by Elias Taylor
“She did,” Christian agreed. A new wave of moroseness settled over him. He had been the best version of himself with Beth. He was never going to get that back. Christian was doomed.
“So go get her back,” Barry said.
Christian looked up at his father. “I’ve tried. She won’t talk to me and refuses to listen.”
Barry leaned forward. “You’re giving up too soon.” He waved his arm at all the photographs. “What if you had given up this quickly with your photography? Where would you be?”
Christian blinked in surprise. His father had never mentioned his photography in a positive light.
“You can’t give up on the things that matter,” his father said. Christian straightened. His father was right. What kind of person would Christian be if he gave up on Beth, the best thing that ever happened to him, after a week?
“Okay, I won’t give up,” Christian said. He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what I’ll do, but I won’t give up.”
“It may take time,” his father said.
Christian nodded. The cynical part of himself was pretty sure it might take forever. Beth had been furious. And she had said she always had reservations about him. Hadn’t she said no to their first date more than once because of his history?
Then again, Christian wasn’t about to move on from this anytime soon. He might as well keep fighting for her. He didn’t know how he would do it, but he knew he could be patient. Or he could try.
His father heaved himself to his feet and looked down at Christian. “In the meantime, you should get back to work.”
Christian shrugged. He felt guilty about canceling all his gigs, but he knew he couldn’t take another photo of a giggling bride or beaming groom.
“I don’t have any jobs lined up right now,” Christian said. “But, I’ll start looking, pounding the pavement again.”
No weddings, though. And definitely no engagements. Maybe a nice graduation party or a family portrait.
“Good.” His father smiled. “I actually have something for you. One of my buddies needs a photographer for a little birthday party he’s having.”
Christian looked up in surprise. His mother had helped him out with connecting him to possible jobs, but his father had never once bothered to assist Christian. It was clear that he was concerned about Christian. Then again, Christian was in no position to turn anything down.
“A birthday?” Christian asked.
“Yeah, he just wants some shots of him with his family. Us old men get sentimental and like to have some memories sometimes.”
Christian smiled. “All right, when and where?”
“He lives near our place, and your mom and I are going to the party, so why don’t you swing by the house tomorrow at about one?”
Christian raised his brows.
“We’ll all go together,” his father said. “Your mom will like that.”
Christian knew his mother had been worried about him, as well. They had talked over the phone, but Christian had told her not to visit him. He didn’t want her to see him like this. He nodded at his dad. He could pull it together by the next day. He would have to. His dad would not be this kind and understanding if Christian failed to show up for one of Barry’s friends.
“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Christian said.
At the door, his father turned back for one last look at his youngest son. “And remember what I said. Don’t give up.”
Christian managed to nod and smile as his dad left. He had planned to slump back against the couch and spend the rest of the day moping, but Christian discovered that he no longer wanted to do that. His father’s words lingered. Christian wanted more than anything to be the man that he had been with Beth.
He got up and showered and shaved. He put on real clothes and sat at his computer and flicked through all the photos he had taken of Beth over the last few weeks. They had never done a formal shoot or anything. Beth wasn’t into that kind of thing, but Christian had taken random shots of her when he could.
There was Beth with her bike after a ride they had taken together. She was wiping a smudge on the rearview mirror with her sleeve, and her brow was furrowed in concentration. There was a shot of Beth with a cocktail at a patio bar. The sun had been setting, and it bathed her in a golden light. She was laughing at something, and Christian had captured her with bright eyes and a brilliant smile.
His favorite shot was one he had taken when he was picking her up from work. She stood before a patch of bare ground, her sketches in one hand. Her face had a smudge of dirt, and she was clearly tired from a long day of work, but she was still focused. You could tell from looking at her that she had great visions for the project.
After clicking through the photos, Christian had a lump in his throat. He wanted her back.
No, he needed her. Somehow she had become a part of him in a short period of time. He understood her, and she understood him.
Christian turned away from his computer and scooped up his phone.
He knew she probably wouldn’t read it. She definitely wouldn’t respond, but he wanted to tell her in writing.
I love you, and I’m never going to give up on you.
Chapter Thirty: Beth
Mel called her at lunchtime. Beth checked her watch. She had been designing all morning, and she was supposed to join Mel at the job-site that afternoon. She hoped nothing had gone wrong.
Beth picked up, concern gnawing at the back of her mind.
“What’s up?” Beth asked.
“New job. It’s a two or three-day thing,” Mel said. “They just called me, it’s a friend of a former client.”
“Okay, I can head to the office, and you can go to this?” Beth suggested.
She didn’t like splitting up since it was important to hit the bigger client’s deadlines, but Mel and Beth had agreed to never turn down small jobs because it would help them when they opened their business. Plus, whenever someone called them directly inside of the company, they liked to give good service.
“You better go,” Mel said. “They have a small garden, but they want to start with a consultation. I can go over once you have the sketches.”
