Page 84 of The Now in Forever
She sets her glass down. “What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t, okay? I just completely humiliated myself by showing up there unannounced. I wanted to show him I didn’t need him. That I saw how hard he was working and that I had shit to do too. It’ll be fine. We can pick up where we left off in a month.”
Robin is running toward us from the beach. Not walking, not a casual jog… It is a full-on run. Robin doesn’t run. She cycles or takes the odd hip hop class. Robin does Pilates like it’s her religion, but she doesn’t run. Nathan is close at her heels. My pulse spikes. I stand. “What’s wrong?”
Anh stands too. Robin stops and puts her hand on her knees, catching her breath. “Nothing’s wrong.”
She holds up her left hand, and there on her ring finger is a round-cut diamond engagement ring. It momentarily catches the sun, putting a white sunspot in my eye.
“We’re engaged.”
Anh flinches next to me. It’s tiny, minuscule, and she catches herself quickly, pasting a huge smile on her face, but I saw it. “Whoa.”
“And we’re moving here! We’re going to buy this house from Nathan’s grandparents.”
“Oh awesome! Congratulations,” I say, and I mean it, but part of me—a small part, the tiny angry spinster that lives in the corner of my brain—feels left behind.
Anh’s moving to Orcas Island, starting a new life, Robin’s getting married, Ed is making a movie, and here I am. Still trying to write abook good enough to be published, going to teach a bunch of high schoolers in the fall, again.
Unless I don’t.
I don’t have to teach. I can buy the bookshop, fix it up, and live my dream. Maybe Ed will come around on the idea of small towns.
Anh runs inside and grabs two more glasses, pouring Robin and Nathan each some wine. She holds up her glass. “To Robin and Nathan.”
Nathan smiles, his eyes melting as he wraps a hand around Robin’s waist. “To love.”
We all echo her words.
CHAPTER 22
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH
Iwrite like my life depends on it. Some days it feels like it does. If I’m writing, I’m not thinking about texting Ed. When I suggested we not text or talk or see each other, I really didn’t think it would be as hard as it’s been. So, I write. I finished a draft last week and sent it off to two of my critique partners. I also finished a draft of my business plan and sent it to Anh. I’m now anxiously awaiting their feedback.
It’s a beautiful sunny day, so I decide I’ll wait with a glass of wine and a hummus plate. There is a sandcastle festival this weekend, so The Vern is more crowded than I’ve ever seen it. I have to push through people to even get through the door. My usual spot is taken—well, not exactly. There’s an open space at the bar but no stool. Kyle is pouring two pints, chatting with a woman waiting. His eyes meet mine across the crowd, and he smiles. He hands off the two beers then pulls a stool out from behind the bar, putting it in the available space.
“My lady.” He motions to it like a prince showing me to my carriage.
I laugh. “Thank you, sir. How’d you know I’d come?”
While I’m here a lot, it’s not every day.
He shrugs as he grabs a glass and pours me some red wine. “I didn’t. Just hoped.”
He hands me the drink, and our fingers graze for just a moment. Kyle has asked me out a few times, but I’ve declined, saying I’m focusing on my book and trying to plan my life, which is true. I haven’t explained about Ed, mostly because I don’t know how.
“I was thinking of going for a walk to look at all the sandcastles after my shift. Care to join me?”
It sounds like fun and not too date like. “Sure. When are you off?”
“Midnight.”
There’s no way around it. A midnight walk on the beach is a date, a very romantic one at that. Ed and I never said we were exclusive, but I know how I would feel if he did the same thing. “I think that’s a little past my bedtime.”
Kyle pushes his lips out in an adorable pout. Then he makes his eyes look twice the size. I laugh.
“I have work to do. I can’t stay up all hours of the night.”
