Coincidentally Kismet

7. Will

CHAPTER 7

WILL

“LONELY BOY” - THE BLACK KEYS

L ast night was interesting. Not only did my baby sister show up at my door unexpectedly, Cam danced right back into my life. Well, sorta. I wouldn’t say she’s in my life exactly, but we managed to be around each other for the better part of two hours.

The longest two hours of my life, and I spent them watching her flirt and fawn over Butler. That schmuck. We need to have a little chat about who’s off-limits when it comes to dating in our friend group. Not that I have any right to stake a claim, but I’ve never not considered her mine after all we went through together. I pull up the guys’ group text and see I’ve already missed an alarming number of messages.

Smith

Yoooo, so I’ll say it again. Last night was weird.

Ruiz

It’s like a bad joke. Three hot girls walk into a club, Davenport walks in, and none of us get laid.

Butler

Your joke needs some work but I have to say, you’re a damn fool, Davenport. That girl is special, man. I’m kinda pissed that she’s off-limits.

Smith

Remind me to show all you morons photos of my exes in case we ever end up in this situation again! I still can’t believe you didn’t recognize her in the parking lot.

Ruiz

I’m impressed you didn’t throw out your man card, Butler. I’d have thought about it . . . wait Smith . . . you have exes?

Smith

STFU, you know I have exes. I think we have one in common, Ruiz!

Ruiz

Don’t remind me, at least I dated her first and not the other way around.

Smith

Seriously, we need a list. With photos so everyone knows who is fair game and so no one can sneak up on us.

Will

Fuck you, Ruiz!

Smith

Bro . . . seriously though, what are you doing letting her get away?

Will

Why do I have to keep repeating myself? I don’t date, not even Cam.

Butler

Based on last night...it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. She looked like she was going to chop your balls off and feed them to you for breakfast.

Will

Exactly! This is why I don’t do relationships . . .

Smith

Well I do! I think I’m in love with Lo.

Will

Of course you are! It doesn’t take much.

Smith

Would you prefer I date your sister?

Will

Fuck you!

**Davenport leaves the group chat**: **Smith adds Davenport to the group chat**

Smith

It was a joke, Willy! Come back to us!

“Um, are you going to wake up sometime today? I want—no, need food, like, right now or I’m going to start crying,” Amy threatens weakly.

“Ugh, fine, it’s not like I slept well anyway, what with an unexpected houseguest and the ghosts of girlfriends past haunting my dreams,” I reply, my voice full of sarcasm.

“Will! I offered to take the couch. It’s not my fault you insisted on being a gentleman and letting your baby sister have the bed. It was comfortable though.” Amy throws a pair of rolled up socks at my head just like she used to when making me get up for school.

“Alright, alright. I’m up. You want to tell me why you’re here now or should we eat first?” I ask, raising my eyebrow in challenge. I want to know the details, but I secretly hope she picks food first.

“Definitely food. Let’s go to that one place...what’s it called?” Twirling her hair, she’s looking hard at me, as if she gave me any context at all. “You know...the one on the beach with the sandwiches and salads.”

“Sal’s?” I ask.

“Yeah, well, I think. Is that the one with the picnic tables in the sand?” Her eyes glisten with hope.

“Yep, let’s go. They have the best double chocolate peanut butter cake in the world.” My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I quickly head into the bedroom, grab a change of clothes, and swiftly make my way to the bathroom. The shower spray is not hot, but it’s warm enough for me to feel like I’m washing away the shock of yesterday. My sister showing up as a surprise isn’t a bad thing, but I’m worried about our mom. I’d rather see my sister run off into the sunset with Smith than see my mom upset. I need Amy to call her and explain where she is today, if we accomplish nothing else. I rinse off and get changed quickly because that cake is calling my name.

Walking into Sal’s is like walking into any classic deli you could stumble into in Brooklyn, except this one’s right on the beach. The inside is plain with white walls and green tablecloths. A chalkboard sign lists the various sandwich and side options, while a cooling case displays an array of delicious treats.

“What should I get? You know I’m picky.” My sister shifts from one foot to the other.

