The wrong man, p.13
The Wrong Man, page 13
Miller had left for a reason. And that reason depended heavily on my future. If I wasn’t even certain about what I was doing, how could he be certain in my decision to be with him? Realizing what I needed to do, I asked Elena if she would spend the day with me at the marine institute. She agreed readily, the two of us getting ready in silence.
Avoiding interaction with anyone else, we drove to the marine institute, the large park a peaceful sight. I always felt content when I was around the animals I loved.
“What are we doing here?” Elena asked as we paid for passes to enter the park.
I knew I owed her an answer, thankful she was so willing to follow me and be there when I wouldn’t give her any details.
“Did you know I chose to work here because I wanted to live near Drew?” I asked as we walked past a few of the exhibits.
“I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure.” She paused before the sea otter exhibit, their small bodies diving through the water. “Is that why Miller said he couldn’t be with you?”
Twisting my fingers together, I sighed. “Not exactly. More so because of the fact that I was still basing my life off of him.”
“But you want to work here, don’t you? This place is amazing.”
And that was the dilemma. This place was amazing. I would be doing terrific work and working with the animal of my choice. However, did I want to work here? I loved the East Coast; it felt like home. And my dream job was at the sea turtle sanctuary. With all those facts, I honestly couldn’t fathom why I had ever chosen this place. Had I seriously been that blind from my infatuation with Drew?
“I can see by the look on your face that you’re internally melting,” Elena jibed and I crookedly smiled.
“The mission for the summer? Should have been called ‘Valerie needs to open her eyes’,” I sadly joked.
In that moment, I knew that if I moved here and took this job, I’d be making a mistake. Not because of anything Miller said, but because just the thought of the opportunity on the East Coast made my heart beat faster in my chest. It would be a disservice to myself if I didn’t do what I wanted, not caring about anyone else.
“I can’t move here,” I told Elena, a weight lifting off my chest.
“Does that mean I won’t have to be across the country from you?” She squealed, gripping my hands.
“We still won’t be in the same city, but yes,” I laughed, feeling lighter than I had the past two days.
There was still an ache in my chest, but I knew I was headed down the right path. I was taking Elena’s advice and looking toward the future instead of hanging onto the past.
“I have to make some calls,” I realized, and Elena waved a hand my way, walking us past the sea otters.
“You can make those later. Right now, I want to see some of those turtles you’re always raving about.”
Smiling, I led the way, knowing that even though being alone as I went on this new adventure would be terrifying, I’d have at least one person cheering me on the entire way.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Valerie
The last weeks of the summer flew by in a blur. The days were filled with sand and sun, Elena and I enjoying our last moments of freedom before the real world came barreling in. The nights were more somber, with nothing to distract myself, I was able to think about how much I missed Miller. But Elena followed through on her promise, watching movies with me most nights.
Although my heart ached for Miller, I also felt sadness over Drew. Ever since our conversation on the beach, we haven’t spoken besides a few stunted conversations. And as everyone began packing up their things, ready to leave tomorrow morning, I wondered if we would ever get our friendship back.
“When do you start at your new job?” Elena asked, throwing some of our things into the trunk of her car.
Since I was still without a car, we were driving back to our old apartment together. Once there, I was planning on getting a new vehicle and then packing up to make the move to Florida. Since Elena still had three more weeks until school started back up, I knew she would help.
“One and a half weeks. Plenty of time together before I leave,” I smiled at her but she was biting her lip, as if keeping a secret from me.
“What is it?” I demanded, hands on my hips and doing my best to imitate her teacher’s face.
“I was thinking that it’s silly for me and you to be alone. Lots of changes are already happening, why add one more change to the list?”
“Wait, are you asking if you can move to Florida with me?” I asked, and she shrugged, grinning widely.
Hugging her tight, I couldn’t think of a better idea. The last few weeks had taught me that life was a lot better when your best friend was by your side. And I honestly couldn’t imagine not being able to see Elena any time I wanted.
“I think that’s the best idea ever. And it's your lucky day, since my apartment has two bedrooms.”
“Why do you think I said that one was my favorite?” Elena flicked my forehead, as if I should have realized that immediately.
Shutting the trunk, the two of us headed back into the house just as Drew was walking out. He gave Elena and me a tight smile, but instead of walking past us, he stood on the porch, waiting. Elena glanced between the two of us and when I subtly nodded, she skipped inside, leaving the two of us alone.
“You’re heading back with Elena?” Drew asked, his eyes cast downward as he scuffed his shoe against the wooden planks.
“I am. Then I’m heading to Florida,” I told him, making it clear that I would no longer be staying in California with him.
“The sea turtle sanctuary?” He asked with a wry grin and I felt sadness settle deep in my bones.
He truly did know nearly every facet of me, or perhaps, every facet of the old me. The new me? Well, I was still learning more about her myself.
“Yeah, the sea turtle sanctuary. It’s my dream job.”
“And I was in the way of that dream?” Drew finally looked me in the eyes, my sadness reflected.
