Destiny

by Mitchel Grace

  “You’ve got to explain yourself, Olivia.”

  “I told you that we were having a baby, and you treated it like a burden, so I got rid of the burden. My mom drove me to the clinic Saturday. I tried to call you beforehand to see if you had any objections, but just like the rest of the weekend, you wouldn’t even bother to answer your phone.”

  “Why would you do something like that, and why would your mom approve? I thought she was such a good Christian.”

  “She believes it’s a woman’s choice.”

  “And what do you believe?”

  “That doesn’t matter now because it’s over.”

  “It does matter! How could you take our child away without telling me? I live right next door. If you couldn’t get in touch with me, you could have just come over!”

  “You didn’t want that child, so don’t preach to me about right and wrong. You’ll be relieved about this in time, Eric. I know it, and so do you. You weren’t going to be there for me, and even if you were, you would have resented me your whole life. I don’t want the man I end up with to look at me as second to an education at some college and visitation with his incarcerated parents. I didn’t expect you to jump for joy when I told you, but I didn’t think you would react the way you did. That told me everything I needed to know about our future.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? No matter what happened over the last few days, I still love you. I’m still staying unless you come with me.”

  “You can stay if you want, but we’re through.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “You were there for me when my dad died. I thought that meant you loved me and always would be there. This was something that actually inconvenienced you, though. I saw that I couldn’t count on you. I don’t want to be with someone who won’t be there with me through the difficult moments.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should’ve reacted better, but I swear I would have been there for you. I would have loved you and our child the way you both deserved. Don’t do this. Now is when we’re going to need each other more than ever.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Every time I look at you, I see the choice I made. I don’t think it was the right one, and if I stay with you, I’ll always know that what we have was built on all the wrong things. I think you need to go to Miami and be with your family. I need to stay here and follow my dreams, too. Not all great romances are meant to last, Eric.”

  “I don’t accept that. You’re my best friend, and I’m not giving up on us.”

  “You need to because it’s over. I need it to be.”

  I tried to talk her out of it throughout the day. I passed notes to her in class trying to let her know how much I loved her, and on the way home, I fought with her every step of the way to try to change something. Nothing would change, though. Olivia had made up her mind.

  As time passed, I decided to accept the University of Miami’s offer. I still wasn’t sure that I couldn’t convince her to come along. I was wrong, though. On my last day in town, I finally broke down. I realized that I probably wasn’t ever going to see her again. I sat in my room and cried. Looking back, it was a little shameful. I was an eighteen-year-old man. I shouldn’t have been crying over some girl, or at least that’s what I thought at the time. The truth was that she wasn’t just some girl. She was my girl, and I had thrown everything we had away by being selfish. I should have cried and pleaded for her to forgive me. She was hurting because of a decision that she made, and I had certainly contributed to it. I had to do something. As I cried, my uncle walked passed the room. I quickly turned away from the doorway and dried my eyes, but he had seen me.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked in shock. He had never actually seen me cry.

  “It’s nothing. You would think I was a terrible person if I told you.”

  “Try me. I might be able to help.”

  “Olivia got pregnant back before the summer. When she told me, I didn’t react well. I acted like it would ruin my future if she had our baby. Then I didn’t answer any of her calls over the weekend. I just needed time to get my head straight. Over that time, she went to the clinic, though. The child is gone, and that’s why we broke up. She sees the way I reacted and the mistake we made every time she looks at me. Now I’m leaving, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to leave things like this, but what else can I do? She doesn’t want to see me.”

  “I’m going to tell you the most important thing you’ll ever learn. Do whatever it takes.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “It means just what I said. You made a mistake that a lot of young men would have made. You reacted poorly and made her feel like she was alone. Then she made a decision that a lot of young women would have made. You both lived to regret it. That can’t be changed. All you can change is what you do from this moment on. Decide what you want, and make it happen. Don’t take no for an answer, not now and not ever. You might not be able to get her to look at you today or even a year from now, but if you want this girl, then don’t ever give up on her. Learn from every mistake, and find a way to make it work eventually.”

  “But I’m going to Miami tomorrow. What could I possibly do?”

  “It isn’t like you’re never coming back. You’re going off to college. That isn’t permanent. I want to see you back here every chance you get, and I wouldn’t mind it if you called this city home after you got your education. She’s probably going to be here when it’s all said and done, so say what you need to say to her before you leave, and make sure you keep in touch with her over the years, even if she doesn’t want you to. Leave that door open, and when an opportunity presents itself, step through. Once you’re in, don’t ever step back out again.”

  “What do I say to her now, though?”

  “I can’t tell you that. Here’s what I can tell you. We often overthink things, and what we should have said is left at the back of our minds. Say whatever you want without censoring yourself at all. If you don’t, you’ll regret it later. Now, go. She’s leaving for the University of Wisconsin tomorrow. This might be your last chance.”

  “Now?”

  “Yeah, right now. Kristin and I have raised you for the last two years. You’re not perfect, but we didn’t raise a fool. Leaving without telling her how you feel would be the most foolish thing you could ever do, so go.”