“Well, I have tried almost everything on the menu, but the classic turkey on pumpernickel is their most popular. That’s what I’m getting. Oh, and dill potato salad, chips, and a slice of the cake.”

Amy’s eyebrows shoot into her hairline at my list of lunch items. “Okay, well...just order me the same. We can always bring the leftovers home.”

I can’t help the scoff that sneaks out; she’s nuts if she thinks I’m not going to savor every single bite. I work out hard so I can eat what I want.I place our order, grab a number, and lead us out to a picnic table to wait. Burying my feet in the sand and moving my hat backward, I look at my sister, waiting for her to spill the beans.

“Sooo...are you going to tell me what you’re doing in Florida?” I ask after what feels like an eternity of silence.

“I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with you. The teaching market is better in Florida because there are so many more openings than in Iowa. Oh, and also that shithead doesn’t live here, but that remarkably hot group of friends you have do.” She smirks, knowing she’s going to get a rise out of me with that declaration.

“Ha. Very funny. No, but for real. What’s the plan, Aim?”

“You’re looking like Dad does when he’s disappointed in me.” She scoffs.

“Yeah, Aims, I am. Because you don’t just fly cross-country with no plan, no job, and no Mom. It’s not what we do,” I reprimand her.

“O-kay, I know it looks bad, Will, but the truth is I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I needed to get away, start fresh, and I knew you would never turn me out on the streets. Finding a job is hard, and it’s even harder when you have Mom meddling in everything. I know she means well, but the pressure and Pinterest boards she’s using to mold me into the world’s best teacher are too much. Also, it’s an adventure. I don’t have a plan; I just know that I couldn’t stay there and I wanted to be here with you. I think if you admit it, you might enjoy having someone around since you’re not exactly occupied, you seem lonely since...well, since Thatch.” She folds her hands together then unfolds them, putting them under the table, clearly worried that she hit a nerve.

I’d love to say her assessment is wrong, but deep down I don’t think it is. I’m surprised she brought up Thatch, she knows I don’t like talking about him. She’s also right in that I would like to have someone to hang out with other than the guys.

“Have you looked for a job?” I ask, right as a young kid dressed in all white and wearing a hairnet delivers our feast.

“Actually, I have an interview on Tuesday for a first-grade position in Tampa and an interview on Wednesday for a kindergarten one in St. Pete.”

“Wow, that’s great! Okay, sooo if you get a job, you will be here at least a year, and I assume you’re willing to pay toward rent and shit you need?” I ask around a bite of my sandwich. Lettuce falls out of my mouth in a very unattractive way.

Amy, on the other hand, chews gracefully before answering, “Of course! I’m an adult...I would never make you pay my way...Please, Will, I don’t want to find another roommate in a new city. Can I move in with you?” She’s giving me puppy dog eyes. I’ve always been helpless against her puppy dog eyes. She knows it and has been using them against me for as long as I can remember.

“Fine, I guess you can stay, but I have conditions. First, you have to help pay the bills. Second, you have to tell mom today . And third but most importantly, you are not dating my friends.”

I can tell she’s relieved by the way she quickly agrees. I noticed her smile faltered a little when I said no dating my friends, but she will respect my rules or I will make her move out. Call me overprotective, but the last thing I need is Smith telling me all the ways he plans to bang my sister. Believe me, he would be relentless.

“Oh, and Aims, there’s something you should know...I may be heading out soon, overseas. It’s not set in stone, and I don’t know when it will be or for how long, but it’s coming and soon.” Her smile dims, but she needs to know the truth. This is my job and it’s not all sunshine and pina coladas on the beach.

“Geez, Rambo. Eating for two?” I look up from lovingly gazing at my potato salad to see Cam and Lo in their pajamas and carrying a to-go bag.

“Hey, Wright, forget to get dressed this morning?”

Cam rolls her eyes and pulls her sunglasses down from where they were pushing her hair back. “Actually, this is our tradition. We go out, drink our faces off, and go eat Sal’s on the beach in our jammies the next morning.” Lo scoffs, as if I should have known that it’s normal for friends to be sporting matching pink flamingo pajama pants and turquoise tank tops out in public.

