Destiny

by Mitchel Grace

  “Preferably, I would. I wanted her at the draft, but we’re completely broke. Until I get my signing bonus, I won’t have enough money to fly her in.”

  “You mean you didn’t take any money from the university,” I whispered discretely.

  “No, I wasn’t a highly sought after recruit. I was kind of a surprise,” he said.

  “What are you two talking about?” Chastity asked.

  “Just about me bringing Alicia to Wisconsin,” I answered.

  “What do you mean?” Marcus asked.

  “Let’s book her a flight. I don’t mind footing the bill for it. You’ve been dating her for several years now. She’s the woman you plan to marry, so she should be there when you sign your contract. Call her, and I’ll book a flight on my phone.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Yes, you can. I look out for you now. I know it always seemed like I was putting a lot more effort into Emmitt and Derrick’s needs, but that was just because I had to use all my energy on keeping them out of trouble. I never had to worry about you, though. Take this as a thank you from a friend for never being the stereotypical superstar athlete. I want her to be there for you,” I said and continued on with booking the flight.

  Marcus gave in and thanked me. He hated letting anyone do something for him, but he really did want the woman he loved there. As I booked Alicia’s flight with one hand, Chastity grabbed the other one and gently stroked it. The next few days would be filled with family members I loved, great friends, a huge contract, and the woman sitting right beside me. I was finally going home.

  Chapter 27

  Friends?

  When we landed in Green Bay, my aunt picked us up at the airport. I got Marcus a hotel room and told him to sit tight. His girlfriend would be there by that night, and we would start working on his contract the next day. Right then, I needed to see the man who had treated me like a son since the first time we met. My aunt took Chastity and me to the hospital. I told Chastity she could stay at our house, but she went with me anyway. It seemed like things were growing serious with us fast. That fact scared me for some reason. Then again, I was the one who invited her to New York after we had just reunited. This was kind of my fault. I pushed those thoughts to the side for then. It was stupid for me to think of Chastity as a problem. I had someone there to support me while my uncle was sick. How could that be a bad thing?

  Once we were in the hospital room, Aunt Kristen and Chastity gave me some time alone with my uncle. He still looked weak, but I imagined that he looked a lot better than he had the day before.

  “How did you get here so fast?” he asked.

  “I was already booking a flight to come here when Aunt Kristen called to tell me what happened. One of my guys got picked by the Packers.”

  “I saw that on television. You looked good. You could have just negotiated that on the phone, though.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “Who told you about what happened? You had to have known beforehand.”

  “Olivia told me the night before the draft. I was going to come straight here, but she told me not to. She said you were better. You don’t look good, though. Maybe I should have . . .”

  “No, you did the right thing. I must have been pretty bad if she called you, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You two probably haven’t spoken since last summer. I know why it has to be that way, but it’s a shame. I still remember when you were kids. I didn’t figure you would marry her, but I thought you would be friends for life.”

  “You and me both,” I said sadly.

  “Who says we can’t be friends?” I heard a familiar person ask as she walked into the room. It was Olivia.

  “What are you doing here? I’m sure you have better things to do than check in on an old man,” Uncle Gary joked.

  “I dropped Phillip off at my mom’s because she’s been wanting to see him. I think he’s going to spend the day there. My classes don’t start until this evening either, so I’ve just been bored most of the day. I thought you might be able to keep me entertained,” she joked back.

  “Well, if that’s the case, take a seat,” he said.

  I felt odd. My current girl was in the waiting room while the only woman I had ever truly loved was sitting right in front of me chatting it up with my uncle like they were best friends. This was how life was supposed to be, but for Olivia and me, it wasn’t.

  “Aren’t you going to sit, Eric?” Olivia asked after I had been standing there in a fog for several seconds.

  “Oh, yeah,” I said and sat down by her.

  “So who was that woman who came into the room with you and Kristen earlier?” Uncle Gary asked.

  “That was Chastity, my first girlfriend. We’re involved again,” I said.

  “Involved? What does that mean?”

  “It means I haven’t actually asked her to be anything to me, but I’m pretty sure that we’re somewhat serious about each other. Just the fact that she’s here says Chastity thinks something of me.”

  “I see. I’m glad you found someone. As I remember, she wasn’t your first girlfriend, though. This lady sitting right here was,” Uncle Gary said.

  “Yeah, thanks a lot,” Olivia teased.

  “We weren’t overthinking it back then. We didn’t put any labels on what we were doing, remember?”

  “You’re right, so I’ll give you a pass on that comment. Do I get to meet this mystery woman?” Olivia asked in a way that was much too chipper.

  I could see straight through her. She smiled and joked, but the last thing she wanted was to meet someone who might be able to make me happy the way she could. At least that’s how I felt. If Richard walked through the door right then, it would completely throw me into an emotional fray.

  “I think we’ll leave meeting her for much later,” I said.

  “And why is that? I wouldn’t mind actually speaking to her,” Uncle Gary said.

  “Let’s just say that she might be a little jealous of Olivia.”

  “Why? I’m married,” Olivia said.

