“Nice night,” I muttered, making her jump, nearly toppling into the water as she tried to get to her feet.
“You scared the shit out of me!”
“I hope not.” I glanced at her feet, admiring her choice of furry slippers. “If I did, you can hop in the water to rinse off.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t sleep,” she explained, standing.
“Stay.”
I don’t know why I was offering her any solace after what she’d done. Maybe I knew deep down she needed the kindness, even if she didn’t deserve it.
In the moonlight, it was as is if all the years hadn’t flown by, and we were still fresh-faced teenagers hellbent on having fun. Everything about her was so familiar yet foreign, as intriguing as it was terrifying. We’d spent so many nights out on the dock, recounting pain through tears and laughs, finding comfort in the sea and one another. It was amazing how little things had changed.
During the day, the years were obvious with her body blossoming into a woman. Subtle lines around her eyes hinted at laughter I’d never hear, mirroring mine, though I had brow lines to keep them company.
She was a stranger really, not at all the girl I loved, and I let hate have control for so long, building barriers faster than anyone could break down. The only way to move on was to put it to rest, the hate only keeping the gaping wound open, not allowing it to heal.
It hurt to do it, to drop the grudge, the pain almost a memento that it had all been real. That I had loved someone at some point.
“I should go.” She took a few steps to flee, arms crossed.
“I told you: there’s nowhere better than sitting on my dock,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“Thanks, but Linc will be up in a few hours, and it’s going to be a long day.”
I ran my hands through my hair, trying to right the locks as another burst of wind whipped them wildly. “You can’t stay for just a little bit?”
She slowed, hesitating, and I took advantage of the moment to sit halfway down the dock, keeping plenty of space between us. I laid back for good measure, looking up at the night sky.
The best thing about living outside town was the view of the stars, thousands of lights dancing above, a clear picture of heaven for miles.
“Couldn’t sleep, either?” I asked.
“No,” she admitted.
“Going to be a busy day tomorrow.” I knew she’d be headed into town with everyone else to watch the parade, the kickoff to summer drawing people for miles. It was a rare moment of community unity before flatlanders flooded the area when school let out.
“Yeah,” she breathed, sounding as flustered as I felt, though likely for different reasons.
I couldn’t imagine raising a kid alone. Especially with her family as a support system. They were as reliable as knockoff single-ply toilet paper.
“I’m taking the boat out in the afternoon if Linc is allowed to go.”
The offer hung there for a solid minute before she answered. “That should be okay. Thank you.”
“You can come too as long as you don’t puke.” I didn’t want to mean it, but I did. I meant every word. She could come even if she was puking.
“I think I’ll stick to shore, but thanks,” she chuckled, a smile clear as day in her voice.
“They make pills for that, you know?”
“Yeah, I took them too late last time. Still recovering from the embarrassment. Linc isn’t making it easy.”
I chuckled, remembering his impression of his mother earlier in the day. Something he reenacted at least a dozen times on the boat. “I can tell.”
“He loved it out there. He talked about it nonstop when he got home and went out like a light. Thank you.”
I smiled, glad that I’d done something worthy of a genuine thanks out of her. “Able to get your dirty porn pics done?”
“Yup, I finished every last one.” There was a smile in her voice.
A silence fell between us, nothing but the water lapping against the dock keeping us company.
“He’s a good kid. He likes Tally.”
For what it was worth, she’d done a damn good job raising him. It wasn’t every day that a little kid had manners. Kids around his age seemed like raging tyrants, yet he was as chill as could be.
She giggled, a sound that warmed my heart. “And Elena.”
I smiled. “Oh yeah, definitely Elena.”
The little Casanova had eyes for Jason’s girl, flirting up a storm all afternoon, listing his favorite toys one by one.
We sat in silence for a moment before she cleared her throat. “Did my parents really give you my phone number?”
I grinned, sliding my hands behind my head in a makeshift pillow. “Your mom did. Ed was pissed.”
“He would be. You two are like oil and water.”
And we always would be. Ed Roberts was a rotten son of a bitch, but I’d learned to ignore him over the years. He’d ignored me too until Josie came back into town.
“Don’t know why. Never did a goddamn thing to the man other than love his daughter.”
She stayed silent, the truth dangling untouched.
That I had loved her.
That I did love her.
I always would in some form.
“He was trying to tell me you and Dan are an item,” I explained with a laugh. “But hopefully, I squashed that for you.”
Anyone with a brain could tell she was freaked out by Dan when they were together. It also didn’t take a genius to see he was a douche.
“By telling them that I was with you Friday night?”
Busted. But she didn’t sound as pissed as I thought she’d be. “Maybe. But I got your phone number out of it, so it was a win.”
“And pissed my dad off to high hell.”
I shrugged against the wood.