Grabbing his hand in mine, needing to comfort both of us in some way, I shook my head adamantly. I never wanted him to think that he was the reason I held myself back. That was all on me.
“It was never your fault. I just couldn’t seem to get past the girl I thought you wanted me to be. Realized pretty late that you would have preferred someone who was just true to themselves.”
“I always preferred you, just not in the way you wanted,” he said, cupping my cheek gently.
Leaning into the touch one last time, knowing that our friendship would forever be different, I said, “But we’ll always be friends. That will never change.”
“Then I want to spend our last day with my friend,” Drew said, thumbing toward his car.
“What do you have in mind?” I followed him toward the car, knowing that I needed this moment with him maybe as much as he did.
“What would be your ideal day?” He asked, and I pondered the question for a minute.
After deciding, I told him my plan and we were off.
* * *
My ball sunk into the hole and I threw my fist into the air while Drew groaned in defeat. One of our favorite past times as kids was playing mini golf. I had always won, and it wasn’t until we were young teens that I realized he was purposely throwing the games. Considering it took me at least seven hits to get each ball in, I should have realized it sooner.
“I know you’re letting me win,” I told him when he lined up his ball on the next hole.
“You have no way to prove that, Val,” he said, tapping the ball so badly that it nearly rolled off the green felt.
Lining up my own ball, I swung, not surprised when the ball hit the rock directly in the middle of the course. Knowing my skill level, I wouldn’t be shocked if I happened to hit the rock three more times before I got it around.
“I’ve seen you play plenty of sports, I know you aren’t this bad.”
Drew shook his head, denying my words.
“You really did show up to all my games, didn’t you?” He cocked his head to the side and I wondered if he was finally realizing how obvious my crush on him had been.
“Your mom paid me to show up,” I teased, “she thought you needed more support.”
Drew laughed good-naturedly, the rest of the game going by pretty quickly considering we both scored in the double digits on nearly every hole. But even though I sucked and Drew purposely threw the game, I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this comfortable around him. There were no more nerves wondering if he could see how much I loved him. And I realized that this was how it was always supposed to be.
“What’s next?” Drew asked as we turned in our clubs and balls.
“Ice cream and the pier?” I suggested, and he gestured ahead of us.
“Lead the way.”
The mini golf course was close to the pier, so we decided to walk, stopping for ice cream on the way. Drew got his favorite mint chocolate chip while I got a classic swirl. The sun was starting to descend and I knew that we would only have a few hours at the pier before it was dark.
Walking along the stone walkway, we chatted about old memories and what our families were up to. Not surprisingly, our parents were still best friends, getting together for dinner almost every week.
Drew sat on the edge of the pier when the walkway ended, his legs hanging off the edge. Joining him, I licked at my ice cream, taking in the tranquil view of the ocean. If I had to imagine the perfect day to end the summer, this was up there. The only thing that would beat this would be spending the day in Miller’s arms. But I pushed that thought away, not wanting my heartbreak to ruin this moment with Drew.
“Do you know where Miller headed off to?” Drew asked, clearly not getting my internal memo that I didn’t want to talk about him.
Sighing, I responded, “No, I don’t think he wanted me to know.”
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between the two of you the way you hoped.”
“Me too. But I’ll be okay,” I admitted, realizing it was true. Even if Miller and I never got another chance, I’d be okay.
“Want one more adventure before this summer ends?” Drew asked, wiping his hands on his shorts after finishing his ice cream.
Nodding, I stuck the wrapper from my cone in my pocket, standing up and wondering what he had in mind. Before I could ask, Drew took several steps back, running forward and launching himself off the side of the pier.
“Drew!” I yelled, watching as his head broke the surface, a wild smile on his face as his clothes stuck to his skin.
“Come on, Val! Don’t leave me hanging!” He cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting for me.
Deciding that this may be the best farewell to the summer, I readied myself, running and jumping. The air whooshed past my face, my body hitting the tepid water. Kicking my feet, I aimed for the surface, emerging. Drew and I shared goofy smiles and I knew that we would be okay.
“I hope you find the happiness you deserve,” Drew said earnestly before splashing a handful of water in my face.
Laughing, I swam after him, wanting to get my revenge. And as his words sunk in, I couldn’t deny that I was also hoping that I would find that happiness.
Chapter Thirty
Miller
The summer was over. Although, by the heat in southern Florida, you would never know that we were headed into fall. I tried to not think too much about what Valerie was up to, but it had been one month since the rental on the beach house had ended. One month since she was supposed to start her new job. Two months of wondering if I had made the wrong decision.
However, to get myself to start thinking about her too much, I had thrown myself into the coaching job, and it was paying off. I was able to bond with the players and I was especially proud of the progress I was making with the freshman pitcher.
“Hey coach, can we talk?”
Speaking of said sophomore, I nodded to him from behind my desk where I was sifting through stats. The kid, Joey, had the raw talent of a phenomenal pitcher. But with the starting pitcher in his fifth year, and the relief pitcher a senior, he didn’t see much game time, which stunted his growth as a game time player.