“Okay, sounds good,” Beth said.
They hung up, and a minute later, Beth got a text from Mel with the address. Beth quickly finished her lunch and coffee and headed out. She punched the address into her GPS without paying much attention.
She had been looking forward to working with Mel. Beth liked to design, but this morning, she had been unable to focus. Her mind kept wandering back to Christian. She knew that pushing him away was the right thing to do, but now she couldn’t help wondering what he would have said if she had let him try to explain. It was a silly and weak way of thinking, and it had made her very unproductive. At least, Mel would have provided some extra distraction.
This new job could be good, too. It was important to stay busy. As long as Beth kept moving, she would forget about Christian.
Eventually.
When Beth arrived at the location, her heart sank. It was the Crown family home. In an instant, Beth was transported back to the family dinner. She had been so nervous, but Christian had held her hand. It had been the perfect night.
Now she knew it had all been a lie.
Beth stepped out of the car. Something was off about this. It was possible Mel hadn’t realized who had called. Even so, it all seemed strange. Barry Crown appeared at the door. He walked out toward Beth and waved. On instinct, Beth crossed her arms.
“I know, I know,” Barry said. “You and Christian had a falling out, but we still think you’re talented, and we wanted you to do something with our garden. I hope it’s okay.”
He was good, Beth had to admit. He didn’t hesitate or ask. She sighed. He probably thought he was doing her a favor. Maybe he even felt he had to make up for Christian’s behavior, or that he owed it to her dad or something.
“Okay,” Beth said.
She was such
a pushover. Barry beamed, and that made Beth feel slightly better. She did like Barry and Linda, after all.
“I’ll show you where it is,” Barry said. He waved an arm, and Beth started to follow him around the house to the back. Right before they turned the corner, though, Barry stopped short. He looked at Beth and held a finger to his lips.
Beth’s eyes widened as she heard familiar voices from the backyard.
“I want to know what you did.” Christian’s voice was clear, and from his tone, he was angry.
“Who cares about the specifics? She was never going to stay with you.” Tisha’s voice barked back.
Beth stiffened. She had to get away, but before she could flee, Barry touched her arm. “Don’t you want the truth?” he asked.
Beth blinked. He was right. Whatever the truth was, Beth didn’t have all of it yet. Because if Christian had been seeing Tisha behind her back, why would they be fighting right now?
“So, you did tell her something?” Christian asked.
“I only showed her what was obvious, that you were still not over me,” Tisha said. “I just exaggerated it a bit.”
Beth could hear the smirk in Tisha’s voice. She had no idea. She really thought she could get away with the way she had acted. For the first time, Beth felt sorry for Tisha.
“What did you do?” Christian asked again.
“I still have the spare key to your place,” Tisha said. “I just let myself in.”
“I gave you that key years ago,” Christian said.
Beth gasped as everything began to fall into place. She had been a fool. Tisha had played her and made Christian suffer more than he already had.
“You broke us up,” Christian yelled. “You’re such a bitch.”
“Oh, grow up,” Tisha said. “Between your clinginess and Beth’s daddy issues, you two were never going to last.”
“I love her,” Christian said. “I love her, and you wanted to ruin it, but you’re going to fail.”
Beth could no longer stand still. Her feet were moving before she knew what she was doing. She ran around the corner and made a beeline for Tisha.
She was no longer surprised by Tisha’s actions, nor was she saddened. She was mad. She was angry about every time Tisha had put her down and every time Tisha had canceled plans. Most of all, she was angry that Tisha had gone to such lengths to destroy what Beth and Christian had. A friend would never have done that.
“Beth!” Christian shouted when he saw her, but Beth kept moving right past him.
Tisha opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Beth pulled back her arm and punched her right in the face.
Tisha screamed and clutched her face. Beth winced and shook out her fist. Her dad had told her long ago to always punch with your thumb outside your fist, but he had never warned her how much it hurt.
Beth turned her back on Tisha and locked eyes with Christian. She wanted to say so much. She wanted to apologize for doubting him. She wanted to ask for a second chance. She wanted to explain how Tisha had preyed on Beth’s insecurities.
There was only one thing that really mattered, though.
“I love you,” Beth said.
In a heartbeat, Christian had his arms around her. Beth buried her face in his chest and sagged with relief. They were going to be all right. Everything was going to be all right now that she had him back.
Christian pulled away and looked down at her face. “That was amazing,” he whispered.
“Thanks.” Beth smiled.
He kissed her. Beth forgot she was in his parent’s backyard, and she forgot all about Tisha. She lost herself to the feeling of being with Christian, once again.
When they finally broke their kiss, Barry Crown was grinning, and Tyler and Anthony were by his side. Linda stood on the back porch and smiled.
Soon, the whole set-up was revealed. The Crowns had known something was off, and they knew they just had to get Tisha to confess.