“I think that sounds so fun,” Amy coos.

“It’s interesting, I’ll give ya that.” I smirk at the ladies, not saying that I find it incredibly endearing. But what about Cam isn’t. She’s always had a way of disarming people with her charm.

“We aren’t seeking your approval, Rambo. We just noticed your massive quantity of food, and I couldn’t stop myself from commenting.” Cam crosses her arms and turns to leave.

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Wright. I’m flattered that you wanted to talk to me.” That’s it, I’ll get the last word just for fun. It irritates me how little I seem to affect her, and I can’t help but wonder if maybe she really did move on.

Cam and Lo leave as I begin my foray back into my potato salad. Damn, it really is so good. Simple, just potatoes, celery, mayo, and dill.

“Okay, what the fuck was that?” Amy sets her fork down and places both hands on the table, leaning forward.

“Wha-was-wha?” I ask, mouth full of a huge bite.

“You like her. It’s so obvious. But why do you keep saying you don’t date when the guys or I bring it up?” She’s picked up her fork again and is pointing it at me like she’s deciding if she should eat with it or stab me.

“I-I just can’t,” I say, shrugging noncommittally.

“Bullshit. That’s utter grade A genuine cow doodoo. And you know it. The way I see it, you’ve got two choices. You either tell me and let me help you, or you die alone, a miserable sad sack.”

“Option B.” I pop the top on the cake’s plastic container, preparing to dive into my final course.

“Nope. It was a trick question, I would never let you die alone, so option A it is. Start talking or I’m not letting you have this cake.” Amy slams her hand down on the container, a force to be reckoned with if I want the sweet, salty hint of heaven.

“Fine. What do you want to know? This better not leave this table, either.” I give in, glaring at her.

“Why did you really break up?”

“Ugh...not starting easy on me. It was complicated. Cam swooped in right around the time Mom and Dad split up. I was angry and lost but instead of letting me piss my life away, she bulldozed her way in and made me want to be better.” Amy’s looking at me with the tell-me-something-I-don’t-know face, but I continue anyway. “It wasn’t just that she was nice or pretty. It was the way I felt when I was around her. Like she was the sun, and for a minute I had a chance to touch that light. The way she could make me laugh, could get me to talk out the hard stuff. She didn’t just tell me she loved me, she made me feel it. Believe it. I knew when I decided to join up that I was letting her down by leaving. I couldn’t stand the thought of facing her disappointment, couldn’t watch her cry every time I had to say goodbye if we did the long-distance thing. I would have ruined her life.” Amy’s mouth is hanging open and there are tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

“So instead of feeling like you were a constant disappointment, the way Dad always made us feel, you ended it. Am I getting this right?” she asks, disbelief etched on her face as she chews her bottom lip.

“Yeah.” I put my head in my hands, pressing the base of my palms into my eyes to chase away any emotion that may want to leak out.

“You really are a bonehead. You ran when it got hard. You were so afraid of making her feel like you did when Dad left, but you did exactly what he would have.” I can tell she’s disappointed, finally learning the truth I’ve known—I am just like our dear old dad.

“At the time, I guess so. But I did her a favor. Amy, my life, as a soldier, it’s not easy. I’m gone at a moment’s notice. I could never give her the life she deserves.” Bri pops into my head, and all that she’s had to endure with Thatch. It’s not the kind of life that I could easily bring someone as good and pure as Cam into. The things I’ve seen would ruin her, they’ve ruined me.

“And what about what you deserve, Will?” Amy’s ready for a fight now, face pinched in defiance.

“Look, I know you don’t understand, but I-I just can’t. I will always love her, but I can’t hurt her more than I already have. And with losing Thatch, I can’t risk letting myself fall just to lose her too when she gets sick of it.”

“So this is about fear. You’re afraid. Well that...that’s something I can fix.” Amy stands and takes our trash to the bin, returning to grab the two uneaten slices of cake and me. “Let’s go, Will. I’ve got work to do.”