Page 37 of Forever

“I took way longer than I expected.” I bring the bottle to my lips and take one healthy swallow. “I hate all this PR and endorsement shit, but Dominic wants me to do it. Says it’s good for my image and the pay is sweet. Like I need more money. I would rather be with Tink.”

Just thinking about her makes my heart squeeze painfully in my chest. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad. I love her. I love her so much it hurts. And I miss her. What I said is true. I’d much rather be in Croatia with her. Go to the gym while she’s doing her internship or watch sports while she writes next to me in bed. I’d pressure her into dropping work to take a walk and watch the sunset close to the sea.

There is this one place in the Old Town called The Sea Organ. It’s the part where the earth meets the sea and when it’s windy and the waves crash against the shore they create music. It’s kind of awesome and the sunsets there are the best.

But at the same time, every time I think of her I can’t not remember how she was that last day. How broken and insecure and sad she was when she heard I had to leave early.

I don’t think I can do it once again, Will.

Her words still haunt me. When she murmured them against my skin, my whole body froze. My heart stopped beating, and I couldn’t breathe. I could feel her drifting away from me. Retreating to the safety of the walls that took me so long to break down so I could get to the woman she really is.

I was scared, so fucking scared, that she will tell me to go and don’t turn back. I thought she’s breaking up with me. I would break up with me if I were her. Anabel deserves better, so much better. She deserves somebody who can be there every single day to kiss her and tell her how much they love her. Somebody to hold her at night.

But she didn’t tell me to go. No, she brought me closer. So close we were one. Like we should be. She kissed my doubts away and reassured me there is still us. Not her, not me. Us.

“How is that going?” J.D. breaks me out of my thoughts. “I can’t imagine Bel was too happy when you said you have to leave early.”

“Ohh, man.” I sigh. I’d been home for a while, but with all the work that needed to be done and the fact that J.D. didn’t like to leave Sienna pregnant and alone we didn’t get a chance to talk. “That was one big disaster.”

“She didn’t take it well?”

“Not taking it well doesn’t even begin to cover it. She fell apart. When she saw the suitcase, she broke.”

I tell him all about the day Bel found out I had to leave early. The cursing, the yelling, her fists pounding my chest all while tears fell down her cheeks. And not the pretty kind, either. Big, ugly tears that go along with snotty nose and red puffy eyes.

“I’m sorry, man. I can’t imagine how tough it must be for you.”

“We just have to survive a couple more months and then we have forever.”

J.D. nods his head in agreement.

In that moment, Macy comes with our dinner. She’s been working here even longer than we’ve been coming to this place. She’s in her forties and a single mom to a teenage boy. We talk to her a bit before she goes back to work.

While eating a burger and fries, J.D. tells me about all I’ve missed while I was in Croatia. Our parents moving in together and family dinners. Grace’s dance classes and school. Sienna’s insecurities about the pregnancy, crazy hormones and cravings. He even pulled out the picture of little guy that he carries around in his wallet to show me.

I told him about my time with Tink. Our parents meeting and engagement party. Her internship and book. My training and stay in Zadar.

We didn’t go back to the heavy stuff.

“William?”

I turn around and my eyes meet light blue-gray eyes surrounded by thick dark eyelashes.

“Emma?”

Emma Hale is an up and coming tennis player hired with me and a few other athletes to do a commercial for a brand of sports clothing. She’s just a kid, barely twenty, but I’ve heard she’s really good. Tennis is not quite my thing.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same. After all, we’re at my field.”

She nods her head, her sleek brown hair swinging with the motion. “Right. Knights’ stadium is around the corner.”

Her eyes look over my shoulder at J.D. “Emma, this is my teammate and best friend, J.D. Shelton. J.D., Emma is my co-worker on that endorsement deal I’ve been telling you about.”

They shake hands and exchange pleasantries. “So, what brings you here, Emma?”

“I was meeting a friend of mine that lives close, but in the end, something came up and she couldn’t come.”

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