The Ex's Confession

by L. C. Davenport

  Locke eyed Rebecca speculatively. “Why do you have all those books?”

  “I was a lit major in college.”

  “That explains a lot,” Locke mused, looking out the window. “I think a trip to the bookstore would definitely be in order.”

  When they left the restaurant, Nicole dragged Elliot down the street to get tickets for the carriage ride. Elliot looked back at Rebecca for a moment before allowing himself to be led away.

  Locke and Rebecca spent two hours happily puttering around the store. When she finally pried herself out, Locke carried two bags full of books for her. “I’m never going to fit these in my suitcase,” she laughed.

  “That’s what post offices are for. Come on, I’ll mail them home for you. I have to pick up the mail anyway.”

  “Don’t you have a mailbox?”

  Shaking his head, Locke laughed. “No one does. We all have to trudge through town to get it, unlike you sissified city people.”

  Rebecca gave him a reproachful look. “You have a mailbox part of the year,” she pointed out.

  Locke cocked his head to one side. “True, but it’s fun to tease you. I can see why Elliot likes you.”

  Rebecca held the door open for him. “Liked,” she corrected.

  “That’s a matter of interpretation.”

  The Sky was starting to cloud up when they left the post office. Rebecca was about to suggest they start back to the house when they heard a piercing shriek come from one of the carriages across the street. “Who is that?” she cried, looking around.

  Locke started to laugh so hard he had to put his hands on his knees. Over his laughter, Nicole’s voice rang out. “That’s disgusting! How can they let the horses do that, and in public? Elliot, you better ask for a refund!”

  Rebecca looked at the scene in front of her and started to laugh as well. Right behind the horse’s rear end, in a brown steaming heap, was the evidence of Nicole’s disgust.

  “Isn’t someone going to get rid of it? What do you mean, they just leave it there? Elliot, this is so not romantic!”

  Rebecca and Locke were laughing so hard they were clinging to each other in an effort to stay upright. The carriage passed them slowly and as it did, Elliot’s eyes caught Rebecca’s. He took one look at their hands grasping each other and turned away, his expression dark.

  The house was quiet when they returned. They hadn’t seen Elliot or Nicole since the horse incident in the street, and Rebecca suspected Elliot was trying to pacify Nicole with a romantic… something. She went in search of Haley and found her in the sunroom on the phone. She waved when Rebecca came in the room.

  “Hold on a minute, Ben. Rebecca, how was your morning? Did you do anything fun?”

  Rebecca shrugged. “Locke and I went to a bookstore–”

  “Trust you to find a bookstore on an island that’s only eight miles in circumference.”

  “–And we witnessed Nicole’s reaction to the horses pooping in the street.”

  Haley looked confused for a moment before she started to chuckle. “I would’ve liked to have seen that.”

  Grinning, Rebecca said, “It was worth the trip. Where are Cassie and Michael?”

  A knowing smile crept across Haley’s face. “I haven’t seen them all morning. There have been some very interesting noises coming from upstairs, though. I’d stay down here if I were you.”

  Rebecca flushed. There were some things about your sister’s life you just didn’t want to know–especially when you had dated her husband. “Thanks for the warning. And tell Ben I said, hey.”

  She wandered through the main floor of the house, knowing she would end up in the library. When she made her way there, the drapes were open, but the light coming through the windows was dim.

  “I think we’re in for a storm,” said Locke from the piano bench.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

  Locke waved her in. “You’re not. I was just getting ready to practice the songs for dance class tomorrow. We’re still on, right?”

  “Sure.” Rebecca found her book from the day before and settled in a chair to read. Locke played through several pieces, all ones Rebecca didn’t know, and then put his elbows on the piano and stared at her. She didn’t notice for a few minutes; she was busy listening to the first drops of rain splash against the windowpanes. It was a very comforting sound.

  “Rebecca, why did you break your engagement with Elliot?”

  The book fell to the floor with a thud and Rebecca bent down to retrieve it, glad to have an excuse to hide her face. When she straightened, her expression was composed.

  “We were both too young to get married,” she said with finality, hoping he would drop the subject.

  “That’s what you told Elliot, but there has to be more to it than that.”

  Rebecca’s eyes flew to his. “How do you know about that conversation?”

  “Elliot and I have been friends since college. It came up a few times.”

  She stood up and walked to the window. The rain was falling faster now, and she wondered if Elliot and Nicole had been caught in the storm. “I told him the truth,” she said after a long silence. “He just didn’t actually listen to me.”

  “He seems to think your aunt had something to do with your decision.”

  “What exactly did Elliot tell you?”

  Locke’s eyes were piercing as they looked at her. “He said your aunt convinced you that he wasn’t good enough for the daughter of William Done, and that you agreed with her.”

  Her hands fisted at her side. “That’s not true,” she said through gritted teeth. “Faye talked to me, that much is true, but she never said anything about him not being good enough. And if she did, I certainly wouldn’t have believed her.”

  Locke’s voice softened. “Then what exactly did you tell him?”

  Rebecca could remember the scene as though it had happened that morning rather than seven years before. “I told him that we were too young, that we should wait to get married until we were a few years older. Then he yelled at me for a while and sped off after I gave him back his ring.” She rubbed her forehead with fingers that were cold from tracing the raindrops as they trailed down the window.

