Chapter 7 #2
Luke chalked the tip of his cue stick, scanning the table as he tried to line up a shot.
Cheers went up from the bar, distracting him, and he glanced across the crowded room.
All three of the massive flat screens mounted on the opposite wall featured the same college basketball game: North Carolina versus Duke.
Ever since a local kid had been recruited to play for Duke two years ago, Redemption had pulled hard for the team.
He used to watch the games with Ethan, back before Tisha arrived.
Not that he wasn’t thrilled for his brother and his fresh start, but he did kind of miss bonding over college basketball.
He shoved the thoughts aside and zeroed in on the eight ball sitting near the corner pocket. One sweet shot and he could win.
His best friend, Justin, leaned against the end of the pool table, sipping his Coke and grinning—friendly but kind of competitive too.
“You’re overthinking this,” Justin teased. “Take the shot.”
“I like to switch things up,” Luke said. “Make you sweat a little. Besides, where else do you have to be tonight?”
Justin laughed and raised his tall plastic cup in the air. “If you must know, I’ve got to call Laurel at ten thirty.”
“Wow, that’s late.”
“Dude, how old are you?”
“Thirty-five.” Luke scowled. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“I’m just messing with you,” Justin said. “By the way, if you miss this shot, I’m cleaning up the table.”
Luke didn’t respond. He bent low over the cue stick, focusing a little harder than he needed to for a casual game of pool on a random Wednesday night.
But to be honest, he didn’t want to look at Justin right now.
Not when everything about his friend’s life seemed to be going in the right direction.
He had certainty. A solid commitment. A plan.
Things Luke had somehow misplaced along the way.
Stalling wouldn’t change the outcome of this game though. He took the shot. The cue ball kissed the eight ball but not at all like he’d planned. It rolled wide.
Justin whooped and stepped forward, setting his drink on a nearby high-top table. “Whoa. You have lost your groove.” He leaned on the table with easy confidence. Like a guy who knew he was going to win. “You used to wipe the floor with me at pool. What is going on?”
Luke shrugged and stepped back, propping his pool stick on the floor at his feet. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m letting you win. If you’re gonna take off for Wyoming soon, consider this a parting gift.”
Justin paused mid-shot, pinning him with a look. “I haven’t left yet, you know, and it’s only for spring break. Laurel’s taking vacation so we can hang out.”
“Play it coy if you want, but I can tell you’re a guy who is falling hard. You’ve pretty much already decided.” He reached for his Coke and took a long sip.
Justin straightened, still holding his pool stick. He offered a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I mean, I guess I have.” He hesitated. “You ever meet someone who makes you feel like maybe you’ve been looking at the world the wrong way? Like what you thought you wanted isn’t really what you need?”
Luke’s stomach sank. “Dude, you have no idea.” He took another sip of his pop, the ice rattling against the red plastic. “So you’re feeling pretty confident about Laurel, then?”
Justin’s grin grew wider. “She’s amazing. I’ve never met anyone like her. Wyoming feels like the right move, you know? I mean, I’ll finish out the school year here teaching, but I could get a job there super easy, find a decent apartment, and start fresh.”
Luke nodded. He didn’t trust himself to speak.
He wanted to be happy for Justin. Really, he did.
But the thought of his best friend leaving Redemption left a hollow ache in his chest. He couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there.
Justin had become a person who made this place feel less suffocating, less lonely.
Justin sank the eight ball with ease, then leaned on his stick again. Sympathy and curiosity flitted across his face. “What about you? You texted me about a job in Petersburg. Are you going to go for it or what?”
Luke set his cup aside. “I don’t know. I thought about it. Started filling out the application, but it’s hard, you know? I don’t want to leave the resort or leave Redemption. This place has been my whole life.”
Justin frowned, his gaze steady. “Has it though? I mean, yeah, you grew up here and moved back after college, but is that resort really yours? You have four siblings. Are you just holding on to it because it’s what your family expects you to do?”
Luke winced. He turned away and grabbed the rack to set up for the next game. Mostly because he needed to give his hands something to do, not because he really wanted to keep playing.
“It’s not that simple. I feel like if we sell it, we’re just giving up. It’s a piece of who we are.”
Justin walked around the table, helped organize the balls, tucking them into the triangle.
“Maybe it’s time to give yourself permission to figure out who you are,” he said.
“I mean, I’m just saying. The Lord is sovereign over all things, so is He asking you to let go of something that you’ve been holding on to for too long?
Maybe you don’t even see that it’s dragging you down. ”
Luke opened his mouth to protest but stopped short of mentioning how Emma’s return had messed with his head. And his heart. Because it shouldn’t matter. She belonged to Nathan. Before he could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a message from his mom.
Mom
Inspector dropped by. Says plumbing isn’t up to code in cabins five and six. Can’t rent them until it’s fixed. Just thought you should know.
“Oh brother.” Shaking his head, Luke put his phone away without answering.
Justin finished setting the rack, then stepped back. “Everything all right?”
“Just more stuff going sideways at the resort.”
Justin raised an eyebrow.
Luke held up a palm. “I know what you’re going to say, but it’s my family’s business.”
“Exactly. Emphasis on family. Which means you don’t have to fix everything on your own. I know you came back to help after your dad got hurt, which is awesome. But have you stayed here this long because it’s safe? Because it’s easy?”
Luke tightened his grip on the pool cue. “Well, that’s the problem,” he said. “It doesn’t feel safe or easy anymore. It’s full of memories of people who’ve left, people who’ve changed.”
Justin smiled, but it carried a hint of sadness. “Redemption isn’t going to stay the same. That tidal wave guaranteed that. Maybe it’s time to stop waiting for things to go back to how they were.”
A beat of silence hung between them. Luke stared at the table. “Maybe.”
Justin let the cue rest against the table, then clapped a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You’ve got a lot going for you, probably more than you realize. I’m going to pray that you’ll stop holding yourself back.”
Luke leaned over the table, lined up his next shot, but he lost his focus. Justin’s words lingered.
Maybe Justin was right. Maybe he’d wasted too much time putting his life on hold.