by Jolie, Meg
She shrugged as she swatted my hand away. “I guess we always want what we can’t have. And what I want are your curls. And your jacket.”
“You are welcome to both.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Are we about ready to get out of here?”
I eyed up the pile of clothes on my bed. She must’ve decided another clothing change was not in order. I’d deal with the mess later.
“Sure. We’re just meeting Casey and Beth Ann there, right?”
“Yeah. And Mel should be there too. She was so excited for tonight. She came into our room and raided our closets twice this week,” Riley said with a laugh.
“Good for her,” I said with a smile as my phone started to ring. “I hope everything works out for her.”
I crossed the room to my bed and picked up my phone. I glanced at it and then silenced it.
“Who was that?” Riley asked.
“My dad,” I said as I shoved the phone into my pocket.
“Edward’s been calling you?” She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Strange, I know,” I said with an edge to my tone. “He doesn’t call often but he used to call never.”
“Do you ever talk to him?”
I laughed self-consciously. “Believe it or not, I do. It’s just that usually his timing is terrible, like now. And then he can’t understand why I sometimes need to cut him off. Sometimes it’s just easier not to talk to him at all.” Truth be told, it was always easier not to talk to him at all. But I felt guilty if I ignored him too often. However, tonight was an exception. I didn’t feel guilty because I was busy with Riley.
“Well then,” Riley said as she put her hand on her hip, “if you’re ready, I think we should get out of here.”
I laughed. “Riley, I’ve been ready for almost an hour. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Let’s get out of here then.”
“So tell me again, where, exactly, are we going?” I asked as we made our way down the stairs.
“Beth Ann’s boyfriend has been living in a rented cabin on the lake. He’s having a party but it’s invite only. We, thanks to Beth Ann, are invited.”
Fortunately Riley had paid attention when Beth Ann had given her directions. The cabin was tucked away at the edge of town. We drove on a winding dirt road until we came upon the driveway that was back in the woods.
“This has to be it,” Riley said as we turned down it. As soon as we did, a line of cars came into view.
“For invite only, it looks like a lot of people showed,” I surmised.
She shrugged. “You know how these things go.”
I parked behind the last car in the line. The moment we got out, I could hear music. It was probably coming from down by the lake. We made our way closer to the cabin, greeting a few people that we knew along the way.
Laurie, a girl we knew from the dorms called out as we walked by. “Hey ladies! The keg is down by the lake. And if you’re looking for Casey or Beth Ann, they’re both down there too.”
“Thanks!” I told her.
“No problem. I’m glad you showed up. I don’t see you out very often.”
Riley threw her arm around my shoulder. “She’s here now.”
“Hey! Riley!”
We both turned to see who had called out to her. A smile spread across her face as we caught sight of a tall, lanky blond lumbering our way. He must’ve just come out from the cabin because I hadn’t seen him a few seconds ago.
“That’s Kevin. He lives here too. Do you mind if I talk to him for a minute?” Riley asked.
“No, that’s okay. But maybe I’ll just go look for Beth Ann and Casey.”
“Just follow the trail down to the lake,” Laurie said. “It’s that way.”
There was a row of trees that had a break in it where a wide dirt path appeared.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I won’t be long,” Riley assured me.
I crossed the lawn to the path. The sun was just beginning to set. The closer I got to the lake, the louder the party became. Along with the music I could make out the sound of laughter and gently rippling waves. The dim hum of multiple conversations buzzed through air. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much I needed a night out. I’d been staying home too much lately, acting like a recluse, probably wallowing in my self-pity a bit too much.
I was looking forward to having a good time tonight. A bonfire on the beach, good friends, good music, and a gorgeous evening under the stars sounded like a great distraction. Casey and Riley especially were a lot of fun to be around. I was silently vowing to myself to go out more when my footsteps slammed to a halt when I noticed the sight before me. My heart felt as though it skipped a few beats before taking off again.
This could not be happening.
Melanie’s shiny red hair was nearly impossible to miss. Yet, that wasn’t what had caught my attention. Noah was leaning against a tree, looking down at her, a smile on his lips. Whatever she was saying, it had his full attention.
I stood frozen, as if watching that proverbial train wreck. Knowing you shouldn’t look, that you aren’t going to like what you see, yet unable to look away. Yeah, that was me.
A mixture of jealousy, sorrow, and regret grabbed hold of my heart. It wrapped around it, squeezing it painfully.
Melanie’s hand slid up to Noah’s cheek. I told myself to look away. Better yet, my brain commanded my feet to walk away but my feet refused to listen. I stared for a few horrible, drawn out seconds. Noah’s mouth met Melanie’s in a slow, drawn out kiss. His hands skimmed down her back, resting gently on her hips. She moved in closer as her arms went around his neck.
It felt as though I’d been standing there forever, yet it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. My feet finally managed to receive the message my brain had been screaming at them. I turned around—because there was no way I could keep walking straight ahead. The gravel skidded under my sandal.
To me, the sound was deafening. I cringed as I prepared to dart away. I had only managed a few steps when Melanie called out my name.
I kept walking. Not too fast. I didn’t want to look like I was running away.
