Page 73 of Starfish and Coffee
Holly was quiet for a long moment before she nodded in understanding. “Okay.”
“I know the circumstances suck, but that was sorta awesome,” Jamie said with a sympathetic smile. “I wish I’d come out like that.”
Alex shook his head as he opened the back door. “No, you don’t.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Mr. Tarrington.”
Matt turned around from his seat on the upstairs patio of his mother’s beach estate and looked at Charlie. “Yes.”
“There’s a young woman here for you.” Charlie lifted his eyebrows pointedly. “I believe she’s an acquaintance of your friend Alex Hunter.”
“Oh.” Matt looked out to the ocean and winced. He really didn’t want to see anyone, especially Holly, but it wasn’t in him to send her away. “Tell her I’ll be down in a second.”
“I didn’t tell your mother she’s here. She’s waiting by the gate.”
“Shit.” Matt got out of his seat, knowing he couldn’t leave Holly standing by the road. He walked by Charlie, hitting him in the arm lightly. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem,” Charlie said with a smile. “I know who signs my paychecks.”
Matt nodded, not voicing out loud that he didn’t feel like being a paycheck today. He was so incredibly tired of it. For once he wanted to be something more to the people around him. Even his own mother treated him like a big bank account.
He walked down the stairs wishing he still drank as much as he did at twenty-two. If he did, he’d surely be drunk already. He trod lightly and opened the big, heavy front doors as softly as possible to avoid drama with his mama.
Though he doubted it was an issue. She was probably staying hidden on purpose. Matt had lost his fucking mind earlier when he found out she’d paid off his boyfriend. Things were tense at the Tarrington estate this afternoon. If anyone needed to worry about being cut off, it was her.
The gates opened courtesy of Charlie as Matt walked down the driveway.
Matt found Holly sitting on the curb as if she had all the time in the world. She turned when the gates opened, and smiled in a way he didn’t expect.
She patted a portion of the curb next to her. “I saved you a seat.”
“How’d you get here?” Matt asked as he walked over and sat on the curb even if it felt juvenile and uncouth. It used to be something he loved about both Holly and Alex, their carefree approach to life. “I don’t see a car.”
“Alex took off, forgetting that he’s my ride for the day. Car’s in the shop.”
Matt shook his head and grinned. “Some things never change. Your car was always in the shop.”
“Probably need a new car.” Holly gave him a guilty smile. “But I tend to cling to what I know. Change hasn’t always been my thing. It’s sort of an issue, actually. Life is change. Hiding from it just hurts me.”
“There are a few things I wish would’ve stayed the same,” Matt admitted as he turned his head and looked down the long street of beautiful, multimillion-dollar beach houses. “Not that it makes a difference now.”
“Did your mama tell you Alex paid her back?” Holly asked curiously, tears suddenly sounding in her voice. “He didn’t have to, but he did. It was never about the money. He just needed a place to hide. The restaurant ate all his time. He stopped going out on the ocean. He hasn’t been with anyone since you.”
Matt swallowed hard and turned back to Holly, seeing the tears running down her face.
“No. She didn’t tell me, not that I’m surprised. But why didn’t Alex tell me? That should’ve been the first thing that left his mouth this morning when I confronted him.”
“’Cause he’s an idiot.” Holly shrugged and wiped at her cheeks. Then she reached out and clasped his big hand in her smaller one. “I know he hurt you, but he’s punished himself for it. Worse than you ever would’ve wanted for him. The restaurant was the only reason he had to be happy. He loved seeing something he created make the island a better place to be. Now that’s ruined too.”
Matt lifted his head and looked out to the street as the cars drove by. “What a fucking mess. Just ’cause two men were happy together. How ridiculous is that?”
“Pretty ridiculous.” Holly squeezed his hand tightly before she released him. “Alex is not perfect, but he loves you, Matt. He wakes up every morning calling out for you. Looking for what he lost. Leave if you have to. Let her win. But don’t ever doubt that what you had—what youstillhave—is real.”
Matt rested his elbows on his knees and let his head fall into his hands as the street grew blurry. There was so much hurt between them, so much loss when all either of them had really wanted was to be left alone to love each other.
“I wish we had a do-over,” he whispered it like a prayer, one last cry for help.
