by Haley Travis
nodded. “Peppermint and peach is really weird, but I kind of like–”
The bright sunshine suddenly turned dark as someone stepped in front of the window,
glaring at me. Her shrieking voice could be heard straight through the glass. My heart
turned as cold as the metal spoon that clattered to the table as I turned to see Becca
staring at me in shock.
“Mitch, you ignorant son of a bitch,” the woman shrieked through the window. “How can you
cheat on your wife like this in front of the whole town?”
I reached for Becca’s hand, but she snatched it away. “I used to go out with Tiffany here,
but we were never married,” I explained quickly. “She’s completely manic, and ever since
we broke up two years ago, she randomly pops up now and then.”
Everyone in the shop was staring at me, listening to every word Tiffany shrieked as she
called me every name in the book. Becca shrunk into her chair as if she was trying to
disappear. I hated that her eyes were already full of tears.
“Please, baby,” I said, “Give me a minute and I’ll get rid of her.”
I jumped up just as Tiffany was trying to barge into the shop, but I blocked her, grabbing her arm and carefully dragging her across the street to the park while hitting a number in my
phone. “Marla? Come get Tiffany, now. We’re in the park in front of the ice cream shop.”
Marla was apologetic. “I’m sorry, Mitch, I just turned away for a second.”
“Get here now,” I snapped, hanging up.
Dumping Tiffany on a bench, I looked down at her pretentious designer clothes, her
immaculate haircut, her polished nails. But her wild, spiteful glare destroyed any shred of
beauty she used to have.
“I don’t know how you think you can get away with this,” she snapped. “You owe me
alimony. You can’t just dump your wife and not pay for it.”
“We were never married,” I said slowly. “Seriously, this is the last time. If you ever come
within a mile of me again, I’m calling the police getting a restraining order.”
She flinched back as if I’d slapped her. “You wouldn’t.”
“I absolutely would. And this place is so small, you basically wouldn’t be allowed to ever
come here again.”
“But…I love you.”
“No you don’t. You love my money. You don’t even know me.”
A car came down the street, and I glanced up to see if it was Marla, Tiffany’s older sister
who was essentially her babysitter whenever she was in this neighborhood. She had
probably been shopping at the nearby farmer’s market, and left Tiffany unsupervised for a
few minutes.
But it wasn’t Marla. It was a car I didn’t recognize. I watched helplessly as Becca bolted
out of the ice cream shop, waving down the driver.
I saw that it was Mrs. Moore, a lady who lived just a few houses down from me. Becca
jumped into the passenger seat without even glancing in my direction. As they drove away,
at least I knew she had a safe ride home. I’d have to figure out how to apologize later.
Another car came around the corner, and I saw that it was Officer Weir. “Don’t. Move,” I
said, glaring at Tiffany. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, pouting like a child.
The police car slowed as I waved him over. “Hey there, Mitch,” he called out. “I heard there
was a bit of a screaming match over at Vaughan’s.”
“Yeah, Andy,” I said. “Listen, the short version is that Tiffany and I broke up a couple of
years ago, and she continues to stalk and harass me. She just made a scene, completely
upsetting my friend. Can you please make a record, so that if this happens again it will be
easier for me to file a restraining order?”
He looked back and forth between Tiffany and I, then nodded. I was twice her size, and
obviously trained in various forms of combat. If she ever came at me with her fists flying,
and I were to push her away, I would instantly be seen as the bad guy. The only possible
thing I could do to cover my own ass would be to start an official record now.
Also, this town was known for tourism. Any public disturbances were frowned upon, and every local authority tried to keep everything calm and happy here.
After making a quick report, the officer took down all of Tiffany’s information, then I finally saw her sister’s car pulling up behind. As she got out and approached us, I did feel bad for
Marla. But she knew her options.
“Two choices, Marla,” I said, my voice sounding even icier than I intended. “Keep her under
control or get her to a therapist. If she comes anywhere near me again I’m pressing
charges.”
“I’m not that bad,” Tiffany said. “And what the hell do you mean, a therapist?”
As I turned to her, I could feel rage rolling off my body in waves. “You assured me a year
ago that it would be the last time ever. Yet here you are. If you choose to behave like you
are completely insane, that is how we’re going to have to treat you. Screaming at
somebody in public, making up lies, trying to file bizarre paperwork that isn’t even legal…
Tiffany, it all stops now. Do you understand?”
She tried to sulk, as she looked to Marla for sympathy, but her sister held up her hands. “I
completely agree with Mitch. If you go near him again, I’m kicking you out. Let’s see you try to get your own place with your crappy employment record.” I almost felt guilty about
wanting to laugh as Tiffany’s mouth fell open.
I wrote down my latest number and handed it to Andy in a way that Tiffany couldn’t see it,
then I simply walked back to my car.
