Page 33 of Bring You Back

This time, I can’t shake them.

I can’t shakeher.

She has no right to do this now. She has no right to my life, my thoughts, or my heart anymore.

And the girl whodoes. . .

I hit the steering wheel one more time before thanking fuck I still have my determination.

I open my eyes and hold them steady on my favorite view through the windshield. The sunset reflects orange rays along the waves as they break and lap to shore. I breathe like I’m breathing it in, hoping tonight was a mishap. That for the first time in a while, the waves just sucked. They were small, choppy, their angles too steep.

Tomorrow morning, my time in the water will feel the same as it always has.

Tomorrow morning, me and the surf will be back to normal.

My grip loosens and slides off the steering wheel as I blow air through my lips. I grab my phone again and tap on the most recent text, from Reyna.

Where are you?? You should’ve been here an hour ago!

I check the time she sent the text to the time it is now, and it hits me.

Her art showing.

“Fuck!” I throw the phone back to the passenger seat and gun it out of the lot.

This annual summer art showing is Reyna’s first time putting her work out there publicly—something Tommy and I both encouraged—and I wasn’t there to see it. My brain rolls over excuses, but I have none. My hair is wet. I smell like salt. She’ll know immediately what I chose to do instead.

The thing is, I didn’t choose. I simply forgot I had somewhere else to be. Reyna wasn’t on my mind at all, and that’s even worse.

I jog down the boardwalk, ignoring the hollers for me to slow down. I’mjogging, for fuck’s sake, not sprinting. And even though I have to side step a few people on my way, it’s not as crowded this late in the day.

I slow to a stop when I see her. Them. She and Tommy are standing together by one of the lampposts, bathed in light. Reyna has two of her canvases at her sides, one in each hand. Tommy makes her laugh. Not me. Because I’m the dick who forgot about her. The dick who was thinking about another girl when this girl needed me here.

Tommy says something that makes her laugh again, and I’m thinking this is how it should be before I’m sucked back into how it is.

Camille slides her way into my vision as she joins them. Where the hell did she come from?

Why is she still here?

Everything clenches again.

I close the distance, and as soon as they see me, the atmosphere changes. Smiles fade or drop completely, and I focus on the one now forming a frown.

“Reyna—”

She doesn’t even give me time to apologize. She walks off, shoving into me as she goes.

Tommy watches after her, body shifting in her direction, conflict all over his face. Should he stay or should he go?

“Just go,” I encourage him.Be her knight in shining armor.

He shakes his head. “Where were you?” He looks at my wet hair and shakes his head again.

Before he tries to rip into me, I remind him, “Shit doesn’t happen to you, so lay off.”

“No.” He steps closer, stands taller, adds another piece of shit to the growing pile. “She didn’t sell a single piece.”

I should’ve been here.

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