Page 94 of Bring me Back

“We would like a different waitress,” Sharon requested.

“It’s only me available,” I told her quickly.

I wasn’t there to pick a fight, no. But they came to my place of work, so they needed to deal with me. Look at my face. Right now, none of them did. Sharon talked to me while looking everywhere else. The dad had his eyes down to his phone, not paying attention to anyone. Katie watched her mother, a little smirk of satisfaction tugging to the sides. Delilah had her head down. Looking at the table, like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

I tried again. “Do you know what you want?”

“You heard me,” Sharon said again. “We’d like a different waitress.”

I opened my mouth to say they could only have me, but the dad interrupted. His eyes snapping away from the phone, he pinned Sharon with a look. “What’s wrong with this one?”

Sharon licked her lips, challenging her husband.

“She’s obsessed about me, daddy,” Katie replied. Her voice was high to be sure to be overheard. “Maybe she’s in love or something.”

I snickered the same time Delilah whipped her head from the table to her sister, glaring at her. I watched for a second, but then the dad was talking to me.

“If you have a problem with my daughter, it’s better if we have another waitress.”

“It’s Hallie or you can leave,” Marian called a few feet away.

Of course, she couldn’t help being in the loop.

Mr. Campbell shifted in his seat, his eyes darting around the diner. All the eyes were still on us. “Marian, you know me,” he tried.

“I do. I have a great memory. I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

“Coffee?” I blinked at Mr. Campbell.

But he was barely paying attention. He was back staring at Sharon, shaking his head. “Let’s go.”

Mr. Campbell and Delilah stood up. The other two held their ground.

“Sharon…” He whispered to his wife.

Sharon planted her hand on the table. “She’s telling things about Katie. She’s spreading lies.”

I shook my head and took a breath. “I wouldn’t worry much about that. After all, the school board started an investigation. If I’m telling lies, I’ll be punished.”

“Get over the past!” Katie demanded.

I tipped my chin up. “I did. All these years, all I wanted was to leave it behind. If I never saw your face again, it was too soon. But you, Katie, you lived in fear. You know what you have done, so you lived five years thinking I was what? Plotting revenge?”

“You stole my boyfriend.” She said with a roll of her eyes, more to the watching crowd than to me, like she wanted to remind them of my crimes.

“Not true.” I shook with bravery, measuring my words. “I was a minor, and you were an assistant coach.”

“That’s enough now!” Mr. Campbell said, and this time Sharon agreed, since she stood up ready to leave.

My words got caught in my throat, but something moved behind me. A big, warm, protective body.

“Y’all talk too much. Sit down, it’s Hallie’s turn to speak.”

Torres. I glanced over at him, his expression unforgiven as he watched the Campbells. I nodded in his direction with a thank you.

My eyes pinned on Katie once more. Goosebumps told me I was never going to talk to her again. It was the last time.

“You bullied me my whole life. You kept me off the beach, bullied people not to befriend me. You were the one with a sick fascination.” I sneered, poking my own chest. “You took me as a target and fired and fired our whole lives. But that day you crossed the line, Katie. That day in that locker room with your cronies, you crossed a line that followed you around everywhere you went. And now you are shaking, scared of revenge. But why would you think I’d plan for one? You’re not important. I don’t care about you and your nastiness. I never planned to expose you for what you have done. I never wanted the town to know or the school board. But look around us.” I raised my arms, gesticulating to the people watching us. “You did it. You exposed yourself and now they all know who you really are. So, tell me, Katie. Was it worth it?”

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