chance to give."
Janise patted her hands. "But you still love him."
Althea bit her lip. No matter how hard she tried, she could hide nothing from Janise and Mel. Even after seven years of separation, heartache, and getting together with Kurt, nothing eased the loss of James, and her friends were fully aware.

CHAPTER 8

"I am so tired," Janise drawled as she threw herself on the couch. She kicked off her small heels and slipped of her bracelets and earrings. Sighing, she leaned her head back and laid down on the couch, lengthwise.
Mel dropped several shopping bags on the dining table and chuckled at the sight of the poised Englander looking disheveled. "I think that's your cue." She laughed further at Justin's dramatic sigh.
"Ready with the Tylenol," he mumbled as he made his way to his wife. He sat down next to her, placing her legs on top of her thighs. "Gluais faicilleach le cupan làn,

" he said as he handed her a cup and pain-reliever.
Janise smiled as she swallowed. "Have I ever told you how much I love it when you talk Gaelic?"
He grinned and bent to give her a sweet kiss. "Once or twice." Sitting up again, he began to massage her feet, chuckling when Mel made a horrified face.
Making her way back to the kitchen, Mel sighed dramatically as she leaned on the counter. "I love it when you talk Gaelic," she swooned, trying to imitate Janise.
Althea rolled her eyes and peeked at Mel from inside the refrigerator. "What's your problem? They're so cute together."
She scoffed. "It sickens me sometimes." Scowling, she clenched her hands around the air in front of her. "They're just too cute!"
She laughed and leaned her hand against the refrigerator door. "Just pass me the vegetables." Smirking, she added, "You wench," in a heavy Scottish accent.
The burst out laughing and while they put groceries away, they imitated their friends. They came out of the kitchen clutching their stomachs, still laughing at Mel's impression of Justin's "bedroom voice".
Their giggles stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted them. Justin was leaning over Janise, his arms securely around her body. Her hands were clutching his head and they were kissing. Passionately.
"Well." The couple jumped apart at Mel's voice, a heavy blush coating Janise's face. Justin just wore a satisfied smirk and returned to massaging her feet. "I don't know about you Greekie, but I know when I'm not wanted."
"Oh, do shut up!" Janise rubbed her eyes and pulled her hair out of it's orderly ponytail. "I - he - we haven't -" She groaned.
The younger friends stared at each other and then back at the married couple. "Seriously?" came Mel's incredulous voice.
"My boss has been making me stay late for the past month," was Justin's sheepish response.
"Wretched harpie wants to get her claws on you." Janise scowled and glared at her husband, sexual tension turning into anger. "Can't you get switched to another department?"
"I'm a physical therapist. Not a worker at JCPenny."
She huffed. "Don't gotta make fun of my job."
Althea smiled as she sat down on the rocking chair the couple had gotten in honor of expected nights with a crying baby. "Please don't use slang Janise. It doesn't sound right coming out of you."
"What? You think I'm trippin' dawg?"
The four friends burst out laughing. Janise covered her face and gasped, "I sound dreadful!"
"We wouldn't lie to you, okay?" Mel giggled and slid onto the loveseat. "You guys need to get it on though so we don't walk into any more cozy moments."
"Just - " She wiped a hand through the air. "Leave it."
Justin chuckled at her humiliated tone. Quickly, he gave her a peck and a sly smile. "I would love to kick them out but we all have to talk about something."
"Alright, I am NOT discussing your bedroom life. I love you two, but I draw the line there."
"Mel, let him talk," Althea scolded.
Justin cleared his throat and looked directly at Althea. "Janise probably already told you, but James is back. I know you'll probably want to avoid him but -"
"Where'd you get that idea?" Sarcasm dripped off her words as she indolently raised a golden eyebrow.
"But," he continued, "you can't. Look lass, you guys are going to have to settle this high school issue soon."
"We tried back in high school. I tried," she stressed. "My life's perfect right now okay? I have a fiancé that loves me, friends that I trust, a good job." She laughed, hating how harsh it sounded. "I don't need him anymore."
"Perfect doesn't mean happy." Althea glared at Mel. She glared back. "I'm right so don't get Medusa on me."
"And you don't love Kurt." Janise stood up and knelt next to Althea. She grabbed her hands and squeezed them in a motherly gesture. "Darling, he knows you don't. He knows, we all know that you still love James."
"But he doesn't love me back," she whispered. She gave their clasped hands another squeeze and looked up at her. "He didn't then. What could have possibly have happened to make him miraculously change his mind?"
"Maybe he's had time to look over things and -"
"In California? I doubt that he wasted hours, let alone minutes thinking about us."
Justin sighed and raked his hand through his medium length hair. "I just think you should talk." He stopped her rebuttal with a glare. "Again."
"I agree with Scottie Boy." Mel shrugged. "Just 'cuz their love makes me gag doesn't mean that your will. You might look a damn sight better if you at least marry someone you love."
Althea sighed. "And what happens when I confront him and I get rejected again? I would have broken not just Kurt's heart, but my own again. That's not something I'm willing to handle."
Janise gave a soft smile. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, sweet heart. It's part of life, and sometimes you have to take a little risk."
Mel laughed slightly. "Leave it to Janise to give us the life lesson speech," Mel said as she leaned back against the love seat.
Janise shot her a look but quickly focused on Althea again. "You understand what we're saying, don't you dear?" Janise squeezed her hands and Althea nodded.
"I understand. I'm just scared." She laughed a bit.
"Well, can we discuss it more while we eat?" Justin intervened.
Janise rolled her eyes and stood, pulling Althea with her. "Always eating, this one. Come on girls." Althea and Mel giggled while following Janise to the kitchen with Justin close behind to watch.
"Is that bad?" he asked.
Janise shook her head. "Besides, I've been meaning to teach Althea to cook better. Kurt, the poor dear, probably hasn't had a decent meal in years."
Althea swatted at Janise with a towel and laughed. "He's been eating just fine, thank you," Althea said.
Mel laughed and patted the Greek's head. "The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach is what my mom always said. Maybe that's why Kurt popped the question so early." Mel winked and Althea sighed.
Janise was already cutting vegetables. "Anyways, Althea," Janise said, "I think we should inform you that James will be staying here in the guest room."
Althea stiffened. "Why? He can afford a hotel room can't he?"
"Not for $18,000 a night, he can't. James has gotten quite expensive in the past few years, staying in the best hotels, but he's not stupid enough to do that over consecutive months, but he's also not willing to stay in a modest hotel. I invited him to stay here and he jumped at the chance," Justin said, sitting by the counter.
Althea glared at him. "I'm sure he could have stayed with his father." Mel chuckled.
"Althea, you know James doesn't want to worry his father like that. His old man would fuss over James so much he would give himself a heart attack." Mel dumped all of the cut vegetables into a pot and grabbed a package of meat from the fridge.
"I guess," Althea mumbled. She took the meat from Mel, opened it, and began pounding it fiercely with her fist.
"Hey, what did it do to you?" Mel grabbed her wrist and sighed. "We need the meat tender, not pulverized. This is good enough." She shook her head and put the meat in the same pot as the vegetables
Althea washed her hands and stood by Justin. "Have you ever talked to him about me?" she whispered.
Justin shook his head. "Whenever I bring you up, he always has to go. This will be good for you two, lass." He patted her arm and smiled. Althea gave her best smile back.