CHAPTER 20
A few days later, my condition had improved significantly. The drain was removed, and I was medically cleared for an overnight trip to the beach. Brad, however, had been discharged a few days earlier and did not require surgical intervention.
“Alright, Isabel,” Michelle said, reviewing my chart, “You are cleared to go to the beach… with restrictions. You are not to walk on the sand unassisted, you are not permitted to swim, and you should avoid lifting or carrying any items. You have adequate support with you, so make sure you use it.”
She briefly looked toward Noah, Olivia, and Brad. “Enjoy the beach, and please ensure Brad is also careful.”
“You got it, boss!” Noah winks, pushing my wheelchair, borderline running down the hall.
“You’re free at last!” Olivia screams as we reach the front entrance where my mom is waiting in her car.
I hoist myself out of the wheelchair and down into her car.
“How are you feeling, honey? Are you sure you’re up for this weekend?” my mom asked, leaning into the car, her voice edged with concern.
“Mom, I’m fine,” I said. “The school is emailing me everything I’m missing, and I can’t go on tours right now anyway. It’ll be good for me to clear my head… and to have one last party with everyone before we all go our separate ways.”
I glanced back at my friends.
She hesitated, her hand still on the door. “Just… be careful. I don’t know why, I just have a bad feeling about this,” she said quietly.
“Mom, I’ll check in. I promise. I love you,” I said. “Now go, you’re going to be late for work.”
She pulled me into a tight hug. “I love you too, Isabel. Please be careful.” Then she closed the door.
We drove to my house first so I could shower and grab some things.
Olivia helped me upstairs and sat in my bathroom so I didn’t fall.
“Have you heard from Liam yet?” I rolled my eyes, but it didn’t hide the sting. Two weeks ago he’d been talking about a future –a baby –with me. Now there was nothing… no calls, no texts. He hadn’t even come to see me in the hospital.
“No. Nothing,” I said. “I’ve accepted that it’s over. Whether he knows it or not isn’t my problem.. but it’s done…for me.”
My voice cracked, and a tear slid down my cheek. “What hurts the most is that I don’t even think he’s the person I thought he was. I thought I loved him, but I think I loved the idea of him. And that person either doesn’t exist anymore… or maybe never did in the first place.”
“This weekend, we’re going to have so much fun you won’t even think about him,” Olivia said reassuringly as she handed me my towel.
“I grabbed you loose shorts and a graphic tee for the drive, and your mom already packed your suitcase with some cute, loose-fitting stuff. It’s in Noah’s car.”
She hesitated for a second. “Ollie got called into work, so it’ll just be the four of us this weekend.” Then she grinned. “Who knows.. maybe you and Noah will finally reconcile.”
She winked and slipped out the door as I started getting dressed.
I know Noah and I need to talk. He was by my side every day in the hospital, whether I was awake or asleep, he was there.
He helped clean my wounds, walked the hallways with me, and held my hand through all of it.
I’m pretty sure he was there more than my parents were.
I owe him an apology for how rude I’ve been these past few weeks, and a thank you for saving my life… twice.
But I don’t think reconciliation, in the way Olivia is hoping for, is going to happen.
“Alright, you two, be careful, and text me when you get there! Isabel, take it easy, okay? And use these goons…” glaring at the boys, “Well, maybe not, Brad… yeah, definitely not Brad!”
He shook his head, giving us a warning glare that said he meant business, before slamming the door.
We start the hour's drive to St. Augustine. We were all so excited. I needed this, we all needed this.
The whole drive was perfect… a classic road trip filled with laughter, singing, and dancing. When we pulled up to the beach house, I realized it was just down the road from Liam’s place. My stomach twisted when I saw his car parked in the driveway, like an uninvited warning I wasn’t ready for.
Olivia walked up and draped her arm over my shoulder. “I saw that look. Que sera, sera,” she said with a wink as she strolled past.
Whatever will be, will be.
She’s right.
The beach house is beautiful, but it only has two bedrooms, so Brad and Olivia bunk together, and I get stuck sharing a room with Noah, which I’m convinced was part of Liv’s plan.
We unpack, and I find myself staring out at the water. A quiet, overwhelming sense of peace washes over me, and for the first time in weeks, I just breathe.
“Enjoying the view?” Noah’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, it’s…. perfect,” I say, starting down the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“Just down to the water.”
“You literally listen to no one,” he groans, following me.
I walk barefoot to the edge of the water, letting the wind whip through my hair. This is exactly what I needed.
“Thank you for planning this, Noah. I really needed it,” I say softly.
“That’s why I planned it,” Noah said. “With our crappy week and you three heading off to school in a few weeks, we all needed a weekend – just the four of us. But I have to ask… when we were driving in, you had a look when we passed that house. Why?”
I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting. “That’s… Liam’s beach house. And his car’s in the driveway.”
Noah stopped walking, his brow furrowing as he looked at me. “Of course it is,” he muttered under his breath. Then, softer, he asked, “Do you want to… talk about it?”
I shook my head, letting the sound of the waves fill the silence instead. Whatever this weekend was meant to be, it wasn’t going to be simple.
In the distance, I see a woman walking toward us. She looks like she’s crying, and for some reason, my chest tightens. She seems so familiar, but I can’t place her at first.
Then, as we get closer, it hits me like a punch to the stomach.
It’s Jessica. The girl Liam brought on our first date.