Chapter 24
MONDAY
GARTH’S GRILL HADN’T changed much in the seven years since Taylor had been gone—which, in a town like this, was almost a point of pride.
The same faded checkerboard floor, the same creaky booths with initials carved into the wood, and the same framed photos of Little League teams from years no one remembered.
He could trace his own timeline on that wall.
Taylor pushed open the door, the bell overhead giving its usual half-hearted jingle, and let Chelsey slide through first. Inside, the place held the fragrance of garlic bread and comfort, like time had pressed pause.
He only wanted that for a moment, for this moment, then he wanted the clock to keep moving forward, just as he hoped a life with Chelsey would move.
A waitress came over with a couple of menus, as if they needed them. “Booth Three’s open if you want to sit there.”
Taylor debated sliding in next to Chelsey, liked they’d done so many times over the years. But that was when they were exclusive. This felt more like a first date right now.
Taylor picked up the menu and looked it over. “There’s at least one new item on here.”
“Which one is new?”
“You can now order biscuits and gravy all day long.”
“That’s because Garth makes it the best and his wife wants to eat it anytime she pleases.”
“I can make a mean bowl of pho. One time, I even made it at three in the morning.”
Chelsey put her chin in her hand. “You don’t say. What if your wife doesn’t like pho?”
“Who doesn’t like soup?”
She raised her hand. “I’ve actually never tried that dish.”
“We need to rectify that.” And he knew the best places in three different countries.
“What else is in your cooking repertoire, Chef?”
He held up his hand and started counting off on his fingers. “Dumplings, orange chicken, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.”
The last bit brought out her smile. Was she thinking of the last time he made that meal after the auction? He’d make the soup on the hottest day in summer if she’d smile at him like that every time.
“I remember thinking you were so cool for taking me here,” Chelsey said, settling in. “I don’t think I’d ever been anywhere that had real menus and mozzarella sticks. That’s practically gourmet for a fifteen-year-old.”
Taylor smiled. “I was terrified you’d turn me down.”
“No way. You were the coolest guy in high school.”
Their waitress—the same cheerful woman named Tami—greeted them like they were just here yesterday. She’d aged about the same as the diner, meaning she hadn’t changed at all. She set two glasses of water in front of them.
“You two together again?” she said with a grin, already scribbling. “Still want the sampler platter with double ranch?”
Taylor blinked in surprise. He hadn’t been here in over seven years. “How do you remember that?”
Tami winked. “Sweetheart, in a town this size, I probably remember what kind of soda you spilled down your shirt in 2009. I’ll be back with your Coke Freezes as well.”
She left on squeaky, white gym shoes and called out their order to the cooks. Taylor couldn’t think of the last time he’d had a Coke Freeze.
“I think this place is more about the memories than the food.”
Chelsey chuckled. “A memory of when I could handle this kind of food.”
Dinner arrived in all its nostalgic glory—chicken tenders, onion rings, mozzarella sticks arranged like a greasy crown. They divided up the dips: marinara sauce, ranch and fry sauce.
Taylor squashed a rather large onion ring to dip it in the fry sauce. He took a big bite and closed his eyes with a sigh. “I think I’ve gone to heaven. No place in the world makes this sauce as good as this place.”
“Smokin’ BBQ has the same recipe.” Chelsey blew on a cheese stick, one of her favorites.
“I guess we’ll have to go there soon and see how they compare.”
“I’d like that. We should also compare the drinks. Smokin’ has a root beer freeze.”
They ate in companionable quiet for a few moments before Chelsey spoke up. “You never told me about your ‘date’ with Mrs. James.” She grinned at Taylor before taking a long pull on her Coke Freeze.
Taylor sat back in surprise. “How did you know?”
“I was at the auction, remember?”
He wiped his hands on a napkin. “I could’ve been out on a date with anyone.”
Chelsey raised an eyebrow and didn’t answer. He never dated anyone other than her in high school, why would he start now?
“Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Um, everything?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or is it too personal?”
“She had a nice table ready, complete with a candle. Then after we ate, we got to the real reason she bid on me.”
“Which was?”
“To preserve the roller rink.”
Chelsey rested her elbows on the table. “That’s surprising and not at the same time.
There’s so many divided on what to do with downtown—renovate and restore or tear down the old and build new.
” She shrugged. “Honestly, I’m torn. I have a lot of good memories in that building.
” She blushed and Taylor hoped it was because she was remembering their first kiss there.
“But it would take millions to bring it back to its glory days and the citizens would definitely vote against a tax hike or bond.”
