Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Emily had been hiding out in her room all morning.
Instead of facing everyone, she’d decided to email Martha Rogers, her school principal, to ask about her contract.
It was too late in the year—two months before school started—to try to get a teaching job in another location, so she wasn’t really sure why she was emailing, but she wanted to know if, legally, she could get out of it.
Why? She had no idea. She had bills to pay, and she had to be able to afford rent for her apartment, provided it was still available.
She still hadn’t renewed her lease. But a tiny spark of hope inside her wondered if, perhaps, she looked for jobs in Florida, one would magically become available and she’d live happily ever after.
But then the rational side of her reminded her that she hadn’t known Patrick long enough to make that kind of move. Giving up her whole life, leaving her two best friends, and moving to an entirely different state was a risky move for someone she’d met on vacation.
She kept the message to Martha open-ended and left her cell phone number in case Martha would rather call. But her phone never rang, so Emily finally got out of bed, made herself presentable, and then went downstairs.
The house was quiet. Blair and Sienna were sitting in the living room. Blair sinking her spoon into a bowl of cereal.
Emily sat down in a chair near the window. “Where are the guys?”
“They went home,” Blair said.
Alarm shot through Emily. Had her issues with Will been too uncomfortable to endure? “Why?”
“We told them to go,” Sienna said.
“But they had more time to hang out. We could’ve all left together.”
Sienna leaned forward, her forearms on her knees, and clasped her hands. “Will let us in on the details of your conversation last night.”
“I told Rocko privately that they shouldn’t have ambushed you by showing up with Will unannounced.
They should’ve let Will figure things out on his own,” Blair said.
“Rocko agreed, and I suggested that maybe they should go home and give us girls one last day together so you can end your trip on a good note.”
“I feel bad,” Emily said.
“We’ll see them when we get back. But with the storm, we never really had a chance to unwind, just us girls. And we still have one more broken heart to mend. How can we give you a chance to do that with Will lurking around?” Sienna pointed spiritedly at Emily.
“Thank you,” Emily said.
“Of course.” Sienna stood up. “You know what I was thinking?”
Emily and Blair looked over at her.
“The town is still recovering from the storm, so we’re pretty much stuck in this gorgeous mansion. Why don’t we ask Julia, Winston, and Patrick over as a thank-you for their hospitality? We could grill some hot dogs or something, swim, and play with Winston. Maybe he could bring his dog.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Blair said.
Emily agreed, happiness already bubbling up at the thought of seeing Patrick again.
“Text him,” Blair suggested.
Emily grabbed a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, then went upstairs and got her phone. When she did, she realized she’d missed Martha’s call and checked the message. Of course, Martha’s voice was lively and full of promise for the school year ahead. Emily decided to call her back right away.
Martha answered with her principal’s phone greeting.
“Hi, Martha, it’s Emily. I’m glad I got you.”
“Great to hear from you. How’s your summer so far?” she asked, her voice chipper down the line.
“It’s…interesting.” She hemmed and hawed, unsure what she really wanted to ask. But in the silence, she very quickly came to the conclusion it wasn’t that she didn’t know what to ask, but rather what she’d do if she did ask it.
“So, what’s up?” Martha’s unsuspecting voice floated into her ear.
Emily took a steadying breath. “I was wondering…” She swallowed.
Was she really going to ask this? She reminded herself that if she got out of her contract, she had no work lined up, and she wouldn’t have Will to keep her afloat if she were unemployed.
“I was wondering if we had any professional development days this summer? I didn’t see any on the calendar before August.”
“I thought you all would like the break,” Martha said with a laugh. “But I admire your dedication. Your contract hours don’t start until August. Now go enjoy your summer.”
“Okay, thanks.” Emily hung up, her heart pounding.
Was she having some sort of early midlife crisis?
She’d actually considered walking away from a perfectly good job with benefits and regular paychecks.
And why? Because she’d hung out with a handsome guy for a few days at the beach?
What was she thinking? On paper, it made no sense, but she couldn’t deny what her heart was telling her.
“What did he say?” Blair called up the stairs.
“Oh, sorry!” Emily opened the door. “I had another call. I’m texting him now.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, chewing the inside of her lip as her toast and coffee got cold. Maybe she shouldn’t text Patrick. She’d only fall harder for him if they spent time together, and look at where that had gotten her—nearly ready to quit her job. They lived over seven hours apart.
