“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
She forced a smile, and felt nostalgic sitting there in that spot with him, almost like they were teenagers again.
“How about you? What are you doing out here?” she asked after a pause.
Daniel bent over and rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands together. “Ah, you know, Katie.” He turned to look at her. “Marissa, you can be honest with me, right?”
She swallowed hard. “Of course.”
“Why didn’t she come home with you girls? What the hell is she doing up there?”
“I don’t know what she’s doing. All I know is she wanted to stay.” It wasn’t technically a lie. “Have you talked to her?”
“Yeah, once. She called the day she was supposed to come home and said she was going to be staying there. That she was confused and needed to figure some things out. I don’t even know exactly where she is to go find her so we can talk. She won’t even answer her phone.”
Marissa put her hand on his back and rubbed it softly. She could feel the muscles under his t-shirt, and that sent thrills through her. “Do you want to go get something to eat with me?”
He turned to look at her, and smiled sadly. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
They walked a little ways up the road to the Marina restaurant, and sat in a booth in the very back of the main dining room. There weren’t a lot of people there at that time of day, and with the lights dim it would appear like an intimate setting, but to them they were just two old friends catching up.
By the time they were done with their meals, it was dark outside. It was still hot and humid, but the temperature had gone down with the sun.
“Would you like to walk some?” Daniel asked her.
“I’d love to,” she said eagerly.
They both had had a few too many alcoholic beverages during dinner, so they were giddy like a couple of teenagers.
“God, I love this spot,” Marissa said, stopping in front of the waterfront. She leaned over and rested her elbows on the wooden railing, staring out at the sparkling moonlit water.
“Why is that? This was always your spot for as long as I can remember. Every time I come here, I can’t help but think of you. But I could never figure out why you liked it so much. Sure it’s pretty and peaceful, but what is it to you?”
She looked up at him, his silhouette framed by the moonlight. “I don’t know, really. It has always felt magical here. Like no matter how bad I was feeling or how alone I felt, all I had to do was come here and all would be better again, even if only for a little while. The sound of the river rippling against the rocks below and the feel of the river breeze would wrap me in a cocoon and make me feel at peace.”
“That’s pretty deep,” he said, laughing.
She stood up in front of him. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes.”
He looked at her, confused.
“Just do it, you big baby.” When he closed his eyes, she leaned in close to his ear, breathed in the clean smell of Irish Spring soap, and whispered softly, “Clear your mind.” She waited a second. “Is it clear?” she asked softly, and he nodded. “Good, now, focus on the water. Listen to it as it softly beats against the rocks on the shoreline. Do you hear it?”
He nodded again.
“Good, now hear the breeze as it blows over the river and rustles the leaves on the pear tree behind us. Now feel that breeze. Feel it wash all around you.” She ran a finger down the side of his arm. His face slackened, obviously liking the feel of her touch.
He slowly opened his eyes and stared at her. In that instant they were sixteen year olds again, young and in love, and nothing else mattered. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers. She didn’t stop him. Marissa had dreamed of that moment for so long.
He slowly pulled back and ran the back of his hand down the side of her cheek. “I’m not sorry I did that. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
“Me too,” Marissa said, breathless.
Daniel took a step back and smiled wide. He lifted his leg, and began to untie his shoes, took off his shirt, and right when he was unzipping his pants, Marissa finally spoke up, “What on Earth are you doing?”
“It seems like a nice night for a swim.” He pulled down his pants and boxers, exposing himself to her. He jumped over the railing and into the water until all that she could see of him was his head.
She ran up to the side of the railing, and stared at him, shocked. “Daniel!”
“Come on, I dare ya,” he called out, taunting her.
Never in her life had she backed down from a dare and she wasn’t about to start now, so she looked around to make sure no one was watching, and quickly stripped out of her clothes. Daniel watched her as her body glowed in the moonlight, looking as if he were remembering the last time they’d done this.
Unlike him, she climbed over the side of the railing. She threw one leg over at a time and eased herself into the water, allowing him to take in the sight of her and savor every minute, hoping it made him miss her, or at the very least, want her.
“’Atta girl,” he said, but he looked slightly disappointed.
Maybe it’s because he can’t see me naked anymore, she thought with a smile.
Once she was close to him, he splashed her to break the tension. She feigned shock and splashed him back. Soon, they were acting like teenagers again.
“Okay, okay, I give,” Marissa said, holding up both hands. She slowly swam the distance which separated them, and just as she was about to reach him, she leapt up and jumped on him and dunked him under the water. He came back up quickly, and before she could get away, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back to him. Smiling and breathing heavily, he crushed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting him even closer, her chest pressed hard against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed him like a boa constrictor, afraid if she let him go, even just a little bit, it would break their connection.
“It’s my chance again,” she whispered into his mouth.
“What?” he asked, pulling away from her, confused.