Taylor nodded. “We talked about all the angles. It took a couple of hours.”
“What did you say to her?”
“She has a big vision for the area. I hope we can achieve even a fraction of what she envisions.” Taylor shrugged. “I turned in my report and it’s up to the mayor and city council now.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out something wrapped in a paper napkin. “I found this in a corner of the rink while Mrs. James tried to sell me on preserving the place.”
Chelsey carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a small, ridiculous neon pink plastic necklace with a heart charm, the kind that as a kid he won from an arcade machine after spending way too much on tokens.
Her eyes widened. “No way. You gave me one like this after I beat you at mini golf.”
“And you said, quote, ‘This is the best jewelry I’ll ever own.’”
Chelsey laughed softly. “Okay, I was dramatic.”
“You were charming,” he corrected. He reached over and softly rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “Still are.”
She ducked her head, but not before he saw her cheeks turn pink. “Thank you.”
“For giving you an old, dusty toy necklace?”
“No.” She glanced at him. “For reminding me of all the good times we had together.”
Taylor’s chest felt tight, like every breath had to push through years of things unsaid.
He let out a quiet, uneven exhale. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Chelsey didn’t look at him right away. Her arms folded loosely across her middle, not defensive exactly but maybe protectively? Like she held something fragile inside herself.
“That’s what hurt the most,” she said softly. “You didn’t leave because you stopped caring.” Her voice wavered, just barely. “You decided what you thought was best for both of us and didn’t even give me a say.”
Taylor flinched. She’d had seven years to come to the conclusion and she was absolutely right.
“I thought if I stayed,” he said, his voice low, searching for footing, “I’d hold you back. You always talked about building something here, making something of your own, and I—” He shook his head.
Chelsey finally turned to him then, her eyes glassy but steady. “So, you decided for me?”
Taylor swallowed hard. “I didn’t think I could do it halfway,” he admitted. “I didn’t think I could leave and still have you. Not without wanting to come back every single day.”
“So instead,” she said, voice breaking now, “you just disappeared? Asked everyone to pretend I didn’t exist?”
“I thought it would hurt less for you,” he said, the words sounding weaker the moment they left him.
Her eyes watered, and she gave a small, disbelieving shake of her head. “Taylor, it didn’t hurt less.” She let out a shaky breath. “It felt like I lost you twice. Once when you left and again when you made sure I couldn’t even miss you properly.”
Her words hit deep and hard. He looked at all those years through her eyes. Because he saw it then, really saw it. All the empty spaces he’d created.
“I was a coward,” he said quietly.
Chelsey blinked a couple of times. “So you’ve said.”
“I dressed it up like sacrifice,” he went on, his voice thick with honesty now. “Like I was doing something noble. But the truth is, I didn’t want to face how much it was going to hurt. I made it clean. Final.”
“For you,” she echoed, barely above a whisper.
Silence stretched between them. Neither touched their food nor moved. The noise of the restaurant faded into the background as they waited for words to find them. Taylor glanced out the window but didn’t see people walking about their daily business.
“I would have waited,” Chelsey finally said.
Taylor’s eyes snapped to hers.
Her gaze didn’t waver. “Not forever. Not blindly. But I would have chosen it. I would have chosen you, even if it meant time apart, long calls, missed holidays. I would have chosen us.”
“I know that now.” Emotion climbed up his throat and he swallowed it back with sip of water. “And that’s the part I can’t undo.”
“You don’t get to undo it,” she said gently.
There was no anger in her voice. No resignation or judgment. Just truth.
“But…” She hesitated, her voice softening.
He reached across the table and took her hand. “I don’t want to miss anything else,” he said. “Not your life. Not your wins. Not your quiet Tuesdays or your big, chaotic events.
“I can’t promise I won’t ever mess up again,” Taylor continued. “But I can promise I won’t disappear. Not again. You’ll always get a say. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.”
Chelsey’s eyes softened. “That’s all I wanted back then,” she admitted. “A choice.
“Maybe this time,” she said as she reached her hand across the table, “we can create more good memories before you leave.”
“How about starting tomorrow?” Taylor squeezed her hand. “Will you go to the movies with me tomorrow? I heard they’re showing the Kiera Knightly Pride & Prejudice.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Stop it. That’s my favorite.”
“I know.”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “I thought you were the smartest boy in the universe when you asked our friend group, which was mostly girls at that time, if anyone wanted to see P&P with you. All the girls swooned with the notion of you and a romantic movie.”
“You have to know I did it for you.”
She shook her head with a big grin. “You’ve been quoting the movie ever since.”
“Only to you.”