  Locke was quiet for a moment. When he spoke he had the sadness of the ages in his voice. “He seemed to think that if you had waited you would have found someone else you liked better than him.”

  Rebecca whirled around. “How could he possibly think that?” she cried. “I told him I loved him. I didn’t want to break up with him, just delay marriage for a while. Why didn’t he listen to me?”

  Locke smiled bitterly. “Because he knew he had found the love of his life and was deathly afraid of what would happen to him if he let you slip through his fingers.”

  “He seems to have survived just fine.”

  “You don’t think any of that stuff with Nicole is an act?”

  “You tell me. Has he or has he not been on a romantic–well, except for the horse–outing with her all day?”

  Locke pulled a face. “Come on, Bex. You know better than that.”

  Rebecca froze at his use of Elliot’s old nickname for her. “No one calls me that,” she whispered.

  “Elliot does. He said your name in his sleep for the first three years I knew him, and that was a year after you broke the engagement. He never forgot you, Rebecca. He tried to date other people, but it never worked. He couldn’t get you out of his head.”

  Rebecca felt her head spin. “Do you love him?” Locke asked, getting up and placing his hands on her shoulders.

  She opened her mouth to deny it, but couldn’t. “I don’t know,” she said miserably. “And I’m afraid to find out.”

  Locke pulled her close, resting her head on his chest. “It’s a big risk, isn’t it? Especially when you’re not sure how he feels.” He stopped and laughed. “He is being rather obvious, but I guess that’s why they say love is blind. Everyone can see it but poor Rebecca, who�
��s as blind as a bat.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Locke looked at her pityingly. “You are obtuse, aren’t you? Then I would suggest you figure out how you feel. I know what it’s like to live with regret. I’d hate to see my best friend do the same thing for the rest of his life, if he doesn’t have to.”

  The next morning Rebecca woke before anyone else and showered quickly. She needed to be alone for a while.

  She walked down the road slowly, following the route they had taken the morning before. When she passed the internet cafe, she thought about Jen and Scott. She wondered if Scott had unearthed anything in William’s bank accounts that made any sense.

  She walked in, intending to email Jen and ask, but the line to get a computer was long. She was turning around to leave when she heard someone call her name.

  “Rebecca! What are you doing here?”

  She turned to see Elliot waving at her from a table by the window and walked over to him. “I was going to email Jen,” she said, “but the line’s long, and I don’t have a laptop. I can call her later.”

  “I’m about done; you can use mine.” He minimized his window and pushed her into his chair.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I won’t take long.”

  “Take as long as you want. I’ll go buy us something to eat.”

  Rebecca watched him as he left the building and then logged onto her email account. After sending Jen a message asking her to call if she had any news, she glanced out the window. Elliot was nowhere in sight. She hesitated, knowing she shouldn’t read his files, but the temptation was too great. She opened one tab and scanned the Tribune article, releasing a breath of relief. It was just a travel-guide sort of column extolling the virtues of Mackinac Island.

  When she minimized it, though, she found herself staring at another column that was open behind it. Her gaze fell on the top line–a note from Elliot’s editor that read, ‘I’m sure you know why I cannot print this. You are an idiot, Elliot. Just tell the girl how you feel. And you had better not be playing one girl against another one! But keep writing about her. You can’t believe the amount of fan mail you have sitting on your desk.’ Rebecca glanced back at the street. Still no Elliot. Feeling guilty, she read the one that hadn’t been printed.

  Envy

  by Elliot Winters

  I have invented a time machine.

  No, really. I boarded an airplane a couple of days ago, landed in Michigan, and here I am, living in a Victorian house at the turn of the century.

  You skeptics out there have never been to Mackinac Island. Here there is no traffic because there are no cars. People use their legs to walk instead of running on a treadmill, and life is a lot slower than the frantic pace we all know and love.

  All right, all right. I haven’t really invented a time machine. But it sure feels like it.

  Guests at the hotel’s restaurant are required to ‘dress for dinner’, and every few minutes a horse-drawn carriage rolls past.

  There is one person who seems remarkably suited to the place, and I find myself wishing she hadn’t embraced the Mackinac culture–or its inhabitants–quite so thoroughly.

  I can see her in my mind’s eye, walking down Main Street with my old college roommate. She’s dressed in a frock that accentuates her eyes, and they meander along the storefronts, taking their time and getting to know each another better. My soon to be former best friend, his hands filled with their purchases, can’t seem to keep his gaze off her easy smile and upturned eyes.

  Now I know this is all in my imagination, but over the past few days, I have been witness to an amazing transformation, an emotional rebirth, if you will. This woman, this simple, unassuming woman, has taken my friend and resurrected him from his past.

  I can’t help but compare her to the girl I took on a ridiculous carriage ride this morning. My companion, while pleasant on the eyes of men, you’ll know what I mean, was: whiny, clingy, and, worst of all, self-absorbed.

  The woman my friend escorted was none of those things, and I envied him the hours he spent in her company.

