Chapter Twenty-Five
Hollie
There were storms in the night, with wild, flashing lightning and thunder that crackled, then rolled across the sky. I watched a wall of rain fall from my bedroom window.
This morning, at Sunset Pines, Mrs Huxley is in her chair, a blanket over her knees. Outside, the sun is shining again, though the heatwave has cooled off. I keep losing my place in the book that I’m reading to her, because no matter how hard I try not to be, I’m distracted.
‘Sorry,’ I say again, my eyes scanning the black and white text, trying to work out if I’ve read the paragraph or not. ‘Where was I?’
‘Something on your mind, sweetie?’ Mrs Huxley asks.
I sigh and lower the paperback into my lap. I stare at the wall. I’ve never told her about AJ.
‘You can tell me,’ she offers gently, as though reading my thoughts.
I put down the novel. ‘When you were younger, did you and Robert ever argue?’ I ask.
A beaming smile appears on her lips. ‘Oh, sure, honey, we’d fight all the time.’
‘What sorts of things did you fight about?’
‘Oh, I don’t remember now. Little things. If he stayed out drinking. If he didn’t wash the dishes. Some nights we’d be straight up hollerin’ at one another, and I’d tell him he’d have to sleep downstairs on the couch.’
‘But you stayed together?’
‘I’d say you’re not really in love if you’re not fightin’ at least some of the time.
No relationship is perfect. Depends on how badly you’re hurtin’.
My sister, she got herself a divorce when she caught her husband in bed with his secretary.
I didn’t blame her. My Robert never did anything like that to me.
He’d buy me flowers, and we’d forgive one another and move on. We were family. Why’d you ask?’
Her eyes sparkle. I can tell she’s desperate for the details. Being a resident here doesn’t bring a lot of gossip her way, so she pounces on whatever news she can glean from me.
‘A special somebody?’ she prompts.
I let out a sigh. ‘His name is AJ,’ I say. ‘We went to high school together.’
‘And what does he do, this AJ?’
‘He fixes motorcycles for a living.’
‘So, he’s good with his hands.’
We both bite back a smile. ‘It’s just that… he and his friends weren’t very nice to me back then,’ I tell her.
‘Oh? Like how?’
‘They would play pranks on me. Childish, stupid stuff.’
She rolls her eyes. ‘Times, they never change. Go on.’
‘I got locked in this cupboard once. After school. It wasn’t a big deal, I guess. Except it was, because I could barely breathe and I almost had a panic attack… and last night I found out who did it. AJ was there when his friend turned the key.’
Mrs Huxley is frowning. ‘Well, that’s just not a very nice thing to do now, is it? Is AJ your boyfriend?’
I nod my head. Thinking about driving away from him yesterday makes my chest ache. He didn’t apologize or say anything to stop me from leaving. He was just silent.
‘And things between you both… they’re… serious?’
I nod again. ‘I mean… they are for me.’
‘And he didn’t apologize?’
‘Not yet, no.’
‘And how much do you like this boy? Is he Coyote Maverick?’
I know why she’s asking me that question. She’s asking if AJ’s my forever. If he’s the whole package. My protector. My knight in shining armor. The man who would move heaven and earth for me. The love of my life. ‘Didn’t we both say that Coyote Maverick is too good to be true?’
‘But is he your Coyote Maverick?’
A smile dances across my lips. ‘I’d like him to be.’
‘Honey. You can’t live in the past. You can only go forward.
You can’t change nothin’. So, there’s no point dwelling on the things that made you cry before now.
But you can still shape the future. And if he can prove that he’s sorry…
well then, you have to let him. But if you can’t bring yourself to forgive him…
well then maybe he’s not your Coyote Maverick after all. ’
I stare at my fingers. There’s a lump of emotion that sits heavy in my stomach.
When I leave Mrs Huxley’s room, the corridors are deserted. Still wearing my pink candy striper’s outfit, I look around, frowning at the lack of activity. I return to the reception area, only to find a group of eight or nine uniformed female staff huddled together staring out of the window.
‘You think the flowers are for his grandma?’ one of them says.
‘I’ll be his grandma,’ says another.
‘Why hasn’t he walked in here then?’
‘Man, he is so fine.’
‘I’d die if a hot guy like that brought me flowers.’
The hairs on the back of my neck bristle. I look around. Aubri is at her desk, talking to somebody on the phone.
‘You think it’s just the motorcycle?’
‘Lori, are you blind? That man is the hottest specimen ever to set foot inside the city limits. The motorcycle’s just the icing on the cake.’
I crane my neck. I can’t see what they’re looking at because there are too many heads in the way. Frowning, I walk to my right, to the main double entry doors and type in the security code. The first set slides open, followed by the second as I walk through both and emerge into the parking lot.
I look to my left and my stomach rolls over.
At first, AJ doesn’t see me. He’s over in one corner of the lot, under the shade of a tree.
