Brooklyn’s face is dark and angry and her mouth hangs open. She looks furious and I wait for her to yell, to insist that I’m being ridiculous.
Then, all at once, her brow clears and she deflates. “Maybe you’re right, Wes. We’ve been together for so long... Maybe somewhere along the way, we fell out of love.”
I shake my head sadly, remembering when we first got together all those years ago. I can barely remember why or how I asked her out. “Or, maybe it wasn’t love in the first place...”
Brooklyn sighs but doesn’t deny my words.
“So what is love, then?” she asks. “What you have with her?”
I frown, processing her words. I think of my mom, my closest friends and family members. And then, I think about Anaya. “When you love someone, you’re there for them when they need you. You listen and encourage them, and you support them no matter what. They’re your best friend and you put them first. You fight for them.”
Like I fought for Anaya last night when I finally told her how I feel. But, at the end of it, all she could say was: “you got what you wanted.”
But, doesn’t she know that I didn’t get what I wanted? Anaya knows that I don’t want to be with Brooklyn anymore — she overheard our conversation at the garden party... Didn’t she?
My heart slams in my chest and my eyes go wide. What if Anaya still thinks that I want to be with Brooklyn?
All this time, I’ve tried to communicate to Anaya — albeit badly — how much she means to me. That meeting her changed my life. But if she thinks that I still want to be with Brooklyn, it goes to show that there’s been a massive misunderstanding.
I need to find Anaya and tell her the truth. After a summer of honesty, of being so open with her, I owe her that.
“I have to go,” I say. “You’re a good person, Brooklyn, and there’s a guy out there just waiting to be your boyfriend for Senior Year. Good luck with everything.”
Without waiting for a response, I sprint out of the meadow and back to Legacy Inn. I’m running faster than I’ve ever run in my life, along the edge of the lake and towards the beach. My lungs ache and my head spins. I have to tell Anaya what I’m feeling, be completely honest, once and for all.
Where is she?
I run to the beach. She’s not there.
I head to her cabin next. Nobody home.
I fly towards the staff room at top speed.
My phone rings but I ignore it and keep running. It rings again, and I slow to pull it out of my pocket.
I stare at the screen and my mind whirls in confusion.
Why on earth is she calling me?
40
Anaya
My feet drag as I walk to the lake, huddled in my hooded sweatshirt. The sky is overcast and grey, and there’s a distinct chill in the morning air. It’s a sad reminder that summer will soon be over.
I reach the beach and my eyes roam the lake, but there’s no sign of Wes. I don’t know whether I would want him to be here. Since our break up two days ago, I haven’t seen him. He didn’t even turn up for work yesterday afternoon.
Shivers break over my skin, but I ignore the feeling as I strip off my sweatpants and hoodie. I run across the dock and dive in. The cold, clear water stings my body, and I relish the feeling.
I pull myself through the water as quickly as I can. The swim meet is only days away, and I’m not ready. Since Wes stopped training with me a couple of weeks ago, I’ve missed his motivation and encouragement, his smile and positive attitude.
To be honest, I no longer really care how I do. I have nothing to prove. Feeling the need to prove myself to others is what got me into this mess in the first place. I was so desperate to show Chloe and Isabella that I wasn’t a loser and, in the end, I lost the one person who made me feel like I might be good enough, just the way I am.
I miss him so much that it hurts. I can only hope that Brooklyn appreciates Wes. He deserves someone just as amazing and wonderful as he is.
I put my head down and focus on swimming, trying and failing to drive out my hectic thoughts. It’s a lost cause and I eventually admit defeat, returning to the dock. Today is definitely not the day for a new personal best.
I pull myself out of the water, shivering against the wind.
“Anaya!” A voice calls from across the beach.
I turn around and see… Brooklyn? Apparently, she’s learned how to pronounce my name. What could she possibly want with me? I hesitate as I grab my towel. Maybe it’s just a play to shove her happy relationship with Wes in my face. I want to be happy for him, and someday I will be — he is my friend, after all — but not now, not yet.
She waits for me on the beach while I slowly collect my things. She looks perfectly fashionable in her tight yoga clothes. With my navy one piece and my matted, dripping hair, I look like a drowned rat next to her.
As I approach her, I see that Brooklyn’s brow is furrowed, her face dark.
“Finally. I have something to tell you.” She takes a deep breath. “Wes’s dad has been in a car accident.”
I drop my things. “Is he okay?”
Brooklyn shrugs and crosses her arms. “I don’t know. I don’t know the details. I just heard what happened from my dad. He was the first responder on scene to the accident. He said Mr. Adams was rushed to the hospital.”
My head swims like I’m still underwater and my heart aches for Wes. “I can’t believe this. Is Wes okay? Where is he?”
“I don’t know. Sorry.”
I frown. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
She gives me a strange look. “Well, I haven’t spoken to him, but I assume that he’s at the hospital.”
“Aren’t you going to join him? He probably needs you, he shouldn’t do this alone.” I’m babbling, but I don’t care. I know Wes would want someone he loves to be with him. I can’t imagine him dealing with this all by himself.
“I don’t think I’m the one he wants to see.”