  Before I start to get all maudlin and weepy, I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not begrudge him his moment of happiness. He deserves it, and I wish him bliss with whichever woman he chooses.

  But I can’t help but hope that somehow, we can trade places.

  Chapter Nine

  “Rebecca? Rebecca, are you all right?”

  Elliot’s voice seemed very far away. “Rebecca?”

  Gasping, Rebecca wrenched her attention from the column that would never be printed in the newspaper and looked straight into Elliot’s eyes. He stared at her over the top of the computer, looking concerned.

  “I’m fine,” she said faintly. She looked back down at the screen and panicked. Crap. I’m not supposed to be reading this. She tried to close the window without appearing too obvious, but she knew Elliot was watching her.

  “Been reading anything interesting?” Elliot’s voice was nonchalant, but when she glanced at him, he was still staring at her intently. There was a strange mixture of emotions on his face, as though he couldn’t decide whether he was happy he had caught her reading his column or afraid of what she would say. His knuckles were white around the bag he was holding, forgotten at his side.

  “I…” Rebecca didn’t know what to say. If his column had even a shred of truth to it, Elliot still had feelings for her. Wouldn’t it be better just to find out? “…I was just–”

  “There you are, Elliot!”

  Both of them jumped at the sound of Nicole’s voice. Rebecca’s sudden movement knocked several pens off the table and she bent over to retrieve them, glad for an excuse to hide her face. She was sure she looked guilty, although she didn’t know why she felt that way.

  Nicole appeared behind him and placed her arm around his waist. The hand holding the bag stiffened even further and a few seconds later it popped from the pressure, spilling bagels all over the floor. Sesame seed scattered across the floor, crunching under people’s feet as they walked past.

  Elliot swore under his breath and bent down to pick up the mess. He glanced up at her from his position at her feet. “We’ll have to finish this discussion later,” he said quietly. His eyes were full of anticipation.

  Tearing her gaze from him, Rebecca re-opened the document, hit the print button, and closed it again. She stood up and grabbed the column as it came out of the printer and then left the building as quickly as she could without running. When she reached the sidewalk, she tripped in her haste. Before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands grabbed her arms.

  Locke laughed at her expression and put his arm around her to keep her steady. “Where are you going in such a rush?” he asked, giving the top of her head an affectionate kiss. “We don’t have to be anywhere until three this afternoon.”

  Rebecca handed him the sheet of paper she had crumpled in her haste and leaned against him, trying to calm her breathing. Locke smoothed it out and scanned the column. He stuffed it in his pocket when Elliot and Nicole came outside.

  “I was wondering where everyone had gone,” Locke said easily. “The house was empty when I woke up. I should have known you could only live without the internet for so long.”

  Elliot’s gaze was fixed on Rebecca. “You can find all sorts of information online,” he said. “It can be very… enlightening.”

  Rebecca tried to keep her face bland.

  “We’ll talk about it on the way back to the house,” Locke whispered in her ear.

  “I’m so hungry,” Nicole complained from her perch on Elliot’s arm. “Can’t we go somewhere?”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” Locke agreed. “Let’s go back to the house. I’ll make everyone an omelet.” He motioned for Nicole and Elliot to precede him. When they were out of earshot, he pulled the column out of his pocket and gave it back to Rebecca.

  “What do you make of it?” he asked.

  “He caught me reading
it. Well, kind of. I think he suspects that I was, but...”

  Locke stopped and turned her so they could look at each other. “You’re not making any sense. Do you mean to tell me that Elliot doesn’t know you’ve been reading his column all along?”

  Rebecca shrugged. “He never asked. What am I going to do, Locke? He can’t love me anymore, not after the way I treated him. And he has a girlfriend.”

  “He doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Locke argued. “Have you been paying attention to them? He rolls his eyes every time Nicole opens her mouth.”

  “That’s not the point. Even if he doesn’t want her, Nicole assumes they’re a couple. Elliot just sits back and lets her think that.”

  “That’s true,” Locke conceded, “but I happen to know he’s doing that because he’s jealous and doesn’t want you to know it.”

  Rebecca snorted and started to walk down the street again. “That’s ridiculous.”

  Locke looked at her for a moment and sighed. “Think whatever you want,” he said, “but I know I’m right.”

  All through breakfast, Rebecca watched Nicole and Elliot interact. They were sitting next to each other, and Nicole seemed to go out of her way to touch him–a bump on the arm, a brush of the hand as she reached for the orange juice. Elliot ignored everything and focused all his attention on his plate. He glanced up once and caught Rebecca’s eye. They stared at each other for a moment, and then he flashed her a grin. He was still smiling when he looked back down at his breakfast.

  Rebecca didn’t know what to think. Maybe Locke was right. She thought back to their first interactions at Cassie’s apartment and her eyes widened in shock. Maybe all those outrageous assumptions he had been making over the past few weeks were driven by jealousy, not stupidity. She glanced up at him again. Elliot was listening to Nicole, his head cocked to one side. He was leaning toward her a little too closely, a half-smile on his face. Then again, maybe not.

  “So what are the plans for this morning?” Locke asked, pushing his plate away and leaning back in his chair. “Does anyone want a tour of the island?”