Page 65 of The Road Sometimes Taken

“Sunshine and rain. Beautiful and necessary. Her whole life is full of the things she loves. How do I fit into that?”

“Manny… you have to tell her. She deserves to be loved like that. She deserves someone who knows her to that extreme. Someone who knows her so well. A man that can see all that she is, not only what she shows others.” She looks away to the farthest table from us where Cole and Tasha are sitting next to each other and rolls her eyes.

“That—” she points at them “—was never what she deserved. You, on the other hand, are. I won’t say anything.Manny, but you have to.” Allie stands up and pats me on the arm.

“To be honest, you deserve a love like that too. Love each other, lean on each other, grow together, you both deserve it. Her life may be full of people and things she loves, but she doesn’t have a partner to share it with and that’s what she has wanted since we were kids. Maybe you can give her that.” She kisses my forehead and walks toward the bar where Jake is sitting talking to the groom.

I turn around just in time to see Cara walking my way—with a pretty smile and a sexy walk. Her dress has an open slit up her thigh and with every step her hips are perfectly accentuated. She looks like a goddess. I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her come out of the bathroom earlier—long hair bouncing when she walked, a shimmery black dress fitted perfectly to her body. Even though we went together to buy it, and she let me see when she tried it on, nothing could’ve prepared me for seeing her tonight. Mix that with her perfume and with how carefree she’s been, even knowing that the asshole of her ex is here, it’s a lethal combination.

“You wanna dance, hotshot? You’ve barely gotten up all night and I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with you,” Cara teases, extending her hand, palm up, waiting for me to take her up on her offer.

“I always want to dance with you, Carita,” I reply, guiding her back to the dance floor. Sam Smith plays in the stereo, an acoustic version of Latch, and how fitting is it in this moment, this weekend, this trip. It’s been more than serendipitous. It feels like the universe is trying to say something. Couples are slow dancing around us on the checkered dance floor lit by beautiful chandeliers. I want to be able to talk to her, not just dance, so I tuck us away toward the end of the space.

I walk us around until we make it to the perfect spot andwith one quick swoop of my hand, I pull her into my arms and she immediately relaxes. This is where she belongs, and even if she doesn’t say it, I think her body is showing me that she knows.

I turn her around and her body dramatically shifts from one way to another. I bet she can see them and that’s what has her on edge now.

“Hey,” I whisper as we slowly follow the music, both feeling the words as they float around us and me turning her so she’s facing a different direction than them. Cara loves to sing and dance, and I love to feel the music. Together, right now, we’re doing both.

“Hi,” she replies, peering at me through her lashes and following my steps.

“Are you having fun?”

“I am, thanks for asking. Are you?” she asks, her eyebrows frowned with concern.

“Always having fun with you,” I say, trying to keep my tone light.

“That’s what I’m known for, bringing the fun,” she replies, but her voice is flat, devoid of the spark I crave. It’s like a punch to the gut, leaving a bitter taste that lingers longer than it should.

I reach for her, my fingers brushing her cheek as I tilt her chin up. “You’re fun, bebé, but you’re so much more. Can’t you see that?”

Her eyes flicker, but the warmth usually there is absent now. “You’re a good friend Manny. Of course, you would say that.”

The words hit like a knife, buried deep, twisting painfully as they sink in. “Do not say that.” My voice cracks, a mixture of anger and something deeper, something I can’t quite articulate.Hurt.That feeling is hurt.

“Sorry, you know what I mean. Like you have to like me, it’s like Allie and my friends. There’s no getting rid of me so might as well accept it.”

“Cara, where is this coming from, huh? You know how incredible you are. You’re always telling everyone how much of a gift you are, which is true, so where’s this self-doubt coming from?” I ask and she drops her face immediately, keeping me from seeing her eyes.

“No hiding, remember? Don’t hide, show me. Show me what you’re feeling, let me see all of you.”

She lowers her gaze, looking a little lost and maybe a little sad. I’m worried she won’t tell me what’s going on but suddenly her eyes snap back to mine.

“I got a text from Cole,” she admits.The fucking jerk. I’m going to kill him.

“When?” I bite. I’m ready to stop being civilized when it comes to him. My hands tighten around her body because I feel her tense under my touch and I don’t want her to leave without telling me.

“I don’t know… last week, the week before and at some point tonight,” Cara replies, biting her lip and blinking rapidly. I can bet she’s trying to keep herself from crying and the thought of that motherfucker ruining her night. I fucking knew that something happened on those days she seemed to be harder on herself. I knew that something else was going on. I should’ve pressed more. I should’ve asked more questions.

“What did he say?” I ask, continuing to dance with her. Pretending I don’t wanna kill him, pretending we’re just two friends having a conversation. She tenses and shakes her head instead of telling me. “I know we’re in a death to the patriarchy era or whatever you want to call it, Cara, but I need you to tell me what he said.”

She scans the room and drops her hands from my body. “I’ll show you,” she says, walking toward the table and I follow her. The room is filled with people dancing, kissing, and talking, completely unaware of the hearts that are breaking. We make it to the table and she gets her phone out of her black leather purse.

“Here.”

I grab it and sit down and scroll up looking at the texts he has sent. The first one is dated the first week of June so either she erased all the messages before this month or it’s been months since they messaged, so why message her now?

May 31

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