Page 20 of Second Chance Vacation

“Cut the shit, Wes. What?”

I am not amused.

“You.” He turns on his heels as we begin toward the house. “The way you’re being with Gen. It’s pretty obvious that you still have feelings for her.”

I don’t immediately respond because I know there isn’t a believable way to deny his claims. I have never claimed to be over Gen. She just hasn’t been actively present in my life anymore.

“And you’re bringing this up because?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Wes stops walking, turning toward me. “The universe has given you an opening. You can’t honestly stand there and tell me that you think Gen being the girl Savannah brought was a coincidence. Nothing is a coincidence, ever.”

“When did you become such a spiritualist?”

“I was raised Catholic.” Wes scoffs, as if this is obvious.

“I’ve never seen you go to church in the entire time I’ve known you.”

“I said I was raised Catholic, not that I practice. But I still believe things happen for a reason. And you being here with Gen? There’s gotta be a reason.”

“She doesn’t see me like that anymore, man.”

It is a crappy thing to admit, but it is true.

“Maybe.” We make our way toward the house again. “I’m not saying to propose tomorrow, but be open to it working out. I mean, let’s face it, man, you were a fucking mess when I met you.”

“No—” I am prepared to deny it, but we both know that would be a lie. When Wes and I met, I was still well in the dumps over Gen. She broke up with me the week I was to move into my place at Duke, so when Wes and I met that semester, I was still shaken. Yes, indulging in the party scene was normal for a college freshman, especially at Duke, but I took it to an extreme that I wasn’t proud of. We were well into the second semester before I calmed down.

“Speaking of proposing…” Wes sighs, quirking his lip into a grin. “I got a ring for Savannah. Before we came to France. I mean, I don’t know if it’ll happen while we’re here, but it might.”

I know he has been planning a life with Savannah, but I didn’t realize they were at this point yet.

“Wow, man. Congrats!”

“Thanks.” Wes shrugs, but his smile doesn’t leave his face. He is a pretty humble guy, so any attention on him for an extended period makes him act weird. I have a feeling that in marrying Savannah, there will be a lot of that in his future.

“So, is she finally going to move in, then?” I laugh.

“Yeah, probably. I don’t know. She seems pretty invested in her two walk-in closets at her place.”

“She loves you, Wes. She’ll say yes. To getting married and moving in.”

“I sure as hell hope so.” Anxiety paints his expression. “Just wish my mom could have met her, ya know?”

Wes’s mom passed away in high school, it is something he doesn’t talk about often, but when he does, he makes it clear that they were close. His mom was the reason they even lived in Atlanta. She was a business owner and was the primary breadwinner in their family. Wes’s dad worked, but he didn’t really need to. It was more of an ego thing, I think. When his mom died, his dad left Atlanta, and I’m not sure how often they talk anymore. They talked little when we were in college, but I hope that has changed. I’m not sure what I would do without my parents.

“She would have loved her.” I sigh, squeezing his shoulder as we approach the house.

“I know.” He shrugs.

“Not as much as she would have loved me, but a very close second.”

“And there he is.” Wes rolls his eyes as he walks into the house, a laugh bubbling up below the surface.

“I can’t help it. Moms love me.”

NINE

GEN

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