Page 73 of Fighting the Tide
“Hey,” she says as her hands grip the handle of the cart, her knuckles turning white with tension.
“I’m not here to fight.I was across the street when I saw you come out of the store.I wanted to let you know I’m leaving in a few hours, and after everything we’ve been through, I didn’t want to end things on a bad note,” I explain as I tuck my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.
“The cottage is done already?”Her head tips to the side as a wayward blonde curl slips from her bun.
“No, but I trust Darren—well, kind of—Avery’s here, and I know she’ll keep an eye on things.”I don’t know why I feel nervous.This is Cassie.She and I have been intimate for twelve years and friends for longer.
“I see.”She nods as she begins to blink rapidly, her eyes becoming glossy with tears.“I guess this is it.”
“Are you happy, Cassie?”I ask, taking another step forward to place my hand over hers on the bar of the cart.“Will you be happy here?”
“Yeah.”I see the honesty in her eyes as she gives me a sad smile.“Chatham is my home.”
“Well, I’ll let you get those into the car.”I step back, pulling my hand from hers.“If you need anything, you have my number.”
She gives me a quick nod and rushes off, and I know it’s because those tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes was something she didn’t want me to see.I want to call out to her and tell her I’m doing her a favor, that pining for one person your entire life only ends in disaster.I would know.
Instead, I stand on the street in front of Brooke’s Cinemas and watch as Cassie pulls out of the grocery store parking lot, her eyes averted and refusing to look my way.Sometimes leaving your past behind means changing perspective on your present, and even though I don’t know what my future holds, I do know that it doesn’t involve Cassie.
Avery pulls up about twenty minutes later in her mother’s car, the tires squealing as she guns it into the parking lot, brightening my melancholy day just a little.
“Hey, dick stink!”she calls out as she gets out of the car, hauling a chuckle from my mouth.“Why do you look sad?You’re only leaving.It’s not like you’ll never be back.Oh, wait!”She rolls her eyes as she comes to stand beside me, nudging my shoulder with hers.“You don’t want to come back.”
I throw my arm over her shoulders and drag her to the gelato stand, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.“Do you promise you’ll come visit me?”
Her arms wind around my waist as she nods into my sweater.“Yeah, I’ll come visit you.”
“Make sure the renters aren’t assholes.”We stop in front of the gelato stand as she straightens and runs her sleeve under her nose.
“No one can be a bigger asshole than the owner,” she retorts, then turns to the gelato stand lady.“Two scoops of rainbow, please, and my gay friend here will have the same.”
My laugh echoes around us as the lady smirks and shakes her head, scooping out the ice cream into cups.“I’ll call you when I get back to New York,” I promise Avery as I pay for the scoops, and we turn to walk back toward the cars.
“How are you going to last for the rest of the summer without gelato?”she whines as she scoops her spoon back into the creamy dessert.
“I’m sure I’ll survive.”I grin at her over my spoon.
“I have to tell you something, but you can’t freak out,” she warns, and I roll my eyes.
“You’ve said this multiple times during our friendship, and each time it was about Monica,” I groan as she gasps.
“Is that true?That’s insane!”she exclaims.“It is about Monica.”
“Let’s hear it.”I wave her on.
“She’s pregnant,” Avery whispers, as if anyone is around us to hear.“And it’s the result of an affair.”
“Wait, what affair?With who?”I drop my spoon into the cup and stare at Avery in shock.“I think you’re missing a few details.”
“She was sleeping with a married doctor she worked with at the hospital,” Avery explains as she swirls her spoon through the last bit of gelato in her cup.“I haven’t spoken to her in over a year, and that’s the first thing she told me during our phone conversation last night.”
“Avery.”I turn and look at her, my tone begging her not to do this to herself again.“Tell me you’re not getting involved.”
Her shoulders shrug, then she tips her head back to look up at the sky, her breath leaving her lungs in a loudwhoosh.“She’s coming home, Nolan, and she’s keeping the kid.”
“Wow.”I shake my head and walk to the garbage bin to throw out my empty cup, Avery following behind me.“I don’t even know what to say.All I can do is warn you to be careful.”
“Yeah, I know.”She exhales and gives me a once-over, shaking her head lightly.“I’m going to go now.I can’t stand here and prolong you leaving.It only makes me feel things, you know?Besides, I have to buy Carol Sanderson some milk and eggs from the grocery store, and if I forget again, I’m pretty sure she’ll kick me out of the house.”She rushes forward and wraps her arms around my waist, burying her face against my chest.“I love you, Nolan Sears.”The words are muffled, but each syllable hits me in the chest.There’s still someone left on this earth who loves me and it means I’m not completely alone.