I needed to go down to my gym and take out this anger on the heavy bag for a few hours,
but that would have to wait. Driving quickly, as soon as I was on the slow back road, I
called Becca.
“I’m not speaking to you,” she said the second it connected.
“Sweetie, you have to let me explain.”
“Were you really married?” Her voice was quavering, and I could hear that she was crying.
“Absolutely not. I’m on my way to your place right now to explain everything.”
“No. Leave me alone.” She hung up on me.
Rolling down the windows, I tried to let the ocean breeze calm me. I had to rush to her, hold her in my arms, and tell her absolutely everything. I had to explain to her that she’s the only woman who has ever made me feel this way, and I would do anything to be with her. I had
to tell her that my only goal in the world now was to love her, care for her, comfort and
protect her.
But Becca hated awkward conversations. She couldn’t stand being put on the spot, or feeling anxious. I’d have to find some other way to reconnect with her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
* Becca *
Throwing myself across the bed, I knew that I was behaving like a baby, but I couldn’t help
it. The tears wouldn’t stop. I shared more with Mitch than I would have ever dreamed. I
even told him some stories I didn’t think I’d even told my girlfriends.
How on earth could he be married, and not mention that? It was a major life event.
I also couldn’t believe that every single person in the shop had been staring at me. Did they pity me, or see me as the evil other other woman? They may have seen me as the one that
broke them up. I was still shaking from the weight of their stares.
I had no idea who this Tiffany woman was, but she was so loud and aggressive that it m
ade
my skin crawl. How could Mitch ever be with a woman like that? And if that was the sort of
woman he was interested in, what on earth was he doing with a timid girl like me?
I wasn’t sure whether to be angry or horrified, so I focused on how completely humiliated I
was.
It actually felt like a prickling rash was moving over my skin, and my heart wouldn’t settle
into a steady beat. Every time I tried to calm down and blank out for a second, I heard that
horrible screeching voice. After a couple of hours crying, pacing, and brooding in my room, I scrubbed my face, then went down to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.
Julie was sitting at the kitchen table, and as she glanced up at me, I could see in her eyes
she was instantly concerned. “Oh my God, Becca, what happened? You look like you’ve
been crying.”
Shaking my head, I put the kettle on, hoping it would be quick. Throwing a peppermint tea
bag into a mug, it was hard to stay still. My feet needed to pace, to move, to do something.
“How was your ice cream?” Julie asked.
I shook my head. “I really can’t talk about it.”
I expected her to pry, but instead, she simply nodded. “Okay. I’ll be around if you want to
talk later.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. With a horrible shiver, I wondered if she’d already heard what had
happened, and I was hit with another wave of humiliation.
Pouring the boiling water into the mug, I took it out to the yard so that I could hear the
waves of the beach. The emotions swirling through my mind were making my body rattle.
After about five minutes, I realized that sitting still with tea wasn’t working, so I left it to steam by itself on the table.
The prettiest spot to walk along the beach was past Mitch’s house. I had told him flat out that I didn’t want to speak to him, and had to wonder whether he would listen or not. Maybe
if I was really quick, he wouldn’t even notice me.
Standing up, I stretched up on my toes to peek over the cedar hedge, but I couldn’t tell
whether his car was in his driveway or not. Taking a chance, I quickly walked past his
house, going down the beach, watching as the sunset turned the sky peach. I t was the
exact shade of Mitch’s peach ice cream, and the tears started again.
Walking faster, I wished that I brought my phone so that I could call one of my friends. I
knew that Laura and Joanna would tell me to listen to his side of the story. Kim would
probably tell me to kick his ass. There was no way to guess what Kate might say. She was
usually the most logical, but in this case, I had no idea what the logical reaction would be.
Maybe I should have forced myself to go on a few dates back in high school, when I was
used to being this awkward every single day. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.
Maybe this was some sort of sign that I shouldn’t be sleeping with a guy I had only known a
few days.
It didn’t feel like punishment. It felt like…random anger.
That woman had seemed so vicious. Mitch was a gentle thoughtful guy, or so I had thought.
Was I completely misreading him? Was he showing me a different side of himself? Was he
one of those chameleons who put on a different personality with every person they dated?
Staring up at the sky, I realized that it was getting dark fast. Clouds were moving in, but it didn’t look like rain, it was just blocking the light. There were enough porch lights on all of the houses that I’d be able to make my way back in the pitch dark, but I’d rather not.
Turning back toward Brendan’s house, lost in thought, I stared down at my feet, staring at
the rocks and sand as I slowly paced. Maybe Brendan and Julie would want to make
burgers tonight, and I could stuff myself and fall into a food coma.
Staring barely two feet in front of me, I jumped when two large black shoes were in my
way. I looked up, and Mitch immediately stepped back.
“Please,” he begged. “May I walk you home, and just have a minute of your time?”
