Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Wake up!” Pounding on the sliding glass door shocks me awake, scaring the hell out of me. “Hey! I brought coffee.” I open one eye and see Baylee standing outside, holding up an iced coffee, shaking it. Like I’m a dog, being tempted with a treat… It works.
Shutting my eyes, I roll off the sofa and onto the floor, bringing the quilt around me, crawling to her. Wrapping the quilt tightly, I muster enough strength to reach for the lock and push it up. She doesn’t wait a second before pulling it open.
“Good morning!” She’s too perky.
“My head,” I tell her, crawling back to the sofa.
Her laughing follows me. “Girl, get up.” She makes it to the sofa before I do, sitting down, shaking my coffee once again. Ice clinking.
Lifting my head, I say, “I’m hung over.” I fix myself to sit on the floor, facing her, holding my arm out for the coffee.
Baylee raises her eyebrows, holding the cup a little out of my reach. “You’re going to tell me what happened, because my husband sucks at relaying information. I could have hit him last night.”
I can’t help but laugh, which in turn hurts my head.
Finally grasping the cup, the cold coffee slides down my throat, coating it on the way down. “Okay,” I groan out.
I walk Baylee through my night as she sits there wide-mouthed. “Why didn’t you call me? I could have walked around with you.”
Bulging my eyes at her, “Is that all you got out of that. Baylee, I almost screwed up.”
She meets my look with the exact one I just gave her. “You’re not the one in a relationship.” She cocks her hip to the side.
Gasping, I say, “I’m not like them.” And it’s the truth.
“Sorry.” She holds up her hand. “That wasn’t right of me to say. I would be heartbroken if someone did that to me.”
“I just don’t understand what it all means. Does it even mean something?” I tell her after taking a sip, but I’m questioning myself.
“Was he drunk?”
Raising my eyebrows, I say, “I don’t think so. I didn’t smell any alcohol from him.”
Cocking her head at me, she says, “That speaks volumes.”
Laying back on the floor, I stare at the ceiling. “And what does it say, because I’m lost.”
“I don’t know, but a happy man doesn’t do things like that.”
“No, me coming here just threw a lot of stuff off. Once I leave, it’ll go all back to how it was,” I say honestly.
“Don’t say that. I don’t want it to go back like it was. I like how it is now. This weekend was the best. I missed you.” And this is why I became friends with Baylee in the first place; she loves and loves hard. How can she just welcome me back? I don’t question it, because I missed my friend.
Forcing myself back up, I say, “I missed you. I don’t regret this weekend, but I do regret last night.”
Smiling at me, “When are you leaving?”
“What time is it now?” I ask her.
She grimaces. “It’s only seven thirty.”
“Baylee!” I cry out her name. “I could still be sleeping.”
“Not me! I was up before the sun rose; I needed to know what the hell happened.” Not one ounce of sorry on her face.
“Well, I’m leaving around ten to head back.”
Her face slowly morphs; her smile vanishes.
We both sit, looking at one another. Breaking the silence, “You can come see me at my apartment. Meet Luna.” I smile.
“Really?”
Giving her an are you serious look, “Of course. I’d love to have you.”
Her eyes become watery. “This doesn’t end here, right? I just got you back.”
Closing my eyes, I try to keep the tears at bay, but when I open them, they flood out like a waterfall. “No, never ending, again,” I promise her, and I mean it. And I hate that I’m the reason she’s so unsure. That I’m the reason for the look on her face.
I wouldn’t have blamed Baylee for looking the other way and acting like I didn’t exist, but I’m glad she showed up here that morning. Because I know I wouldn’t have. Not because I didn’t want to, but because of the shame I felt for leaving her right along with him and Driftwood Bay.
She comes to sit on the floor with me, and we both cry while hugging each other.
Leaning back from me, lips pursed, “Are you naked?”
“Yeah.” I draw the word out, not saying anything else.
“Go get dressed. I’ll drive us back to town and we can get breakfast before you head out.” She maneuvers herself back onto the sofa.
“Yes, ma’am.” I tighten the quilt around me, grab my overnight bag, and head to the bathroom.
My lips go down when I see the shower, so wanting to get cleaned, but not able to, I hurry and slip on my blue jeans and a baby blue tank top, my eyes roaming the bathroom, thinking how the next owners could extend it out, add a bathtub, and maybe a French door.
Rolling the quilt up from off the ground, I take my things back to the living room, where Bay sits occupied on her phone.
“Let me brush my teeth, and we can go.”
“Oh God, please do. I could smell your breath and it’s awful.” She hangs her head on the back of the sofa.
I pretend to laugh. “You’re hilarious.”
Securing my toothbrush back in the bag, laying it and the quilt by the front door. I could take them with us, but I know leaving them here will make me come back and say goodbye to August Cove. And I owe it to this place to actually say goodbye, this time.
We drive into town; it doesn’t take long at all, and we wish it would have taken forever.
I want to spend as much time with Baylee as I can, not knowing when I’ll see her again.
She’s the only good thing that came out of me coming back here.
I hate myself for leaving her, too, but I can say I’ll never do it again.
I was broken and didn’t think of who I was, all hurting in my own despair. And she didn’t deserve that.
“Earth to August.” Bay taps on my thigh.