I screw up my face, more confused than ever. “What are you talking about?”
Brooklyn’s perfect face cracks for a moment. She looks surprised, but then rolls her eyes, exhaling loudly. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you guys. But either way, I thought you should know. Wes would want you to know.”
41
Wes
It’s funny how a single phone call can turn your world upside down.
One moment, I’m running across the Legacy Inn property to tell Anaya thatI love her. The next, I’m spending a sleepless night in Billings General Hospital. It’s amazing how quickly things can change.
I shift around on the stiff, plastic chairs in the waiting area. They’re deeply uncomfortable, too uncomfortable to get any semblance of sleep. But if I’m being honest, I likely wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.
A hand holding a styrofoam cup appears in my field of vision.
“Caffeine.” Rian passes me the cup and it’s half-filled with black coffee. “It’s lukewarm, but it’s the best they had.”
I give my dad’s girlfriend a pinched smile and she sinks into an orange chair next to mine. She takes a sip from her own cup, gags, and then pulls a face at the syrupy black liquid. “Disgusting.”
She looks exhausted and it’s clear that she hasn’t slept either. Her usually prim and groomed blonde bob is tied back into a messy ponytail, and she’s wearing glasses. Her eyes have huge bags under them and her sweatshirt has a small coffee stain.
And yet, she stares at the doors leading to the back of the hospital, alert and waiting. We’re hoping for word from his doctors soon.
“Oh, and I spoke to one of the on-call doctors on my way back,” she says before hazarding another sip of coffee. “Your dad should be out of surgery soon.”
I nod and clasp my hands around the warm coffee cup. The past twenty-four hours have felt like ten years. I haven’t eaten, haven’t slept. Rian and I have been waiting together, hovering around each other in a mostly awkward silence.
/> It’s the first time Rian and I have been alone together. I’ve only met her a couple of times in person, and I’ve never met her kids. I always thought of her as this horrible person who swooped in and stole my dad. But looking at her now — hunched, frail and pallid — she looks so... human. She’s a human who has made mistakes, like we all have.
“Your dad loves you, you know.” Her quiet voice snaps me from my thoughts and I wonder whether she truly said the words or if it was the work of my overtired brain. I meet her eyes and she smiles a small, genuine smile. The smile of someone who understands pain.
She looks away, staring at the doors again like it had never happened.
“Hey, Rian?” I say softly.
Her eyes flicker toward me and she tenses up. She’s nervous about what I’m going to say.
I hold up my cup and offer her a small smile in return. “Thanks.”
Rian’s face lightens and she nods. She clears her throat and then stands. “I should call the babysitter. I’m going to hunt down a payphone.”
Rian disappears down the hall and I frown at my phone. There’s zero reception in the hospital, meaning that I haven’t been able to contact Anaya or anyone at Legacy Inn. Not that Anaya would even want to hear from me... But I’d love to hear her voice right now, her laugh.
My mom stopped by this morning to check on me and get news about my dad. She didn’t come inside, but it felt nice to see her. As she was leaving, I asked her to call Legacy Inn and let Delia know I wouldn’t be at work. I hope Delia understands.
For now, it’s a waiting game. Just me, my service-less cell phone, and my lukewarm coffee. I shut my eyes and hope for a couple of minutes of rest.
“He’s awake,” a soft voice murmurs next to me.
My eyes shoot open. I must’ve fallen asleep because Rian is back and scrambling to her feet. I stand next to her, suddenly alert and wide awake.
“How is he?” Rian asks urgently at the same time as I say, “Can we see him?”
The nurse looks from me to Rian and back again. “He’s stable, and yes, you can see him. But only one at a time, for now.”
Her words are music to my ears and I smile, relieved. My dad may have turned my world on its head in recent months, but he’s still my dad. He’s still the man I looked up to for years, the one who got me into football, the one who used to tell me stories before bed.
I take a step forward to follow the nurse, and then realize that Rian has stepped forward as well. I pause and blush awkwardly. “After you.”
Rian smiles and shakes her head. She sits down and holds her half-drunk cup of coffee. “You go first, Wes. Your dad will want to see you.”
She shifts in the ridiculous plastic chair, looking worried and vulnerable. I reach out and awkwardly pat her shoulder. “Thank you.”
I take a deep breath and follow the nurse to my dad’s room. When I walk in, I think my heart might explode. He looks so small, so frail, in his hospital bed — nothing like the tall, athletic, burly man I know.
“Wes,” he croaks.
“Hey, Dad,” I say softly as I approach his bedside.
“Long time, no see, kiddo.”
Dad’s face is swollen and bruised, and a jagged line of stitches run down his cheek. His leg is in a cast and he’s hooked up to a dozen beeping, flashing machines.
I’m speechless for a moment, overcome with emotion. The worry, stress, fear and confusion I experienced all night comes to a head and I can’t bring myself to speak. I take a seat in the chair beside the bed.
“I’m so sorry,” I finally manage. “I was angry.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry, Wes.” Dad’s voice is rough and uneven, but I can hear the sadness, the shame, underneath it all. “Things between your mom and me weren’t good for a long time, but that’s no excuse for what I did. I’m so, so sorry, son.”
