Page 21 of Meet Me in the Vines
Audrey
hey Pop, i just touched down. i’m getting a rental and will be there in about 2 hours. love you.
Pop
very excited to give you a hug. welcome home.
Home.My chest tightens at the thought of a bear hug from my grandfather and seeing Oakwood Valley again. During the entire flight, I was a mess of nerves. Would everything look the same? Is Mrs. Dickson still hitting on younger guys at the diner? Are the teenagers still hooking up at Sunset Valley Point?
Ishestill around?
I close my eyes and whisper his name for the first time in ten years.
“Donovan.”
It’s strange having his name leave my lips. I cursed his name a thousand times before I left for New York all those years ago and then I promised myself I would never say his name again. But I just did. Truthfully, I thought about him the entire flight. I thought about him nearly every day for the last ten years. Donovan.
We were just kids all those years ago, but he took something from me I could never get back. He took my body and my heart, then crushed it to dust.
The memory of me sitting on my front porch, waiting for him to show up in his dusty blue pickup, is a painful one. I sat in a wooden Adirondack chair, checking my phone every two minutes, hoping he would text or call. My heart dropped with every minute that passed, doing everything I could to hold back the tears that were stinging my eyes. Forty-five minutes, an hour, then two. The sun set selfishly behind the lush green of the valley, driving the stake further into my heart—he never came for me.
I felt so foolish for letting him in the way I did, thinking the night we spent together actually meant something more than just a one-night stand.
He used me, then tossed me away. I was so naïve to take his words at face value. I believed the tremble in his words as he shook like a leaf before asking me on the date that never happened that night around the firepit. The promise of a summer together, his sweet musings about how amazing our night together had been. It was all just words. Nothing but bullshit. Words to get my clothes off and claim me as another one of his trophies. I believed him with my whole heart when he said it was his first time, too. I learned to never believe him ever again. No call. No texts. No word from Donovan King for ten years.
I shake off the memory and grab my carry-on from the overhead bin. I don’t want to think about the possibility of seeing Donovan again. I’m here for one thing and one thing only. To spread my favorite person in the world’s ashes and say my final goodbye to her. My gran.
I almost forgot how stunning the drive into Oakwood Valley is. The beautiful peaks and valleys of the wine country landscape nearly take my breath away. I’ve been surrounded by traffic and skyscrapers for too long. For the first time in a long time, a bubble of hope brews inside me. Hope for a better outcome in my life. Hope that I’ll escape the nightmare waiting for me on the other side of the country. But for now, I’m taking Gran’s advice to live for today.
The closer I get to Oakwood Valley, the stronger I feel. I can’t avoid the pull, no matter how hard I tried to stay away.
This town and all the amazing people in it. I chose to leave. I chose to forget. And now, I hoped it would choose me back and welcome me with open arms.
I pass the charming wooden sign on the side of the road that reads, “Welcome to Oakwood Valley.” A mixture of excitement and nerves swirls inside my stomach. As I approach Main Street, I roll my windows down to take in the scene and the smells. It’s like going back in a time machine. Nothing has changed. The Golden Grape Diner, with the best burgers and fries in town, flashes its open sign. Vintage Blossom Flowers has a row of beautiful bouquets outside their storefront—I see lilies, Gran’s favorite. My favorite coffee shop, Sip & Savor, has its door invitingly open, spilling out the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and sugar in the air.
As if on cue, my stomach grumbles for a sweet pastry and a caramel macchiato. I take an empty parking spot in front of the shop and put the car in park. I walk in and see a young barista drying some mugs while two people sit in the cafe with headphones and laptops in front of them. She greets me with a friendly smile.
“Hi! Welcome to Sip & Savor. What can I get ya?” I can’t help but smile back at her inviting and warm energy. She has a slight lisp and big brown eyes. A little thrill runs through me asI admire her icy blonde hair, painted with pink streaks. Kellan would hate it, so I love it. I look at her name tag, decorated with an Oakwood Valley High School and guitar pin.
“Josie, is it?” She gives me a friendly nod. “I’ll have a caramel macchiato, upside down, non-fat to go, please.”
“You got it…?” Her words hang in the air like she’s waiting for a pin to drop until I realize she’s asking for my name.
“Oh, my god, I’m so sorry. It’s Audrey,” I let out with a nervous chuckle.
I have to remember how to socialize with small-town folk. Everyone here is so outwardly friendly that they want to know your name and invite you to dinner that night.
She lets out a giggle.
“No worries. It’s nice to meet you, Audrey. So, are you visiting Oakwood Valley? I’ve never seen you here before.” She talks and makes my drink order at the same time, her eyes darting back and forth between me and the coffee bar.
“I guess I’m visiting. I’m actually from here, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been home. I’m here because my grandmother passed away last week.”
I realize I may be oversharing, but since I’ve stepped foot on home soil, I feel like a different person. It’s like the small town safety bubble wraps around me, something I don’t get with Kellan in the city.
Josie stops and puts down the to-go cup she was about to pour my coffee into. Her eyes widen as she stares directly at me.
“Oh my gosh, are you Violet Winthrop’s granddaughter?”