Looking around, I saw that I was already at his house. My shoulders began to shake, as I
tried to choke back tears. “How could you not tell me that you were married before?” I
blurted.
“Sweetie, I honestly have never been married.”
“Well, she certainly seemed to think so.”
“Tiffany acts crazy because it’s a shortcut to getting her own way. I was in a weird mental
place, and it took me a while to figure that out. She was supposed to be supervised by her
sister any time she got hyper, or was near this town. She needs therapy. She’s simply a spoiled, selfish brat who wants to control the entire world so that things turn out the way
she wants them to.”
It was impossible to think straight with him watching every expression I made. It made me
want to run away to be alone. My thumb brushed against the stars of my necklace while I
tried to think. “Maybe this is a sign that things were going too far, too fast,” I said.
Mitch froze, as if the air in his lungs had turned to ice. “What do you mean ‘were’? Don’t you mean ‘are’? If things are going too fast, we can slow down to any speed you want, sweetie.
But I know you feel this. We can’t end here.”
“I don’t think I could take a chance on something like that ever happening again,” I said, my voice shaking. “She was screaming at us. Everyone was staring. I wanted...to just fucking
die of embarrassment.” Tears were streaming down my face and I couldn’t stop them.
“Oh my God, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”
Mitch reached out to me, his hand slipping under the back of my hair, pulling us together. I
wanted to snuggle into his arms. I needed him to comfort me. But I was so uncomfortable
by the intensity of it all, I wriggled away.
“No matter what is going on with you two, you never mentioned that you had a serious
relationship. That’s weird. It feels like you were hiding it from me.”
“Becca, I’m embarrassed about it,” he said softly. Looking up into those warm brown eyes,
I could see that he was telling the truth.
“She was interested in me for all the wrong reasons, and I was being a stupid man who
was distracted by a blonde who was telling me everything I wanted to hear. It was all tacky
as hell, and I really don’t ever want to think about that part of my life again.”
He looked so upset that I instantly felt terrible for him. Yet I was too unsettled to think
straight.
“Becca, you are beautiful and amazing and smart and funny. I want to be the best version of
myself for you. So I didn’t want to immediately point out the time I was a loser and a jerk.
Can you understand that?”
Although I wanted to nod, my head cocked to the side. “When she began screaming, you
took care of her instead of me.”
His mouth fell open in absolute horror.
“Baby, I was trying to get her away from you. The way she shrieks it’s absolutely horrible.
She does that to get her own way. She’s basically a five-year-old. I dragged her out of
there so that she wouldn’t cause even more of a scene. Then I saw you get into Mrs.
Moore’s car, and I was relieved that you had a safe ride home, even if it wasn’t with me. I was just glad that you were away from Tiffany.”
“I can’t deal with this,” I blurted out. “I thought I was having all sorts of feelings for you, but now I’m confused. And freaked out. Just don’t speak to me, all rig
ht?”
He tried to reach for me, but I ducked around him, racing back to Brendan’s house. Rushing
straight past Julie and Brendan, I went to my room, but couldn’t even bear to lie on the bed.
Curling on the floor in the corner, my tears felt acidic.
This room wasn’t even mine, it was my brother’s. My job was kind of my brother’s as well. I
thought I was at the start of what could have been an amazing relationship, but it had
disintegrated before it could even really start.
All I wanted was a tiny, calm corner of the world to hide, where nothing could get at me
when I was upset. Maybe that’s why I was so torn apart. Feeling that everything was going
my way might have been too much. Maybe I wasn’t meant to find a nice guy, because I’d
been afraid of them for so long.
Perhaps the universe was proving me right, and telling me that I should stay locked inside
my shell. Swallowing hard, I tried to stop the tears. My hands automatically smoothed back
my hair, as my fingertips touched my necklace...that wasn’t there.
The heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach turned from stones to a cinder block.
My mother’s necklace was the only thing I really had of hers. The only material object in the whole world that I cared about.
Standing up slowly, I looked around, shaking my dress and retracing my steps through the
house. Using the flashlight on my phone, I looked around the garden a little, but couldn’t see very much.
I went back to my room to check my bed. I had been lying there sobbing like an idiot for
quite a while. Examining every inch of the fabric, and the pillowcases, it had not been
snagged on anything.
A silent scream welled up in my throat. Sitting down in the center of the bed, I closed my
eyes, retracing my steps. I was pretty sure that I had touched my necklace when I was on
the beach. Had I lost it when I was at the furthest point? Or had it been when I was trying
not to look into Mitch’s gorgeous eyes, forcing myself not to become lost in his energy
again?
My throat closed as if I were being strangled as I realized he had reached around my
shoulders, under my hair. I loved the way he caressed the back of my neck so gently. Could
he have accidentally unfastened it? Had it broken when I jumped away?