6. Chapter Six #2
The blood in my veins begins to boil as I stare at him across the counter. Sure, it’s been twenty years since he broke my heart, but some wounds you never fully get over.
We were together for six years. I was completely enchanted and when I thought a ring was going to appear, I was informed that our relationship wasn’t the fairytale I’d envisioned. I’d been cheated on for half of our relationship. It completely blindsided me.
I thought he was the love of my life, though he never truly respected my dreams. But the sex was good, so I stayed.
Charlie and Caroline hated him. Looking back, I realize I was settling.
He tore my self esteem to shreds but I still looked at him with stars in my eyes.
It took a lot of therapy sessions to bounce back from that breakup.
I stare at him as he adjusts the burgundy tie around his neck again with long, slender fingers.
“Thea,” he begins, “it seems, put her hands on my son.”
“She didn’t start things, but she sure as hell ended them,” I say, snapping out of the past. “I believe your son is the one who put his hands on her first and wouldn’t take the word no for an answer.”
James leans across the counter and lowers his voice. “If she ever touches him again, there will be charges pressed.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I say, “because she’s never going to see your scum of a son ever again.” I uncross my arms now, rage pulsating through my body.
“Be careful how you speak of my son.” James glares at me.
“Or what, James?” I retort. I don’t give him a chance to response as my fists ball at my sides. “Get out of my diner,” I add, doing my best to keep my tone even.
He smirks at me, and turns to go.
“Always a pleasure, Beth,” he says, the words sliding off his tongue like liquor.
I stretch my neck after he’s gone, feeling the anger radiating through my body and tension taking root. I take a deep breath to calm down. I don’t know what I ever saw in him.
Penny catches my gaze from across the diner, having caught the end of my interaction with James.
“I need a minute,” I tell her as she crosses behind the counter.
“Okay,” she says, nodding with wide eyes. She’s never seen me lose my cool before.
I march off to my office and slam the door behind me. It shocks me that even after all this time, James can still elicit this kind of reaction from me. I lean against the door and close my eyes, focusing on steadying my breathing.
Five things you can see, I think, reverting back to my therapy days.
I glance around my office, focusing on the gigantic calculator on my desk, the jar of pens, my notepad, the stapler, and the calendar hanging above the wall. I take another breath in.
Four things you can touch.
My fingertips graze the hem of my T-shirt. I run my right hand over the door behind me, before I walk towards my desk. I sit down in my chair and slide my hand over the leather armrest and then play with the cap of the discarded highlighter on my desk.
Three things you can hear.
I close my eyes and focus on my breathing, in and out. I can hear music through the wall coming from the kitchen, but I can’t make out the lyrics. I can also hear the hum of the air-conditioner. It’s methodical, enough to lull me to sleep.
Two things you can smell.
There’s the air freshener I’d plugged in a while ago, some artificial Hawaiian breeze scent I’d picked up at the general store. I catch a whiff of my perfume as I reach for the packet of gum across the desk, the one thing I can taste.
I pop a piece into my mouth, my senses temporarily overwhelmed with the flavor of wintergreen gum.
I feel centered again, but take a few extra moments before returning to the roaring life of the diner.
By the time I reach the counter again, Charlie is at his usual barstool.
“Hey,” he says, smiling as he spots me.
He looks at me and my bad mood starts to melt.
“Hi,” I say as I pop my gum.
“You okay?” he asks. Whether it’s because we’ve been friends for so long or because he’s a cop, he can read me like a book.
“James came in.” I lean against the counter and cross my arms.
“What the hell did he want?” Charlie’s happy mood vanishes in an instant.
“Apparently, that date Thea went on was with his son.” I push off the counter and turn around to grab a mug for his coffee.
“Seriously?” he asks.
I nod as I grab the coffee pot and pour it into his mug. “I didn’t ask enough questions when she told me about it. Had I known it was with Jake Osborne, I wouldn’t have let her go,” I say over my shoulder.
“It’s not your fault, Beth Ann,” he says as I turn back to him and hand him his mug.
“I know, but maybe I could have protected her more. Saved another Calloway woman from the curse of the Osbornes.”
Charlie chokes on his coffee, stifling a laugh. I see a grin on his face over the top of his mug.
“I don’t know what you ever saw in him,” he mutters.
“Truthfully, I don’t either,” I say, as I lean back against the counter. James was nice enough in the beginning and I guess that’s what hooked me. It wasn’t until we were deep into our relationship that things started changing between us and he became someone I no longer recognized.
“Caroline would kill me if she knew I let her daughter go out with his son,” I mutter.
Charlie cocks his head to the side. “We did have that mutual hatred in common.” He searches my face. “Did you go back to sleep after our phone call? You look tired.”
“Thanks,” I laugh, “for telling me I look like shit.”
He backpedals now. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know.” I grin now. “Just giving you hell. But the answer is no, I didn’t. Baked instead.” I walk over to the side of the counter and grab the display plate before walking back over to him.
“Cinnamon roll snickerdoodles, Caroline’s favorite,” I say, setting the plate down in front of him.
Charlie surveys the cookies carefully before selecting one. He takes a bite and nods. “Caroline had good taste.” He swallows and then asks, “Did you talk to Thea about therapy?”
“No,” I sigh, “she was still asleep when I left and I didn’t want to disturb her.”
“Have you thought about it? It might be good for you both. What about that therapist you used to see?”
“She doesn't practice anymore.” Part of my hesitation about going back to therapy is that I would have to start back at square one. It took me long enough to find one when I was dealing with heartbreak from James.
“Could be worth pursuing," Charlie says. “I just want the best for you both.”
It’s as if time inside the restaurant slows down. The knot in my stomach transforms into butterflies. I so desperately want to tell him how I truly feel.
I take a shaky breath and feel the words barreling to the surface, ready to tumble over my tongue.
I open my mouth just as a loud crash echoes through the diner.
Penny stands in front of an occupied booth, a tray of food splattered across the floor at her feet.
The woman in the booth starts apologizing profusely as she pulls her toddler into the seat.
The diner springs back to real-time around me and I rush over to help, feelings of Charlie momentarily forgotten.