We’re parked in front of the Lighthouse Diner. I smile at her because, of course, this is where we would go.
Every hangover, every time something bad happened to one of us, we came here. A stack of pancakes and fried potatoes with onions solved it all… or so we thought.
“It’s only fitting,” she calls over the car's hood before making it around to me.
“My stomach is already growling.” I loop my arm through hers.
Walking in, it’s the exact same; nothing has changed… Well, it has, but only by time and age. The wear and tear on the linoleum floors, and the booths aren’t as red as they used to be.
“Sit anywhere you’d like,” the waitress calls to us from behind the counter.
We both beeline it for our booth, a booth that has seen tears, anger, and laughter over the years by us.
Before we sit, she wraps her arm around my waist, head on my shoulder, and we silently stare at the booth. She and I both have the same memories.
Once we’re seated, the waitress comes over, looking at Bay. “Want the usual, darling?”
“Yes, please. And make that two orders. With two Diet Cokes.” Bay looks and winks at me.
“Coming right up.” The waitress tears off the paper from her notepad.
“It hasn’t changed one bit,” I tell Bay, looking around the diner.
“Nope. Not one bit. And I think that’s why I like it. It reminded me of us when I come here. Plus, they have the best pancakes.”
The waitress sets down our Diet Cokes, shimming away without a word.
We both take a sip, looking at the other. I watch her eyebrows crease, and a thought shows on her face. “How did it feel?” Bay asks me.
Confused, I ask, “How did what feel?”
“Last night with Bohdi, how did it feel?”
I swallow, thinking of lying, but I tell her the truth.
“It felt like every fiber of me wanted to explode. Like home, but like a new place, too. Confusing, but also made me mad at him. So many emotions and feelings, Bay, that I haven’t even worked through yet.
Eight years, eight years we haven’t spoken, seen each other, but last night, it felt like it was just yesterday.
It felt so wrong, but so right.” I tell her honestly, because it truly did.
Bay’s eyes softened at my words. “Don’t go back, stay here.” Her words are so quiet, but also so loud.
I give her a gentle smile before I look down at the table. “I can’t, Baylee. I have to go. Driftwood isn’t my place anymore.”
“What is your place, though? Because here you are eight years later and still have nowhere. You never found another to take Driftwood Bay’s place. And I think it’s because there isn’t one that can compete with here.”
All her words make the hair on my arms stand, goosebumps emerging. Something in me agrees with what she said, but this isn’t my place anymore. I look up at her.
“Before you leave, I want to show you something.” She smiles at me.
A stack of pancakes and fried potatoes gets set in front of me, and my mouth waters. Taking out my cell, I have to capture this moment, taking a quick picture as Baylee laughs at me.
We both devour our breakfast; my stomach feels like it’s going to explode. “God, that was good. Tastes the same, too,” I tell her while pushing my plates away.
By the time we're leaving, the diner is filling up with customers.
“Let me show you quickly. Also, where are you parked?”
I tell her, pointing down the road.
“Perfect, that’s the direction we needed to go, anyway.” She claps her hands together.
She doesn’t tell me where we're going, just drives until we come up to Crabby Dan’s. I look at her, my forehead raised.
Parking, she motions at me to follow her. Instead of turning left at Crabby’s, we turn right, and she stops. “This.” Bay waves her hands.
I look at her and at the empty storefront behind her, the one I took a picture of the for-sale sign yesterday.
“Listen, it would be perfect for you to start your business; we don’t have an actual bakery here.” She smiles at me.
Standing there not moving, my face probably portraying what I’m thinking, she’s nuts. And I can’t help but laugh.
“What?” Her hands find her hips, cocking her head. “It’s been for sale for a while. The owner hasn’t said yes to anyone. Maybe there was a reason for that.” Bay grins.
With it finally light out, I can see inside.
“I’m not ready for that step yet. I have so much to get done before I can actually do what I want.
First up is August Cove, going on the market.
Then,” I turn to her, “once I’m settled somewhere, I can think about opening up my own bakery.
But thank you for bringing me to see it.
” Reaching my arms out, she comes in for the hug.
“Why are you so damn hardheaded?” she mumbles into my hair before pulling away.
I stare into her blue eyes, framed by mascaraed eyelashes. “I don’t think that’s the plan for me. I’m not supposed to be here, anyway.” I raise my shoulders, letting them drop.
Baylee squinches her freckled, speckled nose. “Eww. Don’t say that.” Her hands roam to her lace-covered belly and pats it.
“No fair.” I laugh at her, and she gives me a winning smile. “The only reason I’ll step foot back on Driftwood Bay, once this is all done, is because of that baby.” But I hope I won’t have to. Maybe Bay and I can find neutral ground.
Bay lifts up her red-tinted eyebrow. “Reword that right now.”
“Let’s make a plan for you to come see me. I’ll have my apartment for a little while still.”
Reaching for me, Bay pulls me to her. “I just got you back.”
“And I’m staying around. I promise.” I truly mean those words.
She tightens her hold on me, finally releasing me. “Get back home to Luna.” Her eyes are glassy, but she doesn’t let them spill over.
“I love you, Baylee.”
“I love you, too.” And those words are the absolute truth. I want to stop and ask her how she can still love me, but I don’t. Because I know and why she loved me for all this time, even when I was just a memory to her.