Page 59 of Faking it with my Off Limits Neighbor

We eat dinner out on the deck again. Sometimes, the conversation flows; sometimes, we sit quietly in the dark, just listening to the ocean. When it’s time for bed, Milly gives me a great big hug.

“I love you, you know.”

“I love you too, Titch.”

When I settle into my own bed and close my eyes, I know I’m going to remember this weekend for years to come. Milly was right. We had lost so much time. But whatever happens going forward, I’m determined to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

We pack up the next morning, clean the house, and leave the key under the plant pot where we found it. We’ve got a long drive back, but Milly’s already organizing the playlist.

As broken as I feel inside, I make the effort to be present with her, and we sing along to songs we grew up with. The oldies are far better than the new music, in my opinion.

The hours fly by, and pretty soon, we’re approaching home. Cherryville, the town I grew up in and loved. The town I returned to in the hope that I could make a better life for myself. And the town I’m going to have to leave again to maintain my sanity.

As we’re turning onto my street, Milly’s phone rings.

“Hello?”

She listens as whoever’s on the other end of the phone speaks.

“What? Are you sure?” she blurts.

I’m frowning and wondering what has her so flustered, but she’s listening again, her face working in all sorts of ways.

“All right. We’re coming now,” she says hurriedly.

Hanging up the phone, she stares at me, wide-eyed. “Turn the truck around,” she commands. “Someone saw smoke coming from the restaurant. We need to go. Now.”

25

Charlie

I don’t know if it’s going to work, but I have to try. I owe Troy that much. Like a fool, I believed my father’s words, and not once did I think to check if they might actually be true. I don’t know why. Maybe because he just sounded so confident when he said them. Or maybe it was because I was so completely gobsmacked by his revelation that my brain did not think to question it.

At any rate, when Milly came over and told me the truth, it made perfect sense. It also made me feel pretty guilty. When Troy had come to see me that dreadful night, I barely allowed him a few words. If I had not been so mad, sad, and completely heartbroken, perhaps things would not have gone so far.

But they had. It is now up to me to fix it.

I don’t know how Milly managed to drag Troy away, but after they left, she texted me to tell me where they were going. Knowing they were now on their way out of town, I retrieved the restaurant key Milly hid under Troy’s doormat and called everyone whose help I was going to need, and there were a few. There is no way I can do this on my own.

I arranged to meet them all at the restaurant, which is where I am right now, waiting for them to arrive. When the door opens, the first people to walk in are Mr. and Mrs. Heaton. I felt a little ashamed ringing Troy’s mother, but she put me at ease the second I heard her voice.

She walks up to me now with her arms open wide. “Charlie,” she gushes, wrapping her arms around me in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

I hug her back and thank her for coming.

Mr. Heaton does the same. “Wild horses wouldn’t keep us away,” he says.

I’m about to reply when the door opens, and more people pile in. Among them are Chris Phillips, Mike Walden, and Dave Kilburn. Troy’s closest buddies from school. All in all, there are about eleven of us.

After welcoming them all, I address the group.

“Thank you all for coming. I know no one has a minute to spare these days, so the fact that you’re here shows how much Troy’s new venture and Troy himself mean to you.”

I tell them what needs to be done over the next three days, and one by one, we figure out who will be the best person for each job. There’s a good feeling in the group, and everyone is pleased and eager to help.

None of them know the real reason they’re here, of course. Mine and Troy’s private life is our own business. When I phoned, I gave them some spiel about an old friend needing some help, which is not altogether a lie, either. The Heatons are the only ones who know the truth.

With everyone assigned a job, the group breaks up, and we get started.

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