  “That’s what I told her! Still, I can see her point. I left Miami to come here after my parents were thrown in jail. I could have stayed in the state of Florida for her, but I chose not to, and a large portion of that decision was made because I knew you were here,” I said.

  After I said that, there was an awkward silence in the room. I had said too much. Our friendly conversation had just turned into something else.

  “Well, she’s going to have to deal with it. Richard will have to deal with it, too, because if I have my way about it, you two are going to find a way to be friends again some day soon,” Uncle Gary said.

  “I don’t know if that’s ever going to be possible with Richard. He pretty much hates Eric, and I don’t see that changing,” Olivia said.

  “It will. Trust me.”

  “I don’t know, Uncle Gary. I’m afraid she’s right,” I said.

  “Can’t you two give a man in the hospital this one? I said you’re going to be friends, so that’s how it’s going to be,” he said with a grin.

  “All right, I’ll give you this one,” Olivia said and stood.

  “Where are you going? You just got here,” I said.

  “I’ve got some errands to run, but I’ll be back tomorrow. I can’t let him go under the knife without at least stopping by,” she said and walked out. As she did, she gave us a wave goodbye. For the first time in a while, it felt like things were good between us. It was nice.

  “What was she talking about you going under the knife?” I asked.

  “They need to repair one of the valves in my heart. It’s not a big deal.”

  “It sounds like a huge deal!”

  “Well, it’s not. Things like this are routine now.”

  “You know you’re going to have to change a lot of things about your life after you get out of here, right? You can’t eat bratwurst anymore before the games or a
t any point, for that matter.”

  “Why don’t you just shoot me now?” he joked.

  “I’m serious. You’ve got to be around for a long time. You’ve been more like a dad to me than my own father. I don’t think I could take losing you.”

  “Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I never said it, but I’ve always thought of you as a son. I love you, Eric, and I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe you’re representing three draft picks this year. You’ve almost made it.”

  “What do you mean almost? I’m set for the next four years.”

  “You still have to find someone to share your life with. I wouldn’t be anything without your aunt. Trust me on this. When you find the right person, it’s not going to matter what you do by yourself. You’ll never be truly happy until she’s standing beside you.”

  “I think I already found that person.”

  “So you really care about this new girl then?”

  “Yeah, why not? That’s easier to talk about,” I said sarcastically.

  “You were talking about Olivia, weren’t you? I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, Chastity is really pretty. The fact that she came with you says she’s a decent person, too. I would love to meet her.”

  “You can meet her now. I’ll go get her,” I said and took a step toward the door.

  “Wait a minute . . .” my uncle said.

  “What is it?”

  “There’s something you need to know about Olivia. We’ve been talking over the last few months, and well . . .”

  “What is it?”

  “I can’t say. It’s not my place to. I really want things to be right in that situation, but this is something you two have to resolve.”

  “What are you talking about? If you know something I don’t, then tell me.”

  “Plan to end up with the woman you’re with now, but don’t close any doors. Do yourself a favor, and find a way to stay in touch with Olivia. It’s going to be best for both of you.”

  “You’re not making any sense. The last time I talked to you about her, you were telling me that I might not want to break up a marriage to be with her. What changed?”

  “Nothing. Doing that would be wrong, but there are things you don’t know. I can see from a different perspective than both of you, and I’m telling you right now that you’re going to end up being a huge part of that woman’s life before it’s all over. Plan to be with Chastity because that’s what you need right now, but never forget the woman who should be your best friend.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “You will one day. Do me a favor, and don’t ever tell her we had this conversation. I actually like Olivia, and if she knew I betrayed her confidence about this, she probably wouldn’t ever talk to me again.”

  “No worries there. I wouldn’t know what to tell her even if I tried. You didn’t actually tell me anything.”

  “Sorry. It must be the pain meds they’re giving me,” he said and smiled.

  He wasn’t on any pain medicine, and it was obvious that he was trying to tell me something important. I didn’t know if I should push him for more details, though. It didn’t look like he wanted to give any, and he had been through a lot over the last few days. I ultimately decided not to push the point. I walked out of the room and found Chastity and my aunt. They were getting along very well. Chastity was a great woman, and she always made a good first impression. As I thought about it, I realized that she was actually everything I needed in a partner. She always had been. Was she who I wanted, though?

  “What’s going on? You look a little lost,” Chastity said as she examined the blank expression on my face.

  “I was just thinking about how lucky I was to find you the other day. I have no idea why I didn’t call you the first day I got back to Miami,” I said and pulled her close to give her a quick peck on the lips.

  “Uncle Gary wants to meet you. I see you’ve already gotten Aunt Kristen’s approval,” I said as I pulled back.

  “She sure has. I’m impressed, Eric,” my aunt said before we went to the room to talk to Uncle Gary.

  The time flew by as we talked. As expected, Chastity made an excellent impression with my uncle. I could tell almost instantly that he liked her. There was one thing missing, though. There was a certain way he looked when Olivia and I were in the same room. It was like he thought that was how things should be, regardless of who else might be there for me. I didn’t understand at the time, but I didn’t have to. All I had to know right then was that I had a woman who could love me in Chastity and another person who needed to be my best friend. I didn’t know how I was going to pull that one off, but Uncle Gary wouldn’t have told me to be her friend without a reason. As we were leaving the hospital, an idea came to me. I couldn’t say that it was a good one, but I thought I had to try it.

