by Hope, Amity
“I’m sure everything’s fine,” she said soothingly. “But if you need anything, or just need to talk, give me a call.”
I thanked her and hung up. I knew I wouldn’t be calling. She was always so willing to give up her time for me. There was no way I was going to call while she was on a date. I glanced at the clock yet again. For the first time since my arrival I cursed not having my own car here. I felt so trapped. If I had my car, I could go look for him. Not that I would have any idea where to start.
Maybe he’d gone back to work?
Or to visit his grandparents?
He still didn’t know that many people in town but he was close to Villette and Charles. I debated awhile, even told myself I really shouldn’t bother them with this. But as those minutes continued to crawl past, and then those minutes turned to a few more hours sneaking by, I finally broke down. I felt so helpless and I didn’t know what else to do. I was grateful that we’d exchanged numbers the day we’d gone out to lunch.
His grandma answered on the third ring.
Please, please let him be there….
“Hi, Villette, it’s Holly.” I tried to keep my voice even. “Have you seen Max?”
“Not since this afternoon when I dropped by the winery.”
“Do you think there’s a chance he’s there?” I doubted it but I had to ask.
“Just a moment.” I heard scuffling noises and hushed voices. “No, Charles is just coming in. He stayed late, like he always does, but he said Max left at his normal time.”
“And he didn’t go back?” I pressed.
She paused for a beat. “I take it that means he’s missing? Has he not come home yet?”
Her voice was heavily laced with concern and I instantly regretted calling her. I didn’t want to admit to her that we’d had a fight. Yet, his grandparents’ house was one of the few places I thought that he would go. I hesitated, unsure of what or how much to tell her.
“My goodness, Holly, it’s getting awfully late. He’s not home yet?” Her tone was no longer tinged in concern. It was positively drenched in it.
I didn’t want to dump my problems on her but I didn’t know how to get out of this conversation without telling her. So that’s what I did.
She listened without interrupting. When I was done, she sighed. “Holly, that grandson of mine has been smitten with you for years. Chamberlain never did grow on that boy. I can’t tell you how many times he’s said the only good thing about Chamberlain was you. I think he would’ve moved back last summer, right out of high school. But I think he had this hope that he’d finally get his chance with you.” She paused and her voice became softer. “I probably have no business telling you this, but we were just sitting down to a family dinner the night he got your message about your engagement. Holly, that boy turned white as a snowflake. He excused himself and rushed out of there. I couldn’t tell you where he went but we didn’t see him the rest of the night. The next morning, he showed up at the winery before Charles had even unlocked the doors. He shocked our socks right off when he said he wanted to come back to help run things.” She paused, “Now, you know as well as I do what that boy was thinking.”
I felt a little sick because now I knew. At the time, I’d had no idea what I’d done to him. He was planning to move to California to get away from me.
“I’m only telling you this because I want to make it perfectly clear that my grandson has been pining after you for years. Now that he has you, he isn’t going to let something like a tiny little fight come between you.”
“It wasn’t exactly tiny,” I sighed.
“Regardless, I know he’ll be back to set things right. He’s probably out blowing off some steam. I wouldn’t worry about a thing. Maybe he’s with that friend of his. What’s his name? Dominic?”
“Darren,” I supplied. I grabbed onto that idea. “Actually, you might be right.” I changed my tone to one of faux-relief because I didn’t want to worry her any more than I already had. “Actually, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. I bet that’s where he is.”
We disconnected with a promise to call if either of us heard from him. After that, I immediately slipped my shoes on and quickly covered the distance to the café. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten until I reached the front doors. Walking around this late wasn’t a habit of mine but I was desperate.
With the way my luck had been going, I hadn’t expected Darren to be there. I blew out a sigh of relief when I saw him. Then my heart sank and I realized a small part of me had thought that just maybe Max was here just hanging out.
“Hey, Darren,” I said when I walked in. “Have you seen Max?”
He glanced up at me and grinned. “Nope.”
“Not at all?” I pressed. “I mean, did he come in earlier to eat? Or have you talked to him at all?”
“No, Holly, I haven’t seen him. Oh, hey,” he said when he saw the look of disappointment on my face. “You really don’t know where he is?”
Would I be walking around in the dark, looking for him if I did? I wondered. I bit back that response and said, “No, that’s why I’m asking you.”
“Did you try calling him?”
“I have his phone. He left without it. He just…we had a fight.”
As I was throwing together a condensed version in my head, Darren threw his arm around my shoulder. “What did a sweet little thing like you do to Max? I’ve known him a long time and I can’t ever remember him being pissed off about anything.”
I couldn’t deny it because he was right.
“I was going to go back to Chamberlain,” I admitted.
His eyes widened and his expression darkened. “Damn, yeah, I could see why he wouldn’t be happy about that. He hasn’t said it but I think he was thinking things might be going somewhere with you two.”
I squirmed out from under the weight of his arm. “He’s right. They are. Or at least they were. I didn’t go. I changed my mind at the last minute. When I got back to the beach house, his car was gone. But I found his phone on the kitchen counter.”