“Emory!” Melanie tried again. I heard her mutter something to Noah and then I heard her footsteps grating against the gravel as she tried to catch up to me.
I realized I had to stop. I’d look like a crazy person if I just continued to ignore her.
I was really left with no choice. I stopped and let her catch up to me but I didn’t turn around.
“Emory, I want you to meet someone! I already introduced him to Casey and Beth Ann,” she said with a big smile. Her eyes were sparkling and I couldn’t remember ever seeing Melanie so happy.
I, on the other hand, felt nauseous.
I looked at her and forced a smile. I was going to keep myself from looking at Noah for as long as I could. I felt my lip trembling, my eyes were burning, my throat was constricting. This was not good. I could not cry. Oh, please, not now.
“Noah,” Melanie said, “this is—”
“Emory,” he finished for her.
I glanced up at him. I hadn’t heard him walk up, closing the distance between us. A look of confusion flashed across his face.
“You know each other?” Melanie asked, suddenly looking confused as well.
I cleared my throat and turned back to Melanie. Maybe we could finish this introduction and I could just leave. Not go up to the party…simply leave. There was no way I could stay here tonight.
“Yeah. We, uh…we went to school together.” I tried to force a smile. It probably came out as more of a grimace. I wrapped my arms around my stomach. My hands were shaking and I felt like my knees were about to give out on me. I glanced over my shoulder at the trail behind me. The row of trees that separated this winding trail from the front yard was only about twenty feet away.
It felt like twenty miles as I stood here, feeling trapped in place.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I h
ad no idea.”
“Well,” I said as I took a step away, “it was nice seeing you again.”
“Yeah,” he said. “You too.”
I spun ready to hurry out of there. The moment I was facing away from Noah I felt the tears reemerge.
“Emory!” Melanie called after me. “Where are you going?”
Anywhere but here, I thought.
I had every intention of getting back to my car as quickly as possible. I’d only managed to take a few steps when Melanie’s hand clamped around my elbow, she took me by surprise with her firm grip.
“Hey,” she said. “The party is this way. Casey and Beth Ann are down at the lake already. You can walk down with Noah and I. We…” she faded off as she got a good look at me. “Are you okay? You seem really…”
I quickly brushed the tears off of my cheek.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded. She glanced over her shoulder, presumably at Noah. I wasn’t about to look back to be sure. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.
“It’s nothing. I’m just not feeling the best. I shouldn’t have come tonight so I think I’m going to head home. We’ll talk later,” I said as I pulled my arm free. I could tell she was about protest but before she could say a word, Riley appeared on the path.
“Hey guys!” Her huge smile faltered a bit. “Hey, Mel. Emory?” I subtly shook my head but she either ignored it or didn’t understand. Her brow furrowed in concern and I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. “Noah,” she said in a chilly tone.
“Riley,” he returned.
“What’s going on?” Riley demanded. She looked at Noah with irritation in her eyes, then back at me. “Did you and Noah have another fight?”
As if this moment needed to become any more unbearable.
“I need to get out of here,” I whispered.
“Sure,” she said as she looped her arm through mine. “I got it from here,” she said to Melanie.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Riley must’ve assumed that Noah and I had a fight and that Melanie had been trying to comfort me.
“Oh, Noah’s not with…” Melanie faded off. She was silent for a few moments as everything clicked into place for her. “No. Oh, no.”
I gave her an apologetic look but she was looking at Noah. I didn’t want to look at him but I couldn’t stop myself. He looked as uncomfortable as I was. Melanie’s gaze swung back to me, then Noah again.
“You didn’t just go to high school together. You two…” She faded off as the realization sunk in. The happy sparkle from just a few minutes ago fizzled out completely. She knew that things had ended badly with my ex. She knew we’d been together for a long time and that I was nowhere near over him. What she didn’t know, until possibly right that second, was that Noah was the ex I was nowhere near over. She shook her head in disbelief. “Emory, I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t,” I said as I forced a smile. “So I’m just going to go and you two,” I vaguely motioned their way, “can just carry on.”
“Emory—”
“Don’t worry about it. Really.” I was only slightly aware that she continued to protest, or maybe apologize. I tugged my arm free from Riley’s. I didn’t stick around to hear what anyone else had to say. I just had to get out of there. I hurried back up the path, passing a bewildered looking Laurie.
I heard her call out my name but I ignored her. I was almost to my car by the time I heard Riley running, trying to catch up to me.
“Emory, slow down!”
I did as she requested but only after I reached my car.
“You can stay,” I said as I wiped away the river of tears that had begun to fall. “I’m sure Casey will give you a ride back to the dorms.”
“Nope, not happening,” Riley said. She plucked my keys from my hand. I didn’t protest. I fell into my passenger seat. Luckily my glove box was well stocked with tissues. This past year I’d used more than my fair share of them and I never let the supply dwindle.
We drove in silence for awhile. We were halfway back to my house when Riley spoke up.
“I feel like this is my fault.”
“Why would this be your fault?”
“I made that smartass comment to Noah the other day. About him not dating? I probably put the idea in his head. Made him feel like he had to or something,” Riley grumbled.
