Say hello to Dad. Talk soon.
Was I ready for this?
I was about to see cherished old friends at the reunion, which was cool, but how would I feel once I saw Dessa and Mike? Would that same profound anger and hurt swallow me whole again? Or had enough time passed to lessen the sting?
Besides, did I really want to show that wrecked side of myself to the amazing girl who agreed to come on this trip with me? She was so easy to talk to, to be around.
And wow, what she had just shared with me in the car. If my drinking bothered her in any way, then I could definitely do without. But I had a feeling it had more to do with how I had acted this past year, and I had definitely learned my lesson in that regard. Was still learning it, in fact.
Truth of the matter was that this weekend was a hurdle I needed to get beyond. It had been plaguing me for far too long.
I unpacked some clothes, checked my emails, and headed to the bar. To my surprise, Aurora was already planted on a stool with a drink in front of her. How long ago had she come down? There was a guy about the same age standing beside her, and they were involved in what looked like an engrossing conversation. I stood back and watched their interchange for a minute. The way the guy was checking her out and touching her shoulder told me he hoped she hung around longer.
My stomach muscles tightened into a fist. When she threw her head back and laughed at something he’d said, I could understand why guys fell for her. She had this mesmerizing luminosity that seemed to radiate from the inside and refused to be suppressed. People were drawn to that glow like a moth to a windowpane. She had this way of warming you to your core, and I wondered if she even realized it.
Her gaze swept around the room and landed on mine. A smile ignited her face and she waved me over. I almost faltered in my approach, wondering if maybe she wanted to continue talking to the guy alone.
“Hey, um, Bryce is it?” Aurora asked. The guy nodded and looked at me, disappointment clear on his face. “This is my friend Cameron.”
His features relaxed at the word friend and he reached out to shake my hand.
I looked over at her drink. “You been here for a bit?”
“About twenty minutes,” she said. “Didn’t feel like being in the room anymore. Call it nervous energy.”
“You should’ve told me,” I said close to her ear, and I could smell her light perfume that was floral in scent. I was like a bee drawn to a flower.
She waved me off. “No big deal.”
Bryce leaned over to order from the bartender, and I raised my eyebrows in his direction.
She lifted a shoulder, as if to say, maybe, and my chest clenched.
“Want another drink?” Bryce asked her, completely ignoring me.
“Um,” she said, biting her lip and looking over at me. I turned toward the game on the big screen so as not to sway her decision. “I think we’re going to grab some dinner.”
“Okay,” he said, the discontent evident in his voice. “Maybe I’ll catch you later. I’ll be here in the bar later tonight.”
She hopped off the stool, her cheeks flushed. “Maybe I’ll see you then.”
He looked hopeful as he watched us walk toward the parking lot.
“Are you sure you didn’t want to stay?” I said, motioning with my thumb toward the lobby doors. “You don’t have to—”
“I’m sure,” she said in a stern voice, as if dismissing the notion.
I pulled out of the parking lot to drive to a chain restaurant I remembered passing on the way in. Plenty had changed around here, like the new bustling businesses, yet so much remained the same. Like the busy ball field we passed with cars crammed on the lawn, no doubt to watch a pee wee football game.
I considered heading to my Arlington High alma mater to catch a game under the big lights until one of my old friends had emailed with the same thought for him and his wife. Apparently the team was on a bye week.
Aurora remained silent beside me, simply taking
Was I ready for this?
I was about to see cherished old friends at the reunion, which was cool, but how would I feel once I saw Dessa and Mike? Would that same profound anger and hurt swallow me whole again? Or had enough time passed to lessen the sting?
Besides, did I really want to show that wrecked side of myself to the amazing girl who agreed to come on this trip with me? She was so easy to talk to, to be around.
And wow, what she had just shared with me in the car. If my drinking bothered her in any way, then I could definitely do without. But I had a feeling it had more to do with how I had acted this past year, and I had definitely learned my lesson in that regard. Was still learning it, in fact.
Truth of the matter was that this weekend was a hurdle I needed to get beyond. It had been plaguing me for far too long.
I unpacked some clothes, checked my emails, and headed to the bar. To my surprise, Aurora was already planted on a stool with a drink in front of her. How long ago had she come down? There was a guy about the same age standing beside her, and they were involved in what looked like an engrossing conversation. I stood back and watched their interchange for a minute. The way the guy was checking her out and touching her shoulder told me he hoped she hung around longer.
My stomach muscles tightened into a fist. When she threw her head back and laughed at something he’d said, I could understand why guys fell for her. She had this mesmerizing luminosity that seemed to radiate from the inside and refused to be suppressed. People were drawn to that glow like a moth to a windowpane. She had this way of warming you to your core, and I wondered if she even realized it.
Her gaze swept around the room and landed on mine. A smile ignited her face and she waved me over. I almost faltered in my approach, wondering if maybe she wanted to continue talking to the guy alone.
“Hey, um, Bryce is it?” Aurora asked. The guy nodded and looked at me, disappointment clear on his face. “This is my friend Cameron.”
His features relaxed at the word friend and he reached out to shake my hand.
I looked over at her drink. “You been here for a bit?”
“About twenty minutes,” she said. “Didn’t feel like being in the room anymore. Call it nervous energy.”
“You should’ve told me,” I said close to her ear, and I could smell her light perfume that was floral in scent. I was like a bee drawn to a flower.
She waved me off. “No big deal.”
Bryce leaned over to order from the bartender, and I raised my eyebrows in his direction.
She lifted a shoulder, as if to say, maybe, and my chest clenched.
“Want another drink?” Bryce asked her, completely ignoring me.
“Um,” she said, biting her lip and looking over at me. I turned toward the game on the big screen so as not to sway her decision. “I think we’re going to grab some dinner.”
“Okay,” he said, the discontent evident in his voice. “Maybe I’ll catch you later. I’ll be here in the bar later tonight.”
She hopped off the stool, her cheeks flushed. “Maybe I’ll see you then.”
He looked hopeful as he watched us walk toward the parking lot.
“Are you sure you didn’t want to stay?” I said, motioning with my thumb toward the lobby doors. “You don’t have to—”
“I’m sure,” she said in a stern voice, as if dismissing the notion.
I pulled out of the parking lot to drive to a chain restaurant I remembered passing on the way in. Plenty had changed around here, like the new bustling businesses, yet so much remained the same. Like the busy ball field we passed with cars crammed on the lawn, no doubt to watch a pee wee football game.
I considered heading to my Arlington High alma mater to catch a game under the big lights until one of my old friends had emailed with the same thought for him and his wife. Apparently the team was on a bye week.
Aurora remained silent beside me, simply taking
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