  “Hey, it’s almost seven, and I’m starving. What about you?” I asked Chastity.

  “I am, too.”

  “I’ve got an idea, and you can say no, but I think it might be fun. I have a friend named Mike here in town. He was engaged to a girl named Kelly the last time I saw him. I was thinking that it might be fun to invite them out to dinner with us at eight.”

  “Why wouldn’t I want to do that?”

  “Because of the second suggestion I’m going to make. Olivia was also a good friend. Her husband hates me because of some things that happened in high school. I was completely wrong back then, and I don’t blame him for how he feels, but I was thinking I could take this opportunity to right some old wrongs. I want to invite them, too.”

  “Why do you think it’s a good idea to invite your ex?”

  “It’ll give me an opportunity to apologize to Richard and be friends with someone who always should have been nothing more than my friend.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “I’ve got the most beautiful woman possible right beside me. If I can go to dinner with them and talk just as friends, then it shows Richard there’s no need for him to hate me anymore, and more importantly, it might just show you that I can be friends with a woman from my past and it mean absolutely nothing. I care about you, Chastity, and I need you to know that above all else. I’ve also got to right a few wrongs, though. I can’t have him hating me for the rest of his life, and I don’t want to go through life without ever talking to someone who was a good friend. What do you say?”

  “I trust you. Do you really have no feelings for this woman?”

  “None at all. If I did, I wouldn’t invite her. It would be too painful to see her with someone else. If you had asked that a few years ago, the answer would have been totally different, but it’s been a long time, and I have you now. I’m happy with my current life, and I’m pretty sure that she’s happy with hers. This would just be me reuniting with Mike and Olivia.”

  “Invite her then.”

  I remembered that Olivia had a night class, so I texted her to see what time she would be done.

  “Hey, I had an idea. How would you and Richard like to meet us and Mike for dinner tonight at Dalen’s?” I texted.

  “Are you serious? What would make you think that was a good idea?” she asked.

  “I think we should be friends or at least some part of each other’s lives. I’m going to apologize to Richard tonight if you come, so that will probably smooth things over between us. Him seeing that I’m with someone else will make him know that I’m not a threat anymore, too.”

  “What about Chastity? I thought she was a little jealous of me.”

  “We already talked about that. She’s fine with it. Are you in?”

  “What the hell? I get out of here at eight. We’ll drop Phillip off at my mom’s and be there right after. I’ve got to warn you, though, there’s a chance that Richard won’t be happy with you no matter what you say.”

  “It’s going to be fine. Just trust me,” I texted and called Mike.

  He and Kelly were in. We drove over to the pub and waited. At first, Chastity
looked a little odd about eating at a pub, but I quickly explained that the food they served was as good as anything you would get at a restaurant. About the time we were going to order, Mike and Kelly walked in.

  “Hey, long time no see,” Mike said and shook my hand.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the wedding. You two look happy, though,” I said.

  “We’re very happy. I suppose I should be asking for your autograph instead of shaking your hand.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I’m saying. We saw you on television. You’re pretty much a celebrity now,” he joked.

  “No, I just represent famous people. I’m still a nobody.”

  “I don’t think most people here would agree. You’ve been the talk of the town,” Kelly said.

  “Well, thanks for saying so. This is my girlfriend, Chastity,” I said before realizing that I had called her my girlfriend. She didn’t seem to be put off by the label, though. In fact, she looked happy about it.

  That settles it. You’re in a relationship, I thought. That wasn’t a bad thing, but I had been going back and forth in my head about what I was doing for the last couple of days. Now I knew.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Chastity. How did you guys meet?” Kelly asked.

  While they were talking, I noticed Olivia and Richard walking in. Olivia looked stunning. I don’t know what it was, but in that moment, I felt like I did when I was fourteen. If Richard weren’t beside her, I would have blindly ran to her. I quickly snapped out of it. I was there to talk to Richard so I could secure a friendship with her. I couldn’t blow it by staring at her the whole time.

  “What are they doing here?” Mike asked.

  “I invited them. It’s time I made some things right,” I said and stood.

  I walked straight to Richard and asked if we could talk privately. He agreed to do so, and we took a seat at the bar.

  “Let me start us out here. I don’t like you. I’m only here because of Olivia. What do you want with us?” Richard asked.

  “I know you don’t like me, and I don’t blame you. I want to apologize. I was wrong back in high school. I shouldn’t have stolen someone’s girlfriend, and worse than that, I never should have hit you. I don’t expect you to forgive me or even believe that I’m being genuine, but I hope we can be civil. I want to be friends with Olivia again. I have a beautiful girlfriend who I’m very happy with, so my intentions are simple. I miss my old friends. Mike and Olivia were the best people I knew here. I want that part of my life back, and I hope some day we can even be friends.”