Page 14 of Until Forever

“Have a great night, you two,” I muttered sarcastically as I grabbed my purse and threw some cash down on the bar. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

The house was quiet and dark when I got back. I crept down the hall to Claire’s room and popped my head in to see if she was asleep. She was passed out, snoring. And, for once, Chris was actually home at a decent time—sleeping next to her.

I gently closed the door and went to my room, pulling out my phone to call Kyle. I was eager to check on the shop and see how things were going.

“Surviving without me?” I asked.

“Barely,” he teased. “Just kidding. Everything’s fine here. How’s Claire?”

“A little bummed out, which is understandable,” I replied. “But she’s a tough cookie. She’s getting stronger every day. I don’t know what she’s more fed up with, though. Being groggy from all the meds, or being in pain if she doesn’t take them.”

“It’s a season. This will pass,” he assured me.

“Yeah, I know. But it helps to be reminded. I’ll pass that along to her. Thanks.”

A brief silence fell over the line, just long enough for me to hear waves crashing in the background. I closed my eyes and felt a yearning to be there with him on the beach that was so strong I thought I might cry.

“Mmmm, are you out for a night surf?”

“No. We’re all banned from the water because some guy got bit by a shark the other day. He lost his leg!”

“You’re kidding me,” I sighed. “That hasn’t happened in years.”

But every time it did, sales at the surf shop plummeted. It was never for long, and we always recovered. That didn’t make me feel any less uneasy about it, though.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “Don’t worry. It's been a good year, and this is the first hitch we’ve encountered since you left. It’s nothing we can’t handle. Besides, everyone at the shop was getting a little burnt out anyway. They’ll all appreciate the slower business for a few days. Gives them a chance to take a break.”

“Okay,” I submitted. “But they’re out of their minds. You know I can’t stand to sit still. I need work to keep me busy. I always liked the shop better when it was slammed.”

“Of course you did. It makes more money then,” he laughed. “How is your restlessness working out for you in Silver Point, anyway? No waves, no work. You must be losing your mind.”

“You have no idea,” I whined. “The only thing standing between me and having something productive to do is this guy I hate from high school.”

“Oh, that Keith Mullins guy?” I could sense the excitement in his voice. “Catch me up on everything. And make it snappy. I’ve got a date in fifteen minutes.”

I told him everything as quickly as I could. By the time I finished, I was more than ready to hear him assure me that I was in the right and should go for that land with everything I had. I sat back and waited for him to shower me with validation and reassurance.

“Look, granted, I don’t know anything about marinas or family legacies or small southern towns, but don’t you think this is just a little heartless? I know you’re ruthless in getting what you want, but…”

“What!?” I shrieked. That wasn’t what he was supposed to say at all. "You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“And I am,” he defended. “I assure you, I am. I just think when it comes to dishing things out to people, not all assholes are equal, you know? Like whatever this Keith Mullins guy deserves isn’t the same as what a serial killer or cheating ex-boyfriend deserves. It’s a scale. And what you’re doing to him sounds pretty brutal. I don’t know if you can justify that just because he was kind of a jerk to you in high school and because he sleeps around with different women. Think about it, Lana. I know there were a few people I wasn’t so cool to in high school, and I sleep around. If I inherited some business from my family and someone went after it, what would you think of them?”

My face soured and melted into a pout as I let his words sink in. He was actually making a lot of sense, which I hated.

“Fine,” I huffed. “Whatever. I’ll think about…being nicer to him, maybe.” I put heavy emphasis on the maybe.

“I didn’t say you have to be nice to him,” he laughed. “I’m just saying maybe don’t be hell-bent on taking something that’s really important to him and his family. That’s not so much to ask, right? You can still hate him. You can even come up with a better way to put him in his place. Beat him in a game of pool in front of a bunch of people he knows.”

“What good would that do?” I scoffed.

“I don’t know exactly. I’ve never played pool. But every time that happens to a jerky guy in a movie, it seems to be really humiliating for them.”

I sighed with a laugh. “Go enjoy your date, Kyle. I’ll talk to you later.”

I flopped back on the bed as he hung up and stared up at the ceiling. How many nights had I laid on that bed and stared up at that same ceiling in high school, thinking about how much I hated Keith Mullins? And how many more nights had I done that while pining over him?

Maybe Kyle was right. It was just a silly crush, after all, and I supposed there were limits to how strongly I could hold it against him for not feeling the same way. I wasn’t his type, and looking at him now…he obviously wasn’t mine either. Did he deserve to have his family’s legacy snatched out from under him for that? Probably not, even though I hated to admit that.

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