“Huh,” he said. “Okay. But no, I haven’t seen him or heard from him. I’ll let you know if I do. Or if I see him, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.” He paused and a smile snaked up onto his face. “Better yet, why don’t you give me your number and I’ll call if I see him around?”
I didn’t hesitate. We exchanged numbers and I left, feeling more discouraged and more frantic than I had before.
I went back home, the sun had set and it was dark by the time I returned. I paced around and then I tossed myself onto the couch. I spent the next few hours wondering if I should call the police, bother his grandma again, or just…I didn’t know what. And that was the problem. I was slowly going insane wondering where he was. He didn’t know anyone else in town.
Except Tori.
I blasted that thought out of my head the moment it made an appearance.
And then I paced. And pretended to watch television. And I paced some more. And then, when my nerves were so frazzled I couldn’t take another second of waiting, I burst into tears. I had long passed worried and had barged on into terrified. I didn’t know where he could possibly be. Out of desperation, I called the local hospital. I contemplated calling the police but he was an adult and it hadn’t been even close to twenty-four hours. Wasn’t that the rule? And we’d had a fight. Isn’t that the kind of thing they always pointed out on TV?
I had no choice but to wait it out. I decided I’d call Villette first thing in the morning. If I hadn’t heard from him by then.
I was so sure I’d hear from him by then. I continued to tell myself that he would show up any second. He was probably driving around. He loved his car. He needed to cool off. Maybe he took off and went further than he meant to and now it was taking him longer to get home.
It wasn’t likely but it was the only possibility that I could scrounge up that didn’t leave me ready to burst into another round of tears.
A littl
e after midnight, my phone rang. Relief soared through me, thinking it just had to be Max borrowing someone’s phone. It wasn’t. It was Darren. We spoke briefly as he told me he’d driven around after his shift, looking for Max at a few of the places they used to hang out. There had been no sign of him. He assured me that I was worrying for nothing. Though I was sure I heard an edge of unease in his tone.
This wasn’t like Max at all. And we both knew it.
I jumped up from the couch and wandered through his room again. I wasn’t sure why because he was obviously not in it. I guess maybe it just made me feel closer to him. As nighttime crept closer to morning, my exhaustion finally won out. I already knew from earlier in the summer just how exhausting a crying jag could be. I’d had one after another tonight.
I crawled into Max’s bed. Not only did the scent of his sheets bring me a little bit of comfort but when he came home, I’d know.
I had just settled into his bed. I was reaching for the switch on the lamp when I noticed a small, shimmery, silver box tucked behind it. It had been out of sight from every other angle. It was wrapped with a bright pink bow. I knew I shouldn’t open it. But I’d had a horrible, horrible night. I needed something positive to cling to.
I carefully lifted the lid. Inside, spread out against cobalt blue velvet was a charm bracelet. I ran my fingers over each of the delicate charms: a sun, a seahorse, a sand dollar, an ice-cream cone and last, a tiny bottle of wine.
Tears burned behind my exhausted eyes.
“Max where are you?” I whispered into the empty room. I settled the lid back on top and put it back where I’d found it. I switched off the lamp and then buried myself deep under his blankets.
I didn’t think I’d fall asleep. But I did. In the morning my heart slammed in my chest immediately when I awoke, flooded with memories of the night before. I threw the covers off, hoping just maybe he’d fallen asleep on the couch. It would be just like Max to not want to accidentally wake me up.
As I wandered into the living room, I knew he wouldn’t be there. It didn’t stop me from looking anyway. I stood there a moment, knowing I probably needed to call Villette. I leaned against the door frame for just a moment then decided I needed to do something. So I called my mom.
She gave me an update on Collin. If all went well, he’d be released in a few days.
She noted I sounded upset and assumed it was about him. I hadn’t told her about Max and me yet. I didn’t want to do it then, not under the circumstances. Not after we’d had such a huge fight and he hadn’t come home. I could only imagine what she would think of that. I couldn’t deal with any more negativity right then so I listened as she prattled on about Collin.
Once we hung up, I reached for the box with the beautiful bracelet. I lifted the lid, taking in the charms one by one. I let my mind drift to the memory that each charm stood for. I loved them all. A tear slipped out as I realized how much of an effort Max had put into buying me something meaningful. The sun was my favorite. To me, it signified my old life ending the night I’d first seen it slip under the horizon. Every day since then had been full of promise and new expectations.
As I was running my finger over the tiny ice-cream cone, my phone rang. I swiped it up from where it was resting next to me on the bed.
It was Darren.
“You sound like crap,” he told me. I didn’t bother pointing out that I probably looked and felt even worse than I sounded. “I guess that means you still haven’t heard from him.”
“No. I’m really worried,” I said. “Do you think maybe he’s with Tori?” I couldn’t think of anyone else in town that he knew. Maybe they were just…hanging out.
“Nah, she’s gone already. Her classes start a week earlier than ours. She headed out the other day.” He hesitated then tacked on, “Do you want me to come over?”
“You don’t need to do that,” I said. I didn’t really see the point of it.
“I know. But I thought maybe I could pick you up and we could drive around or something. I didn’t see him last night but it was dark. A car like his, it stands out. Maybe if I drive and you keep an eye out…?”