“What’s up, Joey?” I asked, tossing my pen down and giving him my full attention.
“I know that our pitchers are mostly set. But I was just wondering if there was any chance I’d get to play in the spring.”
Pausing, I considered his question. I didn’t want to lie to the kid and Seth, the fifth year, was one hell of a pitcher. Odds were, Joey wouldn’t play a single game. However, I also knew that he needed motivation more than some of the other players.
“Seth and Marcus are going to be playing, but things happen. Right now, you need to focus on improving your own skill in case something does happen.”
Joey gave me a toothy grin, clearly happy with even just the possibility of playing. Add that with his natural ability and I wouldn’t be surprised if a team picked him up his junior year.
“Thanks coach. I’ll keep working hard.”
Giving him a thumbs up on his way out the door, I turned back to the stats. Although, I could barely focus. It was nearly five in the evening and I had been at the facility since six this morning. However, going home to my empty condo wasn’t on my priority list.
“You heading out soon, Miller?” Doug asked as he walked by my office, his bag thrown over his shoulder.
“Yep, packing things up now,” I answered, gathering my belongings, which admittedly weren’t much.
“You’re doing a great job with the kids. But don’t work too hard, the season is long and we’ve barely begun.”
Nodding, I appreciated his advice, considering Doug had over twenty years of experience coaching, but I also doubted I would listen. It would probably be awhile before I was comfortable relaxing in the silence that seemed to continuously follow me when I wasn’t here. I knew I would eventually get there, but for now, I craved the distraction, anything to distract me from what Valerie was doing.
* * *
Sipping on a beer, the live band playing loudly in the bar near my home, I took in the crowd of people. After leaving the facility, I had decided that I’d rather not go home, instead heading to the bar. At least that way, when Noah called to check on me, I could pretend that I was getting out.
Right on cue, Noah’s name flashed on my phone screen and I answered immediately, knowing he would call and call until I answered. And although I loved the guy, I felt a little pathetic that he assumed he needed to check on me.
“I’m doing great, Matthews, thanks for asking. Have a good night and good game tomorrow,” I said quickly, ready to hang up, but Noah spoke before I could.
“If you hang up on me, I’m just going to call you right back.”
Rolling my eyes, I picked at the label on my bottle. Part of me wondered if I seemed that miserable or if Noah was trying to distract himself from something as well. Possibly a cute blonde that seemed to get under his skin like no one else.
“That’s a lot of noise for your apartment,” Miller said.
“That would be because it's not. I’m at a bar.”
“By yourself?”
I considered lying, telling him that I was out with coworkers. Or even that I had made a friend. But I knew he wouldn’t believe me, not when I had spent every night for the past month alone.
“Yes, by myself. But I’m doing good, I promise.”
Truthfully, I wasn’t doing necessarily good, but I was doing better. I loved my job, I loved my coworkers, and I loved the location. Even if I wondered if I made the wrong decision when it came to Valerie, I never regretted this choice. It was one hundred percent the right move for me.
“You sound better, I’ll give you that much,” Noah began, and I felt proud of myself until he continued. “But you’re not good. You won’t be good until you call Valerie up and tell her you’re ready to be together. That you’re a dumbass and made a mistake.”
“It wasn’t a mistake,” I insisted, but Noah snorted in disbelief.
“The longer you keep telling yourself that, the longer you have to be apart from her.”
Being apart from her was what really killed me. I missed her laughter, missed her teasing tone, hell, I even missed her godawful wink. I just missed her. Glancing out the window of the bar, I did a double take, not hearing what Noah was saying on the other side of the line.
Dark hair passed the window of the bar, the dark night casting shadows so I couldn’t see her face, but it looked so much like Valerie. Long legs carried her down the street and I wondered if just thinking about her had me hallucinating.
“Have you talked to Elena?” I cut off whatever Noah was saying. Maybe he knew some information through Elena about what Valerie was up to. And if she was possibly in southern Florida for some reason.
“No,” Noah snorted. “The last time I saw her, she told me thanks for a good time and that was it. I don’t think I’ll be speaking to her anytime soon.”
“Dammit,” I muttered, wondering if I should just text Valerie.
It didn’t have to be anything crazy, just simply asking her how her new job was going. Maybe ask if she had saved any turtles recently. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
“I’m going to text her,” I told Noah, confident in my decision.
“Great plan, what are you going to say?”
Explaining my idea, Noah laughed. And continued laughing, so loud he nearly drowned out the crowded bar sounds. Unfortunately, I no longer felt confident.
“You cannot text her that. She probably won’t even respond. If you reach out to her, it better be to tell her that you want her back. If it’s not that, then you need to wait until you’re ready.”
“Sometimes I really hate you,” I told him, frowning around the rim of beer.
“You only hate me because you know I’m right. Now enjoy your beer and go home. And maybe think of something better to tell Valerie when you text her.”
Saying goodbye, I hung up, replaying his words. Not if I text her, but when. Because even Noah knew that there wasn’t a chance in hell I didn’t contact her. It had been long enough and I was ready to give her my all, I just hoped she was too.