Tears prick my eyes and I stare at my hands, clasped tight in my lap. He let me down, let us down. But he’s my dad. Where do we go from here?
“Look, Wes,” he continues, though it sounds painful. “I know I wasn’t around a lot, and I know I haven’t been a great father in many ways, but I want you to know that I love you. I will always love you and you will always be my son. No matter what happens, that will never change. I just hope you can forgive me someday.”
He places his hand towards the edge of his bed and I glance at his face. His eyes are pleading and sincere. I remember the hours I spent on those horrible plastic chairs. I was so worried about him. I thought he might die. And here he is, wounded but alive.
I reach out and gently take his hand. “It’ll take some time. But we can work on it, Dad.”
His face lights up. “Well, if you want, you can always move back to Billings. I’ll do things right this time and we’ll make up for lost time together. You can go to Billings High for your Senior Year, take up your role as star quarterback. I know it won’t be exactly the same, but you can stay with me, Rian and the kids.”
The excitement is clear on his face and my heart beats loudly. What he’s offering is exactly what I wanted for months — a chance to return to my old life. And, even more than that, it’s a chance to start over with my dad, to spend proper time with him. If I take him up on his offer, I can settle back into how things were — aside from Brooklyn, of course. My future will be secure, my present will be the same as ever. Nothing will have changed...
But, there’s something wrong with that. I don’t want to return to my old life. I don’t want to return to my quarterback position, to walking the halls of Billings High in my letterman jacket. I don’t want to go back to my old group of friends.
The truth is that I’ve changed this summer. I’ve gained so much — a closer relationship with my mom, good friends at Legacy, a new school. And my relationship with Anaya. The real relationship we have — no matter if we’re just friends, or something more. My feelings for her were never fake and I know that I want to have her in my life. I can’t bear the thought of losing her, and if she wants to be friends, I will be her friend forever.
I squeeze my dad’s hand and shake my head. Brooklyn, my life in Billings, my star football career — they don’t define who I am. They’re a chapter of my life that has now come to a close. My past.
The rest of my story is just beginning. And my future is in Edendale, with the best friend I’ve ever had.
42
Anaya
I spend the afternoon hunched over in a corner of the staff room. The sun is stubbornly trying and failing to fight its way out from behind the clouds. Everything feels gray and colorless anyway.
My phone lies on my lap, useless. I’ve picked it up to text him a hundred times, but each time I open a message, I’m speechless. What can I even say? My heart hurts for him, but this isn’t about me— it’s about Wes. I don’t want to add to his stress by contacting him if he wants to be left alone.
After telling me what happened, Brooklyn disappeared and I ran to the Inn to speak with Delia. Apparently Wes’s mom had contacted her and said that Wes wouldn’t be at work for the day. Seeing the state I was in, Delia graciously gave me the day off as well. Luckily, there weren’t any lessons scheduled.
Since then, I’ve been waiting to hear any news. I’m hoping that Wes is okay, that his dad will pull through.
I just wish I could be there for him, like he’s been there for me all summer. I can’t imagine what he’s going through, he’s been through enough already. A tear falls down my cheek and I swipe it away.
“Got room for one more, dear?” Nath stands in front of me, smiling kindly. Her clothes are an absolute mess and she has dirt on her cheek.
I attempt a smile. “Sure.”
Nath brushes her hands on her soil-covered jeans, and sinks into the chair next to mine. “I have an update for you. Delia just heard from Wes and it sounds like his dad is going to be okay — just a broken leg and a whole lot of stitches.”
I sigh a massive breath of relief. “Thank goodness.�
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“Do you want me to take you to the hospital so you can see him? I know you don’t have a car here.”
I shake my head and wipe my nose with my sleeve. “No, thank you. I don’t think he wants to see me.”
“Now, I very much doubt that’s true.” Nath’s voice is sweet and kind. It makes me want to burst into tears all over again.
Instead, I take a deep breath. “We broke up.”
“Nonsense!” Nath waves a hand in front of her face. “That boy is crazy about you.”
I shake my head. “It was an act.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
I’m too tired and emotionally exhausted to fake it anymore. I tell Nath the entire story — the deal Wes and I made when we first met, my lie to Isabella, and Wes wanting Brooklyn back. I explain our contract and all of the pretenses and lies we’ve been keeping up for months.
I expect Nath to look shocked and horrified as I speak. But, she assesses me calmly, her face free of judgment.
When I finally finish, she gives me a stern look. “Anaya, you are much, much smarter than this.”
I shake my head, feeling like I’ve been slapped. “Sorry?”
Nath tuts. “You heard me. I stand by my words. That boy is crazy about you.”
“But he’s back with Brooklyn.”
“That blonde girl with the yappy dog?” Nath rolls her eyes. “I beg to differ.”
I blink. “What do you mean?”
“I saw her a moment ago, walking her dog. If they were together, she would be at the hospital. Besides, I’ve seen the way that boy looks at you. That kind of thing can’t be faked, no matter how good an actor he is. Unless he’s Kade Monroe, of course.”
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 31