“I don’t think it was that. I think it had more to do with the fact that Melanie’s really cute.”
“She feels terrible. She couldn’t say too much with Noah standing right there, but it’s obvious she feels really bad,” Riley said sympathetically.
I blew my nose and tried to dry off my tears.
“It’s not her fault. Noah’s allowed to date whoever he wants. Melanie’s a sweet girl. She’d probably be really good for him.”
Riley shot me a look.
“I just really could’ve done without stumbling upon them kissing,” I said as the tears came again.
“Oh, Emory,” Riley said softly. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “They just took me by surprise, that’s all. I mean, I rounded this curve in the path and they were right there and…” I wasn’t going to finish that sentence.
“You know that Melanie isn’t going to see him again, don’t you?”
I turned to look at Riley. She pulled her eyes from the road long enough to glance at me. Her look was full of concern and it made my tears well up all over again.
“Did she tell you that?” I asked.
“No. But you know how she is. She’d never date Noah if she thought it would hurt you. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they left right behind us.” She glanced in the rearview mirror, as if she truly thought they would’ve ended things the very moment I walked away.
I let out a frustrated groan. “I don’t want her to do that. If she likes him…,” clearly, she did, “she has every right to date him. And if he likes her, and why wouldn’t he…?”
“Don’t do that. You don’t have to be all selfless,” Riley commanded.
I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m far from selfless. It’s just really none of my business who Noah dates. But if he’s going to date someone, I’m glad it’s Melanie. He deserves someone like her.” That didn’t mean I had to like it. In fact, I pretty much hated it.
“I thought you two were making some progress,” Riley said.
“We are. We’re talking again. But that’s a long, long way from dating,” I pointed out.
“Do you know what we’re going to do?”
I glanced at her. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“We’re going to go back to your house and I’m going to spend the night. I’m going to make some popcorn. Then we’re going to curl up on your couch and scare ourselves senseless with some horror movie that will take your mind completely off of this situation.”
“Sounds good,” I said glumly. I was grateful that she was trying to cheer me up. I didn’t bother pointing out that there was no movie scary enough to chase away the sight of Noah with some other girl in his arms.
Chapter FIVE
“Are you sure you’re ready to be done?” I asked my little brother.
He nodded so I proceeded to scrub his head with a towel. Water droplets fell to the tiled floor as rivers of water ran over our toes. The comforting scent of wet cedar and the strong scent of chlorine filled the large pool area.
“I’m surprised you didn’t want to swim longer,” I admitted. “Is your leg bothering you?”
We were at the Timber Bay Lodge. It was a local resort that sold daily pool passes. Swimming was an activity that was easy on Tyler’s injured leg. We came here often. Usually, I had to pull him out of the water. Sometimes, a bribe or two had to be employed. I was surprised when tonight, he’d gotten out on his own accord.
“It’s fine,” he said in answer to my question. “I just want to go home.”
“You want to go back to Aubrey’s?” I asked with a frown as I wrapped a towel a
round his body. I shivered as reached for my own towel.
I’d picked him up after school. We’d been swimming for a little over an hour. This time of year, and this time of day, the pool was pretty quiet. At the moment we were the only ones in here.
He shook his head at me. “No. I want to go home.”
Oh. Right. I should’ve realized that’s what he meant. He wanted to go back to our house. He must’ve wanted it badly if he’d been willing to finish up with swimming early. I couldn’t blame him. Despite how wonderful our aunt and uncle were, living with them had been a huge adjustment for all of us.
“We’re going back to the house for awhile,” I assured him.
His little chin jutted out. His eyes were wide and his mouth had drooped into an unhappy expression. “Can I stay with you? Overnight?”
So that’s what this was about.
I made it a point to do something with my brother a few times a week. He often stayed overnight on the weekend. However, this past weekend he hadn’t. I had gone out on Friday night—and now wished I’d stayed home—and he’d gone to a sleepover the following night.
“That sounds like a plan to me. Let me text Aubrey to let her know. Then…,” I scrunched up my face, pretending to be deep in thought, “I think we should stop at the grocery store. I think that cheeseburgers, homemade fries and chocolate malts should be on the dinner menu.”
He grinned at me and nodded. I had known he would. It was his favorite meal and usually reserved for his birthday.
“Yes!” he exclaimed. “Do we have to have a vegetable with it?”
I laughed. “I think that just for tonight, we’ll consider the fries our veggie.”
This earned me an adoring smile and my heart melted.
I walked over to the table that we’d overtaken and grabbed his clothes. “You go change. I’ll let Aubrey know you’re staying with me.”
“Will she let me? It’s a school night.” His smile slipped and he looked concerned.
“I know she doesn’t want to make a habit out of it, but I’m sure it’ll be fine for tonight.” Both Aubrey and I had agreed it was best to keep Tyler on a routine during the school year. I was also sure that since we’d missed our weekend visit, she’d be lenient tonight. Fortunately, I’d been building a good relationship with my aunt. I was sure that if I told her I thought this was best for Ty, she wouldn’t question it.