It wasn’t a terrible idea. I didn’t know what to think. Maybe he was somewhere in town and we’d spot his car. I was becoming more convinced by the minute that something had happened to him. Maybe he’d been in an accident and his car had gone off the road somewhere. Where would we even begin to look?
I was still tossing Darren’s idea around when my phone alerted me to an incoming call. I pulled it away from my ear to look at it. It was a number from back home. One I didn’t recognize.
“Darren, I’ll call you right back.”
Chapter 24
I wasn’t sure who I expected to be on the other line. Maybe someone was calling from the hospital?
When I answered, I was met by Max’s voice.
“Where are you?” he asked. He sounded terrible.
“I’m at home. Where are you!?” I cried as I jumped up from the bed. He didn’t say anything. “Max? Are you okay?”
“Do you want to try again?” he asked. “Just…tell me where you are. Are you with Collin? Because I know you’re not at home. I’m here Holly. I’m at your house. There’s no one here, including you.”
“You’re in Chamberlain?” Relief and confusion slammed through me. “I waited up for you all night! I’ve worried myself sick over you!” I said as my voice cracked and the dam holding my tears broke.
“What do you mean I didn’t come home?” He paused a beat. “Are you still in California?”
“Yes, I came back and you were gone. I found your phone on the counter. I’ve been so worried! I had no idea where you were. I thought something happened to you!” I sobbed. “I was so worried! When you didn’t come home, I just, I was so worried!” I said again because I thought it was worth repeating. I was hysterical with relief.
“Holly,” he said quietly, “I’m fine. Are you really that upset?”
“Max, I called the hospital looking for you. I was that worried,” I sniffled. “So yes, I’m upset but really I’m so glad you’re okay. How did you end up in Chamberlain?”
“I’m really sorry,” he said and I could tell by his tone that he was. “I didn’t mean to scare you. After you left I realized how stupid I was being. I couldn’t get a decent flight because yours was the last one. Your plane was boarding when I got there. I ended up needing to make a connection in Colorado. Only my first flight was late and I missed the connecting one. I spent half the night in the airport. I didn’t have my phone so I couldn’t even call you,” he emitted a loud, frustrated exhale. “This whole thing, it’s been a nightmare. I had to beg some lady to let me borrow her cell phone to call Mike. At least he was able to get me at the airport when I got here. I took his truck and I took his phone and I went straight to your house. But like I said, no one is here.”
I cringed, if Mike didn’t hate me enough before, he was sure to now. Yet, I wasn’t going to concern myself with him. Not just yet.
“My parents are probably with Thomas and Gwen. But you’re okay? I had started to think maybe you were lying in a ravine somewhere,” I admitted.
He let out a soft, apologetic laugh. “No, I’m fine. Missing you like crazy, but I’m fine. What made you decide to stay?”
“You,” I said simply.
“Sounds like we both had a rough night,” he said.
I blew out a breath. “You have no idea. I should probably call your grandma and let her know you’re okay. And Darren.”
“Darren?”
“I don’t want to go into it now. Let’s just say I miss you like crazy, too,” I admitted, still sniffling, fighting off tears of relief.
“So now what?” Max asked. “Are we okay? I mean, aside from being in different states. Are you and I okay?”
“Yes, I just wish you were here.”
“Should I get the first flight back?”
“Give me a second,” I said. “I’m going to see what flig
hts are available today.” He stayed on the line and I found that I could catch a flight in just a few hours. I pulled out my credit card yet again and booked it.
“I can be there by this evening. I really need to see my parents. Is that okay?” I asked. “I mean, will you wait there for me?”
“Yeah, I’ll wait. What time do you get in?”
I told him and he agreed to be there to get me.
“There’s so much I want to talk to you about. Things I was going to tell you today…” My voice faded off.
“Right, our night away. Listen, I can’t say it enough. I’m so sorry about yesterday. It was a knee-jerk reaction. Emphasis on jerk. I was just sick when I saw you with your suitcase. I wasn’t ready to lose you yet. Not to Collin for any reason. Not even if it was just to see him in the hospital. I know I overreacted. I was being stupid and selfish and I was just so out of line. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I should’ve put you first. If you can forgive me for running off, I promise I will never put anyone else before you again,” I said.
“Holly, if anyone should be mad, it’s you. I’m embarrassed that I acted like such an ass. I mean, have you heard from your mom? Is he okay?”
I gave him the update that I’d been given.
“When I come home, I probably should see him,” I said.
“Yeah,” Max agreed. “I know.”
“You can come with, if you want,” I offered. I didn’t think he’d want to. I just wanted him to know there was nothing I would say to Collin that I couldn’t say in front of him.
“We’ll see,” he said.
“I could talk to you all day but I suppose I should go so I can get ready to go to the airport.” A shower and a pot of coffee were both in order. I needed to cancel the reservations for both dinner and the bed and breakfast. While that was disappointing, I was just happy to be with Max, no matter where we were. I would also need to call and check in with his grandma and Darren. I didn’t want to get off the phone but I did have plenty to do. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“I’ll be waiting,” he said. “And Holly? I love you.”