Tyler—in an extremely devious move—texted Tisha from Christian’s phone asking her to meet. They knew Tisha couldn’t resist a chance to gloat. From there, they arranged for Christian and Beth to get to the house. Mel had even been in on it, only because Anthony had convinced her that Beth deserved the truth.
Beth didn’t care about the deception. She had been hurt and blindsided and didn’t know what to believe anymore. She wouldn’t have come here any other way. She had to hear Tisha’s admission of guilt with her own ears.
She thanked the Crowns and told them she was sorry everything had been dramatic. They all told her not to worry about it, and Beth got the distinct sense that they had even enjoyed the drama. Especially her right hook at the end. At last, everyone drifted away, and she and Christian had some privacy.
Beth had no intention of letting go of Christian anytime soon. He squeezed her hand and looked down at her. Beth melted under his gaze.
“I’m not going to lose you again,” he said. “I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Beth said.
Her heart fluttered as Christian leaned down to kiss her once more, and Beth knew that he would never let her down.
Epilogue: One Year Later
Christian checked his emails one last time before closing his computer. The workday was over, but since his business was so new, he liked to answer emails and requests as soon as possible.
Christian still couldn’t believe all that had happened in recent months. He credited Beth entirely, although she argued he had put in the work.
They had moved in together six months after they started dating. Beth had given up her apartment and transferred all her stuff to his house. Christian still got a thrill every time he saw the shelf where she kept all her gardening equipment and the desk where she did her sketches.
After months of saving, Christian had been able to start his media company. It was still small, but that ensured it was manageable. He was determined to do quality work on each and every job. He brought in a few more people to help with clients that wanted web design, and every day, he was excited to get to work. No more weddings or engagement shoots for him. Although Christian had to admit, he wasn’t feeling half as cynical as he once did about lovebirds.
It was as if Beth had changed his entire outlook on the world. He didn’t sulk anymore, and he no longer thought everyone was against him. He believed in things, most of all, himself.
Christian shut his computer and checked his watch. He couldn’t be late, not tonight. Beth was at a meeting with the bank, but she was meeting him and his family at a restaurant in town for a Friday night dinner. Her loan application to open up her own landscaping business had been accepted. She was at the bank, hammering down the final details. He didn’t know how it was possible, but Christian was even more excited for her than he was for his own business. It just felt right for both of them to be working on their goals, side by side.
Christian made sure he had everything in his bag and headed toward his bike.
He saw Beth pull in right before him. She heard his bike and turned to wave. Christian grinned as he pulled his helmet off. Beth had already discarded her blazer due to the hot summer day. She was wearing a simple, white, short-sleeved blouse and jeans.
She looked amazing. He had seen her nearly every day for the past year, and she still took his breath away.
Christian grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close for a kiss. Beth leaned back and smiled up at him.
“Your parents will be waiting on us,” she said.
“They can wait a little longer,” Christian said.
He kissed her again and relished how she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing against his chest.
At last, they pulled apart and entered the restaurant, hand in hand.
His parents and brothers had already arrived and settled in at their usual table. They had started having family meals out regularly, and they always made reservations at this Italian restaurant.
Beth settled down and glanced
over the menu.
“Hmm, maybe I’ll try the calamari this time,” she said.
“It was good when I ordered it,” Christian’s mom said.
Christian leaned back in his chair and let the familiar chatter wash over him. He adored how comfortable Beth was with his family. They were obsessed with her as much as he was. Christian couldn’t have a conversation with his dad without his father raving about Beth and her business and her brains. He didn’t mind, of course.
Christian was on better terms with his dad than he had ever been, and he liked that their conversations could be about better topics than Christian’s irresponsibility. Christian knew his dad was proud of him, anyway, and Beth had encouraged him to no longer goad his father by acting out at club social events. Christian had been happy to follow Beth’s advice. He no longer wanted to cause trouble when he was with Beth. He was thrilled that the fight at the bonfire a year ago was the last time he had gotten physical or caused a scene.
After they ordered their meals, Anthony started asking Beth about her business.
“Mel and I have scoped out some office space,” Beth said. “It’s nothing big, but I think it’s important for clients to be able to come in for meetings.”
“And you’ve got clients lined up already, right?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah, we’ve been very lucky,” Beth said.
“Luck’s got nothing to do with it,” Barry said. “It’s all your talent.”
Beth blushed, and Christian admired the way her cheeks turned pink. He reached under the table and squeezed her hand.
His father was right. When clients of her old landscaping company heard that Beth and Mel were breaking off to start their own business, they had pledged loyalty to them. Several of them had declared that they wouldn’t let anyone but Mel maintain their gardens, and of course, they only wanted Beth’s designs for future projects.
Christian had no doubt that her business would flourish. Beth’s designs never ceased to amaze him. She had told him all about how her dad had been a remarkable architect, and she had learned so much at his knee. Christian knew how hard it was for Beth to talk about her dad, and he had been touched when she started to open up about it.