Page 20 of Forgiving Fate

The address she puts in is only a five-minute drive and just as we pull into a rundown playground at a lake, ringing sounds in the car and Carter’s name appears on the screen.

Before answering, I turn to Allie, who is about to get out, but hesitates and looks over her shoulder at me. She looks like she wants to say something but stops herself.

“Take as much time as you need.”

Allie nods, “Thanks. Come get me when you get everything sorted and we can get back on the road.”

Shaking my head, and Allie’s brows raise in confusion.

“Take as much time as you need. I’m not in a rush. Do whatever you need to do. And if we need to say goodbye to somewhere else, we can. Just let me know.”

Allie turns to face me, “Why–But what about your brothers?”

“They can survive without me. Plus, I have friends in the state that can lend a hand. Seriously, take as much time as you need.”

Her mouth opens to say something but then closes like she is trying to figure out what to say. I look out the window to give her time and not have some stranger staring at her.

“I–uh…”

Another call comes through, cutting her off mid-sentence, and I sigh in frustration. Allie’s eyes go wide and I quickly shake my head and point at the caller ID shining on the screen.

Her shoulders relax and she nods, but I think it’s more to herself than to me. I wait for her to get out of the car until I answer the call and watch her head straight for a small pathway over the water that leads out to a dock floating in the lake.

Hitting accept on the call, Carter’s voice fills the car and my eyes never leave Allie.

“Sorry man. I know you are preoccupied. This is just a shitshow and I want a second set of ears on the situation,” Carter says and I can hear him typing quickly on his computer.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I push the seat further back and relax into it. I parked under a large tree so the sun wasn’t shining directly on the car. I roll down the window and let the warm lake air fill the car.

“It’s alright. We are parked at a lake to take a break from the highway. What’s going on?” I say while reaching into the glove box to grab a piece of gum and popping it into my mouth. The cool minty flavor almost stings and sends a chill over my body.

Carter explains the issues going on with the mission and I absentmindedly help him while my eyes remain locked on Allie.

A half an hour passes before I can finally hang up and get out of the car to stretch my legs. The second I step out of the car, the warm Alabama air smacks me in the face, and I regret only packing enough clothing for a day trip to New York. This flannel and jeans have seen better days. Luckily, I tossed them in the washer at the hotels we have been staying at.

I refuse to rush her, but I can’t sit in the car any longer either. Being stuck in a small car at six feet tall for days is not good for my legs. Walking back to the trunk, I take off my flannel and pull my black short sleeve down so it isn’t riding up.

Before closing the trunk, I look out at Allie again. She stands at the end of the dock, looking out at the calm lake water. The breeze picks up, blowing her wavy brown hair in the wind. Her hands sweep up and down her arms. Glancing down at the flannel in my hands, I debate grabbing a sweater from the bag Logan packed her, but I don’t want to disrespect her privacy, so I close the trunk, flannel still in hand.

My feet hit the beach and I look out at the water. Houses sit on the edges surrounding the water and off in the distance kids fly around on jet skis. Another beach sits opposite the one I’m standing on and it’s filled with families soaking in the last of the warm days.

This must be a place where Allie and her family came and if it’s always this quiet and abandoned, I can understand why. It’s peaceful. The playground may be run down, and the beach is full of tiny rocks instead of sand, but it’s perfect to me.

Living my entire life in Washington, finding new cliffs to jump off, and new hiking trails are sometimes the only thing I can do to silence the voices. You may run into a few people at the lookout points at The Sound, but people usually respect others and move on quickly if someone is already there. Same with the trails and cliffs.

People don’t move to Cliff Haven to be social. They want peace and sometimes that means being alone with the elements.

A breeze whips through the air and I watch as Allie moves to sit down, tucking her arms between her chest and knees, her chin resting atop her knees.

I debate about going out there. She needs time to say goodbye or work through whatever is going through her mind, but with how small she is right now, the cold will only distract her.

My shoes sink into the beach and I make a more dramatic step onto the pier to avoid startling her.

I’m a few feet behind her when she turns to look over her shoulder and when she sees it’s me, her hand flies to her face, wiping away the tears rapidly cascading down her face.

I stop and feel awful for interrupting her and when she goes to stand, I shake my head. “Sorry. You don’t have to get up. I just—uh.” Unsure of what to say, I hold out the flannel and her eyes dart between, my arms covered in an array of black ink, and the shirt.

Closing the gap between us but still giving her some space, I open the shirt and hold it in both hands. “Can I?”

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