Chapter Thirteen
Bethany
Saying goodbye to Nick is more difficult than I thought it would be. He needs to get on the road early on Friday morning, so we go out for breakfast at a local greasy-spoon diner before I need to be at school. The pancakes and crisp bacon strips are good, but the dread of parting from him puts a pall over my enjoyment of the meal.
“You didn’t eat all your pancakes. How about trying the blueberry syrup?” Nick says as he holds up the specialty syrup.
I slide my remaining pancake around on the plate and refuse to make eye contact. “I’m not that hungry,” I mumble.
“Bethany, are you sick?” When I look up at him, he’s sporting a concerned expression on his face.
A weak laugh escapes. “I guess my reputation of inhaling my food hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
He doesn’t comment as he waits patiently for me to elaborate.
“I’m going to miss you! I don’t want you to go and it’s killing my appetite.”
The man has the audacity to grin like the Cheshire Cat. His chest puffs out as if I just paid him a compliment.
“Don’t get too much of a swelled head,” I grumble.
Laughing, he slides the tiny syrup jug across the table. “Eat up. I love watching you enjoy your food.”
Mostly to please him, but also because the syrup looks really tasty, I slather the pancake. In minutes I’ve cleaned my plate except for that weird piece of wilted lettuce they used as garnish.
Nick pays and we walk hand-in-hand to the parking lot, my feet drag more with every step. As I stand beside my car, he strokes my face, and plants a sweet, “I’m going to miss you”, kiss on my lips. This is torture saying goodbye, but I’m willing to endure it until I see him again, knowing that at least we’re not breaking up.
“Hey, come up to Cold Spring next weekend. I’ll show you the progress on the new restaurant.” Before I answer, he adds, “Please?” His voice is low and raspy, making goosebumps sneak across my skin. He continues stroking my face. His brown eyes gaze into mine, holding me captive as if he’s creating a tractor beam between me and him.
Emotion clogs my throat and the only response I’m able to form is a teary-eyed nod. His thumb wipes away a tear that leaks from the corner of my eye. In a few minutes, I’m going to be a blubbery mess. I step back to put some distance between us, so I don’t break down and ugly cry right in front of him.
I lift two fingers to my lips, kiss them, then place them on Nick’s lips. “See you next weekend,” I whisper before getting into my car and driving away. He’s still standing where I left him as I look in my rear view mirror. My hands itch to turn the car around, but I keep going while a couple of tears slide down my face.
Thankfully, when I arrive at school, there’s only a few cars in the parking lot. I can have my breakdown alone in my classroom before the students arrive. There’s a full hour to cry Nick out of my system.
Unfortunately, Mandy foils my plan. She catches me in the hall and pulls me into her classroom, shutting the door behind us.
“You look like the kid who Santa forgot to bring any presents to. I assume Nick left for Cold Spring?”
I plop into one of the undersized chairs, perfect for a five-year-old but way too small for me. My knees go to my chin, so I rest my head on them and the waterworks begin. Tears pour from my eyes. I haven’t cried in months, and here I am sobbing as if a dam burst. Pain slams into my chest.
Mandy rubs my back and says, “It’ll be okay. You’ll see him again next weekend. He’s going to miss you as much as you miss him. Think about how much fun your reunion will be.”
Sniffling, I wipe my runny nose on the palm of my hand. Tears continue to roll down my cheeks, like a raging flood that I can’t control. My sweet friend hands me a box of Kleenex. I pull out three or four, trying to stem the flow. Minutes later, I’m exhausted, and my tears magically dry up as quickly as they came. I blow my nose loudly, then look at Mandy. A weak smile crosses my face.
“Are you done?” she says, returning my smile.
“Yes.” I look at my dear friend. Knowing that she’ll tell me the truth, I ask, “What if he doesn’t miss me? What if he moves on? Was it just a fling?”
She puts her hands on her hips and gives me a small glare. “Girlfriend, have you seen the way he looks at you?”
I shake my head. “How does he look at me?”
Mandy smiles, “Nick looks at you like you’re the best chocolate he’s ever tasted, and he can’t get enough.”
My eyes brighten. A slow warmth trickles through my body. I never felt this way about Zach. Whatever this is with Nick, it is real, and I don’t want to lose it.
I glance at the classroom clock and see that it is time to get to class. “Do you think the kids will be able to tell I’ve been crying?”
An “are you kidding me” look appears on Mandy’s face. She puts her hand to her chin as if she’s thinking carefully about her reply. “Um, let’s see. Blotchy skin. Runny nose. Red eyes. Nope. They won’t suspect a thing!”
Giggling, I blow my nose again. “Okay, smarty pants. I’ll splash some water on my face and see if I can pull it together before a mob of kindergarteners burst into my classroom.”
I stand and toss the used tissues in the trash can at the side of her desk. I pull Mandy into a quick hug and whisper, “thank you.”
“I bet he texts you before lunch,” she shouts as I jog down the hall.
***
Five-year-old kids are an excellent distraction. The minute my students arrive, my mind quickly moves from thoughts of Nick to squabbles over toys, bandaging a skinned knee, and an urgent bathroom run with Riley Anderson. I’m happy to report that we made it just in the nick of time.
Right before lunch break, my phone jingles with the sound of an incoming text message. My eyes swivel to the tiny screen but I keep a side-eye on the kids as they finish their assignment to identify shapes. No telling what kind of trouble one of them could get into the minute I turn my back.
Nick: Missing you already.
I smile at his sweet message. He added a line of sad face Emojis to emphasize his point.
Me: Miss you, too. The kids are keeping me busy. I had an urgent bathroom run this morning.
I accompany my message with a string of Pile of Poo Emojis, just in case he didn’t get the picture.
Nick: Yikes! Did you make it to the bathroom in time?
Me: Thankfully, yes. No change of clothes necessary.
I can almost hear him laughing as he reads that one.
Nick: Buy your train ticket today and let me know what time to pick you up on Friday evening.
Me: Yes, sir.
Nick: Can’t wait to see you.
His message includes a string of hearts that span several lines.
Me: Ditto.
Hopefully my animated heart Gif gets my point across. Nick DeLuca has captured my heart.