  “Thank you. I thought you would be mad if I told you.”

  “You should have told me sooner. We all make mistakes. It’s not about that. It’s about what we learn from them.”

  I hugged my uncle and walked downstairs. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I didn’t hesitate. I walked over to Olivia’s house and knocked on the door. Her mom answered it. She looked shocked to see me. I hadn’t been inside Olivia’s house in months. I had waited outside for her several times to try to talk to her, but it didn’t do any good. Eventually, I had given up on the idea of making up with her.

  “Olivia doesn’t want to speak with you, Eric,” she said.

  “Please. I almost had a child with her. I wish I had a do-over. I wish I could tell her I wanted that child, and I wanted to be able to marry my best friend. I’m leaving tomorrow, and this is my last chance. Don’t take that from me.”

  “It’s her choice, and she told me not to let you in when you came over.”

  “Then if it’s all right with you, I’m going to wait on the porch until she changes her mind. Please tell her that I’m here.”

  After she had gone back inside, I waited patiently on the porch. As day turned into night, I felt less patient. It appeared that Olivia was never going to talk to me. I didn’t leave, though. I sat on that porch waiting for the woman I loved. Even if she didn’t talk to me, I wanted to know that I had done everything I could at the end. At three in the morning, I heard the front door creak open as I was just starting to doze off.

  “I can’t sleep knowing you’re out here. What do you want?” Olivia asked.

&
nbsp; “To tell you that you’re wrong.”

  “You sat out here this long to tell me that! I know I shouldn’t have thrown my child away. If that’s all you came to say, then just go.”

  “I was wrong, too. That part of what happened wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I should have supported you. Most of all, I should have let you know that my dream life has always involved marrying you and having a family together. I was stupid to act like that was holding me back from something. The only thing you were wrong about was throwing us away. Even if I’ve messed up beyond what deserves forgiveness, you’ll never find someone who loves you like me. You’re my everything. You always will be. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of you. One never will. I know I’ve screwed up, and I know that you can’t forgive yourself or me right now, but some day you will be able to. When that day comes, I’ll be everything you’ve ever needed and more. I’ll love you the way you deserved to be loved.”

  “Eric, it’s over. That’s not going to change.”

  “You’re wrong. I’m leaving tomorrow, and so are you. This chapter of our lives is over, but I’ll find you again some day. No matter how many times you push me away or something pulls us apart, I’ll always come back to you. If I have to wear you down, I’ll make you see that you belong with me. I know that’s probably not going to happen right now, but I will make it a reality.”

  “Why are you doing this? Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to let go of you? You are the only boy I ever loved, and we screwed things up so badly. We can’t repair this, Eric, and every time you pretend we can, it breaks my heart a little more. I miss us, but the us I knew is gone. I don’t doubt that a part of you will always love me because a part of me will always love you, too. I need to bury that part of me right now, though. Let me do that.”

  “Okay. You go your way for now, and I’ll go mine. We’ll live life as if none of this ever happened. I want you to understand something, though. I’ll find a way to make this right at some point. I still love you. I always will, and if I have to spend the rest of my life giving you reasons to love me, then I will. Some day you’re going to live with me in that big house on the lake, and all of these problems will be a world away. I promise,” I said and wrapped my arms around her. Then I gave her a gentle goodbye kiss. It was the saddest kiss I had ever been a part of. Every emotion that was put into it spoke of how much we were walking away from.

  As I pulled away and walked back across the street, I knew what I was leaving. She was the best friend I would ever have. Looking back, I wish I had turned around. Maybe if I had refused to take no for an answer, she would have changed her mind. She could have gone to college, and I could have gone with her. We would have gotten a little apartment eventually and lived out our college days together. That’s not what happened, though. I kept walking away from what I knew was right. The next few years would be filled with a lot of walking away from the right thing. Unfortunately, I still had some growing up to do and some mistakes to make before I could even see her again.

  Chapter 15

  A Deal With The Devil

  Fall

  There were a few surprises awaiting me when I got back home. My sister had gotten really serious with a guy, and he had moved into her place. She wanted me to stay with them, but I thought it would probably be best to let them have their privacy and get a dorm room. My college was paid for anyway, so I figured why not? I didn’t know it, but the guy I was rooming with would change everything about the next few years. After my sister had helped me move everything in and she was gone, it was just us. I had heard his name all around campus. He was some big time recruit for the football team. The only experience I had with a football player hadn’t ended well. I was a little nervous to be rooming with him.

  “Hey, I’m Emmitt,” he said as we were putting our things in place.

  “I’m Eric. It’s nice to meet you. I already knew who you were, though.”

  “How?”

  “I think everyone around here knows you. You were a five star athlete in high school. No one knows for sure what position you’re going to play here, but word is that you’re going to get a crack at the starting quarterback job first. You’re supposed to be a savior around here. Some think you’ll get the football program back to its glory days.”

  “There’s no pressure, though,” he said sarcastically.

  “Oh, none at all. I’ve just heard all about you even though I try to avoid anything to do with football. I’m sure no one else has unrealistic expectations,” I joked.

