Chapter 31
thirty-one
JULIAN
The air didn’t feel the same after Mila left Willow’s Cove. The ocean wasn’t quite as blue anymore, and everything around me felt lifeless as I sulked in my own regret. I’d been collecting dust as I waited for her to come back, and then, she was gone again.
As I picked at the food on my plate, I pictured her across from me, smiling as she drowned her strawberry pancakes in syrup. After I lost her the first time, I lived off the hope we’d make our way back to each other someday, but that time felt definitive. Final.
I did everything right—got her to leave Willow’s Cove to go to college, kept the promise to her mom, waited for her for six years, and in the end, I still ended up without her. I wondered if it was it all worth it?
The sound of a car pulling up made me grunt out of frustration since I’d purposely been avoiding having any visitors. Seconds later, Elijah let himself in through the front door with his hands up, and behind him was a familiar face.
“Damon?” It had been years, and suddenly he was someone with a mustache and tattoos.
“Miss me, JP?” I didn’t waste any time to bring him in a tight embrace. When he didn’t show for the wedding, I thought I’d never see him again. “Sorry I missed the wedding. I couldn’t get off work, but your sister has been blowing up my phone saying you needed me. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
I should’ve known Sofia knew about Mila being gone despite being in another country. News traveled fast in Willow’s Cove, especially gossip.
I turned to Elijah. “I thought you left town, Fisher?” He was only in town for the weekend, so I figured he couldn’t have gotten out fast enough. He sat across from me and let a subtle smirk show.
“I’m sticking around for a little bit. I figured this town could use a little fun.”
I’d known him long enough to know there was another reason. “Does this have anything to do with how you couldn’t leave Taylor’s side at the wedding?” He’d never smiled so much around someone, so it was something worth noticing. I faintly remembered him having a crush on her in high school, but Elijah had a lot of crushes, so I never thought anything of it.
“We’re not here to talk about me.”
“Will someone fill me in on why the hell I had to get on a plane to come see you? I can’t leave until I have something to report back to Sofia. I forgot how scary she is.” Damon chimed in.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how she found time to threaten him while on her honeymoon.
“You can tell her I’m fine.” Had no one ever heard of self-loathing in peace? It had only been two days since I’d been burdened with a Mila-sized hole in my chest, and I just needed a little time to myself.
“After all this time, you’re still a shitty liar, JP.” Elijah said.
“What is this, a tag team?” I joked.
I didn’t want to admit my failure to get Mila to stay out loud. It was bad enough I had the memory of it, but I knew they wouldn’t leave until I did.
“What do you want me to say? Camilla left. I did what everyone told me to do, and she still left back to New York with another guy, and I’m still here.” The wound I’d been trying to patch up for days suddenly reopened.
“Camilla? As in Camilla Vega? Damn, nothing changes around here.” Damon threw his head back before walking over to my fridge for a beer.
“Shit. That’s rough.” Elijah folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not really good at this kind of thing, but maybe everyone saw it wrong. Her coming back wasn’t so you would get a second chance, but instead, to finally get closure.” How could I accept that? How was I supposed to live the rest of my life without Camilla Vega?
I shook my head and sank against the countertop. “I should’ve fought harder for her.”
“If she already had her mind made up, not even you could’ve changed it.” Damon said. The two of them lecturing me about Mila really made it feel like old times.
“I mean, I should’ve fought harder six years ago.” I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping that goddamn promise, but it only landed us back in the same place we always did—apart.
They looked to each other, then rested their hands on my shoulder. “I know it’s hard to see, but maybe she did you a favor. You went so long thinking about the what-ifs, and now, you can finally move on.” Damon said softly.
Coming to terms with that was a bridge I didn’t want to cross yet, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I ever would.