Page 83 of The Wrong Fiancée

"Hey," she said quietly, her voice carrying over the sound of the breeze.

"Hey." I sat on a rattan chair close to her. The ocean breeze rustled through the nearby palms, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

Finally, Noe spoke, her hands wringing in her lap. "I've...been a shitty sister." She let out a sigh, her eyes downcast. "I've beenholding on to so much anger, and I know I've taken it out on you. That's not fair. It never was."

She apologized sometimes and went right back to being a bitch, so I smiled but didn't say anything.

"I don't expect you to forgive me right away or trust that Iwillnot revert back to…well…being a total bitch," she continued, her voice filled with regret. "But I wanted you to know that I'm sorry. For all of it. For not seeing how much you've done for me. For blaming you for my problems." Her voice cracked slightly. "I don't know why I did it, and I am so sorry."

I felt my throat tighten, and for a moment, I didn't trust myself to speak. Years of hurt and frustration welled up inside me, but alongside it, there was a flicker of hope that I wouldn't lose the only remaining member of my family.

"Noe...," I began, unsure of how to untangle all the emotions I was feeling, "I just wanted you to be okay. That's all I ever wanted."

She nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "I know. I want to do better, to be better—not just for you, Eli, but for myself, too."

The sincerity in her voice, combined with my love for her, melted away the anger I’d been holding onto. Even if this apology was short-lived, I’d give her all the chances she asked for—and even some she didn’t.

I reached across the table and took her hand. She squeezed tight, her eyes locking with mine.

We sat quietly for a while with the ocean in the background, the breeze carrying away some of the tension that had hung between us.

"You've never come here before." I wondered how she got here, though I suspected I knew.

She smiled. "Your man was very persuasive."

A small smile crept onto my face. "Yeah, I know. He's persuaded me to give him a chance…giveusa chance."

Noe chuckled, wiping at her eyes. "He knows how to get through to people, doesn't he?"

I laughed, feeling warm and loved. He'd done this for me.Dean knew how much my family meant to me, and he'd given me this. "Yeah, he does."

"He told me how I was hurting you. I didn't want to listen to him, but…Eli, Iamreally sorry. I've been talking to the doctors and therapists, and I may never leave the wheelchair."

I knew this was a possibility, and my heart broke for her.

"But," she continued, "I want to start living again and not hide away at Ka Pono."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Will you help me?"

"Always," I promised.

We talked for a while longer about everything and nothing. We were never close, but I felt that maybe now we could have a better relationship.

"How are you getting back?" I asked.

"Dean arranged for transportation."

"I'm sure he did."

"They're waiting in the front for me."

I wheeled her out of the pavilion. "You know they have a really nice spa here," I told her. "Maybe you could check it out?"

"Have you?" she asked.

I snorted. "I've been in to clean, but I can't afford those services."

---