Page 14 of Still the One

“One does not exclude the other.” The effects of the weed are starting to fade, but I can still say this to Mac. “It’s never been the same with anyone else.”

“Except with Cherry.” Mac’s voice is surprisingly demure—accepting even.

“No, definitely not with Cherry. In the beginning, sure.” Although I was going through my own heartbreak as well, while falling deeper in love with Cherry. “But what you and I had was special.”

“Maybe you’re seeing our relationship through rose-tinted glasses. It was a long time ago.” Mac drops her shoes into the sand. “Maybe it wasn’t as good as we remember.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and I surely don’t have all the answers, but there’s one thing I know for absolute certain. You and I were exceptionally good together.”

“We had our moments.” Mac stares at her shoes in the sand. She hikes up her dress a fraction, then sinks down.

I drop down next to her, leaving a little distance between our legs, but not too much. “More than a few moments,” I say. “We had ten beautiful years.”

Chapter 9

Mac

“I liked Cherry too,” I say. “I think you know that.” It helps that I don’t have to say this to Jamie’s face. That I can stare into the blackness of the waves in front of me. “But I didn’t sleep with her, let alone run off with her.” Cherry Valenti was this whirlwind that raged through our lives. One moment, we had no idea who she was, the next, she was there all the time. She was the hurricane that destroyed everything and left our lives in ruins. It takes years to rebuild something from that kind of rubble.

“I did know you liked her,” Jamie says.

We never said it out loud, but it was there in the undertones of our conversations. Meeting Cherry electrified our lives. Maybe our mistake was that we didn’t talk about it, but we were planning a wedding, and I was preparing for my—hopefully—first pregnancy. That was not a conversation I wanted to have.

“You know what the very worst part of it all was?” My voice is so low, it’s barely audible above the crash of the waves. “I was so angry with you, but… I also kind of understood. Not that you wanted to leave me and our life for her, but that you slept with her. If it had just been that, maybe we could have gotten past that. Together. These things happen. I never thought it would happen to us because… we were always good. We always had so much fun. Remember when we got our first sex toy?” An inadvertent smile breaks on my face. “We laughed so hard, it went unused for way too long.”

“It’s hard to forget, babe.” Jamie clears her throat. “Sorry. I mean Mac.”

“Since seeing you again, I’ve been bombarded with bad memories, but maybe I should try to remember the good times more. We had plenty of those and what’s the point in raking up all this heartache, anyway?”

“Hm,” is all Jamie replies. She clears her throat again.

“Are you okay?” I turn to look at her.

“Dry throat.” She holds her hand in front of her mouth and coughs. “I might have had a drag from some kid’s joint earlier.”

“Are you kidding me?” This couldn’t be more of a Jamie move if she tried. I shake my head, like we’ve gone back in time and I’m her spouse berating her for acting irresponsibly. God knows what she smoked. But I’m not doing that. I’m not her spouse and I’m also not that kind of person. If anything, I’d like to go and find those kids and have a few drags myself.

Jamie chuckles. “It was good stuff.”

“Looks like it.” I barely stop myself putting a hand on her knee. “I’ll get you some water.” I push myself up and pull my dress down. There’s sand all over it.

“I’m fine. Let’s go back inside.” Jamie starts pushing herself up, but she wobbles and ends up with her ass back in the sand.

“Come on.” I hold out my hand so I can pull her up. “You haven’t aged as gracefully as I have.”

“We’ll see about that.” Jamie puts her hand in mine and she’s on her feet in no time.

I try to wipe the sand off the back of my dress, but there are spots I can’t see.

“Can I?” Jamie asks. “Slap your bottom?” She grins her boyish grin at me. Next, she’ll be sinking her teeth into her bottom lip and it will undo me a little—like it always did before.

“Yes. Thanks,” I quickly say and turn my back to her—mostly so I don’t have to see her face anymore.

Her touch is gentle as she brushes the sand off my behind. Whether her hand lingers is hard to say. What’s easy to say is that it was cathartic to have this conversation with her. And to catch glimpses of this woman I used to love beyond measure.

“There you go, madam. Do let me know if I can be of any further service.” Jamie’s not done joking yet. I don’t blame her. It’s always easier to joke than to dredge up a painful memory.

“Shouldn’t I return the favor?” I eye her backside.

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