Page 26 of Late Fees

Did I care that she was miserable? No. Because she had the power to stop this…and she chose not to. In my eyes, she was an accomplice and deserved whatever she got. But Brad and me? We didn’t deserve any of this. We were just two American high school kids who wanted to stay with our girls and our friends. Two kids who wanted to finish what they started.

“I should’ve told her,” I said, my voice weak. Pressing my fingers to my forehead, I lamented, “Why didn’t I just tell her?”

“Yeah, you should’ve. Obviously.”

“Would you just shut up?”

“You didn’t tell her. And you have to live with that, man. But I’m not gonna listen to you bitch anymore. I’m done.” He yanked his Walkman from the seat beside him and put on his headphones. Once he pressed play, he turned up the dial and closed his eyes, leaning into his seat, ignoring me for the rest of the drive.

Settling back into my headrest, I stared up at the limo’s simple black ceiling, wishing I hadn’t been such a coward—that I had told Tilly about Norway right when I found out. My fist plowed into the door as I did my best not to cry. The last thing I wanted to do was shed a tear in front of my brother. I couldn’t let him know he was right.

As the car pulled onto the main highway and toward O’Hare Airport, I sighed, knowing I’d screwed up everything. Knowing that I might not ever see Tilly again. And for the way I left things with her, I had no one but myself to blame.

I called Tilly from the payphone at the airport.

“Pick up, pick up,” I muttered under my breath as the phone just rang and rang. She must’ve turned off her answering machine. By the fifth call, I knew there was no use. She wasn’t going to pick up. She was too furious to even listen to my voice.

“Wyatt,” my mom called from the gate. Her cheeks were red, and her hands were propped on her hips.

I turned my back as the phone kept ringing in my ear.

“Come on, Tilly. Please pick up,” I whispered.

“Wyatt, come on,” Brad said, placing his hand on my elbow. “Let it go, man. Our flight’s boarding.”

Brad patted me on the back and walked back to where my mom was seated at the gate.

I wasn’t ready to give up, though. I had to try…just one more time. Maybe this time she’ll answer.

Grabbing the coins from the return slot, I placed them in the phone one last time. It rang and rang for over a minute. Swallowing the painful lump in my throat, I put the black receiver on the cradle.

“Goodbye, Tilly.”

Finally, I let go of the receiver. Grabbing the duffle bag at my feet, I gritted my teeth and walked slowly to the gate with a hollow feeling in my gut that felt like it would never leave.

My mom offered the most forced smile that she could muster as she herded me toward the growing line.

“As soon as we land, I need calling cards,” I said, my voice gruff and unforgiving. “Lots of them.”

I was going to do whatever I could to keep Tilly in my life, and I didn’t care how much it cost or how hard I had to work.

She needed to know that nothing would stop my heart from loving her.

Not a ten-hour flight, not the Atlantic Ocean. Not even two years in another country.

Nothingcould stop my love for that girl.

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