“Before I left New York, Katie and I talked, about everything. She reminded me of what I had told her the day I gave her my blessing to date you. She told me to remind you of that and to tell you it’s my chance again.”
“She told you to say that?” He dropped his arms from around her, and forced her legs off his waist. He backed away from her. “You knew she wasn’t coming back all this time, and you didn’t tell me? You lied straight to my face. Who does that?”
“Daniel, please, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just didn’t think it was my place to tell you.”
“Is she ever coming back?”
Marissa shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
He lunged toward her in the water, and grabbed her by both arms. “What did she say?”
She was shocked by the sudden outburst, her eyes began to fill with tears. “She said she was living a lie, that the life she had here was meant for me not her, and you know what? She was right. It was supposed to be you and me!”
“I can’t believe this,” he said, pushing away from her again.
“Daniel, please stop. Talk to me,” she yelled after him.
“I can’t deal right now, Marissa,” Daniel said over his shoulder. He climbed back over the railing, grabbed his clothes, and disappeared into the shadows.
Chapter Fourteen
A month had gone by, and Marissa still hadn’t seen Daniel since the night on the waterfront. Since then, her job had started. She’d even found an old two-bedroom house to rent in New Bern’s downtown historic district. It was quaint and romantic, just her type, with a mixture of antique wood and iron fixtures. Katie had come back home briefly only once since they had all gone to New York together, sans Eduardo, but she didn’t stay long. Her visit lasted just long enough to settle affairs and pack some o
f her stuff. The group of girls hung out at Marissa’s house before she left, but it still felt unreal.
Marissa, Becca, and Jess had kept in touch like they promised, and even still did their weekend get-togethers.
They were meeting at a seafood restaurant in New Bern at seven o’clock for dinner, and they’d planned to head to the night club beside it afterwards. Marissa hadn’t been to the club yet, and after the exhausting week she had she was looking forward to the release.
By the time they were done eating and catching up on their week, it was around nine o’clock. They left their cars at the restaurant, and walked to the club. Apparently, nine o’clock was still fairly early for a club, but they didn’t care. They got their pick of a table, got drinks easily, and it was still quiet enough to hear each other speak.
“So did Katie say when she was coming back yet?” Becca asked.
Jess shook her head. “No, they have been busy at the restaurant. She promised to visit again soon, though.”
“I guess she really is staying there,” Becca said solemnly.
“Yep, Mattie even got accepted at NYU. She’s living with them.”
“Wow, I wonder how Daniel is doing,” Marissa said, concerned.
“I don’t know,” Jess said. “I saw him at the grocery store the other day. He put on a brave face but refused to talk about Katie. I guess it’s understandable.”
“Poor guy,” Becca said, looking down in her glass.
“Yeah, poor guy,” Marissa said, draining the last of her cocktail. “I’m going to get another. Do any of you want anything while I’m up there?”
Both girls shook their heads.
Marissa placed her order with the bartender, and stood looking around as she patiently waited.
“Marissa?”
Marissa turned around at the sound of her name. When she saw the man who’d spoken to her staring at her from a nearby table, she froze and did a double-take. It felt like her heart fell out of her chest.
“It really is you,” the man said, standing up and walking toward her.
Still frozen, she continued to stare at him. He looked almost the exact same, although somewhat old for their age. His dark hair was buzzed close to his scalp, and his five o’clock shadow was three days overdue. He was so close she could smell the rich cologne he bathed himself in before going out, which was the complete opposite of Daniel’s fresh scent. Once upon a time she’d thought he was gorgeous, and he probably still was, but her view had changed through the years.
“Well, aren’t you going to speak?” he asked, staring at her as if expecting a hug or something.
“Hello, Randy. How are you?” she whispered through the dry grit in her throat.
“I’m good. Just cutting loose with a few of my buddies. How about you? Are you living around here again?”
Marissa swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She hadn’t seen Randy since she ran away twenty years ago, and facing him was what feared the most about coming back. “Yeah, I moved back almost two months ago.”
“Where have you been all this time?”
“I moved to Pennsylvania.”
“Ahh…the last time I saw you was graduation. I always wondered what happened to you.”
“I had to go,” she said simply.
“Without a goodbye? I thought we had a good thing going.”
Good was the last thing it was, she thought to herself, but said, “It was time.”
“Well the County wasn’t the same without you. I’m glad you’re back.”
His words put her a little at ease. I guess he has changed, she thought to herself. She relaxed some and even smiled. “I actually live here in town. I work at the hospital. The drive is much better than from the County.”
“Cool, what do you do at the hospital?”
“I’m a doctor,” she said proudly.
“Wow, a doctor. That’s impressive. Have a drink with an old friend and catch up?”
Marissa looked back at the table where her friends were, then back at him. “Maybe some other time. My friends are waiting for me, but it was great to see you.”