Emily dropped her phone onto her bed, picked up her uneaten breakfast, and went downstairs. Sienna and Blair watched her expectantly.
“I was going to text Patrick,” Emily said, dropping her dishes on the island and then plopping down on the sofa, “but it occurred to me that the whole reason the guys went home was so we could have the girls’ time we never got. Let’s spend the day together.”
Sienna clapped her hands and stood up, the flowy pink, floral-printed kimono she wore over her tank top billowing out behind her. “That’s a great idea. Let’s make beachy drinks and have a swim in the Gulf.”
Blair clutched her phone. “My notifications are blowing up right now. People are waiting for content. I could definitely do with some photos of the house and the fun we get into.”
“Perfect,” Emily said, deciding then and there that she needed to spend her time healing instead of swooning over someone she’d never see again, no matter how much she wanted to.
They put on their swimsuits, made coconut-rum lemonades (non-alcoholic for Sienna), and walked through the powdery sand down to the water.
The surf gurgled over Emily’s painted toes while she sipped her drink.
The alcohol warmed her throat, and the sun beat down on her bare shoulders, reminding her of how she’d felt when they’d first arrived.
Blair videoed her feet as she kicked the water, splashing white suds.
Sienna protectively placed her hands on her belly. Blair turned the camera toward Sienna’s hands and snapped a shot.
“The idea of a baby feels so much more natural after telling Tyson,” Sienna said before turning toward the wind, her long hair blowing out behind her. “I still don’t know if I’ll be any good at being a mother, but I’m getting excited to try.”
“You’ll be amazing. I’m sure of it,” Emily said. Her friends’ lives seemed to have gotten back on track easily, and yet she was still struggling. “So much has happened since we got here,” she said, taking a step and submerging her feet and ankles in the cool current.
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Sienna said, shielding her eyes toward the view of a seagull on the horizon. She waded in deeper with tiny shrieks as the water reached her thighs, then her hips, and her waist.
“It is.” Emily studied the surf, pensive.
Blair went back up the sand and dropped her phone into her beach bag. “I know what you need,” she called to Emily. Then, at full speed, she ran toward her, grabbing her arm as she splashed past, dragging her into the cold water.
“Agh, it’s freezing!” Emily protested, falling backward and trying to get her footing.
With a splash, she was in the water, pawing at a laughing Blair.
“You’re too serious,” Blair said, pushing her wet hair away from her face.
“You know what hit me the other day?” She raised her hands in the air and did a spin.
“Look around. We made it through a tropical storm. And you know what? The sun is shining again. The world keeps going no matter what happens to us. If the sun can shine after a storm, so can we!” She pushed herself toward Emily and gave her a playful splash.
Sienna swam over to them. “She has a point.” She lay back in the water, floating, and closed her eyes.
“You’re so right,” Emily said. She addressed Blair. “How did you manage at your lowest? How did you get to the other side?”
Blair moved her arms in a breaststroke through the ripples of the calm Gulf to reach Emily. “I managed by having you and Sienna. And we’re going to get you to the other side too.”
Fondness for her friends bubbled up. Until that moment, Emily hadn’t really realized what being there for Blair had done. And now on the other end, as a recipient of that support, she knew she couldn’t get through her own trials without them.
They’d floated on the water for so long that Emily still felt the swish-swashing of the tide while she was in the shower.
She took her time, lathering every inch of her skin and adding in extra conditioner, before she dried her hair, applied her peach lotion, and put on a light sundress.
Her cheeks were pink from spending all day in the sun, so she only needed some moisturizer and lip gloss.
This evening, she was getting spruced up for herself.
They were leaving tomorrow, so she was ready to make the most of her last evening there.
She, Sienna, and Blair had spent the whole afternoon talking and planning out their final night together.
Sienna suggested turning on the lights around the pool, lighting candles, and maybe playing a game or two of cards, since she’d bought them a deck that they’d yet to use.
Blair had run out to the market that had reopened and bought fixings for pina coladas.
And they were sure Patrick would show up with something delicious to eat.
That was what had been on Emily’s mind most of the afternoon. She was going to have to tell him goodbye tonight.
It shouldn’t be a problem, she’d told herself.
So why was this tug in her heart so strong?