Chapter Twenty-Six
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Melanie
S tanding at the prep station for Let's Taco ‘Bout It, my hands are shaking. I'm having trouble today keeping my blood sugar regulated. It happens to me when I'm emotional, and last night was definitely emotional. This morning is even more so because it was slightly awkward between Weston and me. I'm scared that he's going to decide this isn't worth it. He's mad that I left, and although he said things are fine, I'm worried he'll change his mind.
I'm doing everything I know how to do, but I'm still feeling lightheaded and trying to ignore it as I listen to my music and continue my prep.
"Are you okay?" Maverick asks, bumping into me with his hip. "You look like you're in a whole other world. Your eyes are not here."
I haven't made friends with many people, but Maverick is a nice guy, and I appreciate him trying to look out for me.
"I'm fine, just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night," which is definitely the truth, but I don't want to tell him everything else.
"Okay, if you need something, just let me know."
"Thanks," I give him a wobbly smile. "I appreciate it."
I turn my music back up and continue, but my thoughts swirl about what's going on with Weston and what our lives are going to look like. What am I going to do when eventually my parents show up? Because they will, they already know I'm back in town. They're going to try to make waves; it's what they do.
My brain is mushy with all of it swirling around like a tornado. The vegetables in front of me start getting blurry, and the room starts spinning. I drop the knife and reach forward to grab the edge of the prep table, but I can feel myself falling backward. Then everything goes black.
In the darkness, a memory pulls me back up. I'm sixteen again, and Weston's laugh is ringing in my ears, clear as a bell and as warm as the summer sun setting around us.
Flashback
We're sitting at the edge of the old pier, our feet dangling above the water, the gentle ripples reflecting the golden twilight sky.
"I'm surprised you agreed to this," Weston says, the corner of his mouth quirking into a grin. "A date with a troublemaker like me."
I roll my eyes. "Oh please, you think you’re so rebellious with your late-night sneaking out and that old truck with the other guys from Broken Falls."
He laughs again, that familiar mischievous glint dancing in his eyes. "Rebellious, huh? So I guess it worked. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with me."
I nudge him playfully with my shoulder, trying to suppress my own smile. "Maybe I’m the rebellious one, going against my parents’ very specific instructions not to associate with ‘bad influences.’”
We sit in silence for a moment, listening to the soft lapping of the waves against the wooden pilings. Weston turns to look at me, the teasing gone from his expression now, replaced by something sincere. Something that makes my heart skip.
"You know," he says quietly, "I’ve never wanted to be anyone else around you, Melanie. Just me."
The sincerity in his voice tugs at something deep inside me, anchoring me in the moment, and I know then why I'm here. It's the honesty in his eyes, the way he sees me even when I don't see myself. I feel safe, and yet daring, all at the same time.
That safety, that thrill, it’s a lifeline I try to cling to now as the memory fades into the void.
Gradually, sounds pierce the haze of my consciousness. There's a faint beeping, chatter that's far too loud, and then I hear Maverick's voice, strained and anxious. "Melanie? Can you hear me?"
There's a siren, a blaring, insistent noise cutting through the murk. It sends a tremor through my slowly waking mind. I catch snippets of conversation around me.
"She's diabetic... Blood sugar... Unresponsive..."
They must have called Weston.
I want to tell them I'm here, I'm aware, but the words are locked somewhere inside. Instead, I feel hands gently but urgently lifting me, transferring me onto something that moves. The cool air bites at my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of Weston's laugh still lingering in the recesses of my memory.
As I'm loaded into the ambulance, Weston’s voice echoes in my mind, that unwavering sincerity from our first date. And despite the chaos, I hold onto it like a lifeline, hoping it'll guide me back to the surface.