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her by the arm and held her in place. She stopped, and looked down at his hand then back at his face, noticing the glassy, elsewhere look in his eyes. “Why are you leaving so soon? You too good to talk to me now? I just want to have a drink with you. Especially since you just up and left me without an explanation. I think I deserve a little time now.”
“Ouch, Randy, you’re hurting me,” she whined.
“How about you remove your hand from her arm? Or I will remove your arm from your body.”
They both turned to see Daniel standing a few feet away from them, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused. Randy let go of her arm and held both hands up. “I was just talking to her.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Randy stood up straight, looking Daniel in the face. “What’s it to you who she talks to? Last I heard, you were married to someone who isn’t Marissa. Your loss, by the way.”
Daniel took another step toward Randy, closing the distance. Marissa quickly jumped in between them. “Daniel, stop it. It’s fine. I promise.” He looked down at her, his gaze hazy. She turned to look at Randy. “Thank you for the drink offer, but my friends really are waiting for me. It was good catching up with you, but I do not owe you anything.” She gave him a quick, drop-dead sort of smile and turned back toward Daniel, her lackluster smile fading, “Come on, I’ll take you back to your table. Just lead the way.” Once he was seated at his table, Marissa went back to her own.
“What was that all about?” Becca asked.
“I’m not really sure,” she said, looking back at Daniel.
“Are you okay?” Becca asked, putting a hand on Marissa’s shoulder.
Marissa turned to look at Randy, and shook her head. “Yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. It was a long time ago, and I’m a different person now. I guess some people really can’t change, to some extent, anyway. My change is all that really matters though. I can’t be afraid of him forever.” She turned back and looked between Becca and Jess. “Come on, let’s go dance. I came here to have a good time, and damn it that’s what I’m going to do.” Marissa grabbed both of their hands and dragged them out on the dance floor. They danced and laughed and had a great time. That was until Marissa turned around to find Randy dancing inches from her. She smiled nervously, then turned back around to face Becca and Jess, but just as she did she felt a hand go around her waist. Choosing to ignore him, Marissa decided to leave the dance floor. She needed to put some space in-between them, and compose herself. She made her way through the crowd, and escaped into the ladies’ bathroom. She put both hands on each side of the sink, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was no longer the naive girl who let Randy do whatever he felt like to her. She was stronger, older, and she didn’t have to take it from him or anyone else. A part of her felt silly for thinking he had changed, even just a little bit. She should have known better. She took a few deep breaths, feeling much more confident than she did before. She stood up straight and turned to leave, but just as she was about to open the door, it swung open and Randy stumbled in. He grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him.
“Randy, what the hell?” she yelled in shock.
“What, you’re too good for me now?”
“You’re drunk.”
“So? You never minded before. You may think you’re too good for me now, but you’re not.” He snatched a fist full of her hair and brought her mere inches from his face. His breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. “You may have left, but you’re still the same screwed-up little girl you always were.”
“I am not,” she seethed.
He laughed in her face, his hot breath slamming into her again. “Yeah, you are. People don’t change. Come on, baby, I remember how you used to wrap those long legs around me.” He pulled her head even closer, a
nd crushed his lips to hers. She clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to taste his rank breath. “You know you missed me.”
“Randy, please.”
“Yeah, baby, beg like you want me,” he said, his voice becoming husky with desire.
She shook her head, but he didn’t care. With one hand in her hair and the other still on her arm, he slammed her against the metallic wall of a stall.
“Please don’t,” she cried.
He ignored her, clasped both wrists with one massive hand in front of her, and fidgeted with the zipper on his pants with the other. Once his pants were around his ankles, he eagerly reached under her short skirt and ripped her delicate panties away.
“I knew you missed me. I bet you’re all ready for me too.” Grabbing both of her wrists again, he pulled her arms up above her head, and kicked both of her legs apart. All she could do was cry. He tried to kiss her again, but she quickly turned her head and screamed out.
“Shut up!” he yelled in her face and punched her in the side of her head with his free hand. Her vision got blurry, and she couldn’t focus on what was going on, even when the stall door swung open and he released her from his tight grip. Without him holding her up, she fell to the cold tile floor and cradled herself. When her vision finally cleared, she could see two men fighting in the open space. Confused, she pulled herself up to her feet with the help of the commode and braced herself against the wall until she was standing in the doorway. She looked at the man standing over Randy, wondering if the paralyzing blow to her head did a little brain damage because she could swear the newcomer was Daniel.
“Daniel?” she whispered.
At the sound of his name, Daniel looked up at her. He let go of Randy’s collar, letting his bloody head fall to the hard floor. He dissolved into tears at the sight of her. Her clothes were disheveled, her make-up had run down her face from crying, and her beautiful blonde hair was stained red with blood on the left side of her head. Anger seared through him again. He brought his heavy boot down hard, slamming it against the side of Randy’s ribcage.
Hometown Girls: Reunion Page 9