Chapter 47
MILO
The inked compass draws my attention as I walk the familiar sidewalks of Hoboken. This city is where I held my teaching job after my injury—after I finally began pulling myself out of the hole I’d dug for myself.
I don’t know if Sadie noticed, but the compass doesn’t point north. It points to the S. Toward her.
I open the door to a small café that serves the best breakfast burritos.
“Table for one?” a young man with shaggy dark hair asks me.
I shake my head. “I just need two burritos to go.”
“Two?”
I nod. “Yes, please.”
“Name?”
“Milo Carter.”
“As in Milo Carter, running back for the Giants? Well, until . . .” The guy trails off.
“That’s the one,” I answer.
“Wow. They said you come in sometimes, but I’m new. Only been here a few weeks.” He pauses and stretches out his hand. “I’m Carmen. You were great. Sorry about the knee, man.”
I give him a polite smile and follow through with the handshake. “Thanks. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Should be about fifteen minutes,” he says as he writes down the order and turns with a huge grin.
“Thanks.”
I sit down on a wooden bench by the front windows and take out my phone. There’s a text I haven’t wanted to respond to waiting there, but I open it now.
Caleb
So, what are you thinking? Position is yours if you want it. It’s a lot more money than you’re making now.
I huff. It’s not hard for the job to pay more when I chose teaching as my fallback—but chasing money has never been the point.
Milo
It’s a great offer. I really appreciate it, but my decision is Sadie. I left her once and I won’t do it again. You, of all people, know that.
Caleb
I know. But there’s a difference between choosing a dream over love and choosing love so you can dream together. What’s Sadie say?
I know if I ask, Sadie will tell me to take the job. I could see it in her eyes, the way I’ve always been able to read her. She thinks I’m wasting my potential—it’s the same story a decade later. She doesn’t want to be the girl who makes me give up my dreams.
The only problem is—she doesn’t know what my dreams are anymore. That all I dream about is her.
Milo
It doesn’t matter. I’ve made up my mind.
Caleb
I need an answer by next Friday. Talk to your girl.
I let the screen go black.
The truth is, I can’t make Sadie choose me. I know that.
I just need her to know I’m an option, and that if she does choose me, I don’t care about anything else. I will follow that woman anywhere if only to remind her she’s worth believing in.
“Milo Carter?” I look up to the young man now holding a paper bag.
I stand up and give him my credit card. He swipes it and hands it back with the burritos.
“Thanks.”
“Have a great day,” he says with a nod.
I nod back. “You, too.”
I step back onto the sidewalk, but before I go back to where I really want to be, I stop at a flower shop and buy Sadie her favorite—pink lilies.