  “So why is that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said you try to avoid anything to do with football.”

  “Oh, let’s just say I had a bad experience with a football player and a girl. It ended with punches being thrown.”

  “Did you get the girl?”

  “Kind of. I stole her from him.”

  “Then what are you complaining about? You know not all athletes are the same, right?”

  “Of course. Well, what are you going to school for? I know you can’t be here just for football,” I said.

  “I don’t know what I’m here for. I’m still searching for a purpose. I’m taking general courses until I figure it out,” Emmitt said with a hint of doubt.

  I could tell that he didn’t want me to stereotype him as the dumb jock who was only there to play football. That’s exactly what I was doing, though. I couldn’t let him know that, so I said the nicest thing I could think of.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, and if not, most people here are convinced that you’ll be playing professional football soon anyway.”

  He nodded, and we talked about other things for a few minutes. Then it was time for me to go to class. Throughout the day, I sat in boring lectures that mainly consisted of safety instructions due to it being the first day. During my time that day, I spent most of my energy thinking about Olivia and everything I had left back in Wisconsin. Was this the right place for me? I didn’t think so. When I left my last class, I gained a whole new perspective on the University of Miami. A man stopped me just outside the door.

  “Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” he asked.

  “Sure, but what is this about?” I asked.

  “We don’t need to talk here. I’ve got a restaurant downtown off of main. It’s called Flynn’s. Find me there,” he said and started to walk away.

  “I’m going to need more information than that if you want me to show up.”

  “You won’t be sorry if you do. Trust me. Ask for William when you get there.”

  As he walked away, I had a lot of doubts about going to see him. Something seemed shady about this whole thing. Then again, how could I not go? I wanted to know what was going on, and the only way to find out was to hear it straight from him. Without wasting any time, I found my car and started driving over to Flynn’s restaurant. On the way, I got an unexpected phone call, however. It was Olivia.

  “Hey,” I said.

  I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I had no idea why she would call. For all I knew, she still hated me.

  “Hi . . .”

  “It’s good to hear your voice. How is Wisconsin?” I asked.

  “It’s good. It would be better if you were here.”

  “I can transfer next semester if . . .”

  “No. I think you should get your education there. You have a scholarship and a life in Miami. I called you to say that I’m sorry.”

  “For what? I’m the one who should be sorry.”

  “No, you’re not. You reacted poorly when you found out I was pregnant, and I acted like it was the end of the world. When I found out, I reacted badly, too. I should have given you time to get used to the idea of a baby. I definitely shouldn’t have let my mom talk me into an abortion. This was my fault. I threw away everything we had. All you did was try to salvage it.”

  “It’s still salvageable.”

  “I know that. The time is
n’t right, though. You have things to do there, and I have a purpose here. I’m in pre-med classes, and that’s going to take up a lot of my time. I just wanted you to know that you should find me after school if you’re unattached. Realistically, I know you won’t be, but I hope our story doesn’t end with what happened in the summer.”

  “It won’t. I promise. I’m so glad you called.”

  “I am, too. I just wish we had talked about this sooner.”

  “I agree. Are you sure you don’t want me to come home?”

  “You are home, Eric.”

  “Home is wherever you are.”

  “Stay. Get your education, and maybe some day we can see about that house on the lake.”

  “I hope so.”

  Just as I was pulling up to the restaurant, we got off the phone. Suddenly, what William had to say didn’t matter. There was hope with Olivia. That was enough to make me feel like all was right in the world. I walked into Flynn’s with an entirely new perspective. Life had so much potential again. I had no idea how true that statement was about to become. I asked for William, and I was directed to a back room where he joined me. We were brought drinks.

  “I’m not twenty-one,” I said.

  I really wasn’t opposed to drinking, especially when it was the high-dollar wine we were being brought. I just wasn’t used to an adult giving me alcohol.

  “You’re eighteen. You’re old enough to make money, vote, and fight in a war. You can drink. I have a business proposal for you, Eric,” William said.

  “I don’t understand. How do you even know who I am?”

  “You room with Emmitt Brown.”

  “And that means what exactly?”

  “I’m going to tell you some things you can never repeat. If you do, I’ll deny every word of it, and the university will conveniently drop your scholarship.”

  I nodded for him to continue, but I didn’t like where this was going.

  “We were able to get Emmitt for a reason. Everyone knows that the best college athletes are paid, and he had a lot of offers. We outbid the competition, though. We offered him a four-year $800,000 package to play for us. He accepted, and there has been a hype around this university that hasn’t been seen in over a decade ever since. It was money well spent, but there’s a problem. Things like this can get people like me in a lot of trouble. I’m a booster for Miami. I own nearly a dozen businesses in the area, and money is no object. Because of this, I help out the university every year. This time, I landed them the biggest prospect in years. I need a way to funnel the money, though. I asked some people who work in the university to do me a few favors. I wanted them to find me the perfect man to funnel the money through. You’re a business major in Miami, and you’re rooming with Emmitt. I would say that makes you the perfect candidate.”