He’s parked his bike and is leaning up against the saddle.
In his leather jacket and jeans, he’s holding a large bunch of roses, tied with a bow.
It appears he can’t sit still, because he continually fidgets, running his free hand through his already mussed hair, glancing at something on his hand.
He crosses and uncrosses his ankles. I start moving toward him and still he doesn’t notice me.
I slow my pace as I draw closer. He wears a white bandage wrapped around the fingers on his right hand. There’s a cut above his right eye, and one on his lip, along with a dark purplish bruise that surrounds it. I raise my brow in surprise.
When he sees me, he straightens and smiles a crooked smile.
‘Hey,’ he says when I stop in front of him.
My lips twitch. ‘You’re causing a commotion.’
He shifts his position again. ‘I’m what?’
‘I said you’re causing a commotion. The staff are distracted by your presence. The female staff.’
‘How so?’
Because… look at you. Leaning back on his bike, in his leather jacket, grasping a bunch of roses, his hair all messed up, he has no idea how irresistible he looks. Just the sight of him makes me want to put my arms around his neck and forgive him anything.
‘What happened to your face?’
‘Oh. That. It’s nothin’.’
‘It’s clearly not nothing.’
He winces and looks to the ground. ‘Got into a fight with Chase.’
I’m pretty sure I know the answer when I ask, ‘Why?’
‘Because I was mad at him. For bringing all that stuff up when we were sitting round the campfire.’
I cross my arms over my chest. ‘It doesn’t take away from the fact that all those things happened, AJ. He didn’t make it up.’
He looks guilty. ‘I know. I know that, and I can’t change what went down back then… I guess I was just hoping you could… you know. Forgive me.’
‘Just like that?’
He flinches when I snap my fingers at him, then his face falls. ‘Are you breaking up with me?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Did I say I was breaking up with you?’
‘No, but… are you?’ He swallows.
‘I’m not breaking up with you. It’s just hard to accept that once upon a time my boyfriend thought I was a loser, enough to allow his friend to lock me in a cupboard and leave me there.’
He stands and lowers the flowers. ‘I think we both know who the loser was in that situation. I’m so sorry, Hollie, I should never have done that. I’m mad at myself that I always went along with Chase’s dumbass ideas.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me that last night? When I left, you said nothing.’
‘Because I was mad at Chase! In that moment, all I wanted to do was give him a beatdown. He looks way worse than I do, by the way.’
I pull a face. ‘Am I supposed to be impressed?’
‘No, I… just. He deserved it. All those times we came after you. I should have told him to back off and leave you the fuck alone in high school. I know that now.’
He rakes his fingers through his hair and looks to the ground again. The wind gently rustles the trees. I glance back but I can’t see if anybody from Sunset Pines is watching me or not.
‘Things were going really good between us until last night…’ he says, and his tone is subdued, rough with regret. ‘Please, Hollie. Tell me what I gotta do to make it up to you. ’Cause you’re… you know…’
My gaze flits to his. He looks vulnerable with that black eye and cut lip. Still holding the flowers, he rubs his rib cage, and I wonder if he’s bruised there too.
‘I know what?’ I ask when he doesn’t finish his sentence.
He shakes his head. ‘Nothin’.’
‘Tell me.’
He blows out his cheeks. ‘You’re my ride-or-die, is all.’
Something in my chest swells. Ride-or-die implies the depth of his feelings for me and is the first indication he’s given me that he’s serious about our relationship. It renders me speechless.
‘So, like, just… tell me what I gotta do,’ he says. ‘To win you back.’
I stand opposite him. He can’t look me in the eye.
‘The flowers are a good start,’ I murmur.
He holds them out on an outstretched arm. I take them. It seems he hoped they would be enough, and maybe he’s a touch disappointed that they’re not.
‘They’re beautiful,’ I say, holding onto the stems. ‘Can you just give me a couple of days? I just need time to work this through in my head.’
‘Okay,’ he says. ‘I’ll be here. Whenever you’re ready. To talk, or… whatever. You want me on my knees, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.’
‘I’ll tell you when I’m ready,’ I say.
He’s pushed his hands all the way into the pockets of his jeans. ‘Just so you know…’ he says quietly. ‘I think you’re awesome. And you look hot in that pink uniform. There’re so many things I wish I’d done different. But if you need time… then I guess… I guess I’m down with that.’
I press my lips together. I want to tell him that I’ve been in love with him since high school. Instead, I nod my head. ‘I should probably get back to being a candy striper.’
‘Cool,’ he says. ‘Echo’s prolly wondering why the fuck I’m not at work.’
‘Ride safely,’ I say, just as he reaches for his helmet.
I watch him ride away. There’s a lump in my throat. I wish I’d forgiven him. Because I don’t see there being another man like him in my life. Not now, or maybe ever.
Because AJ Callahan is my Coyote Maverick.