Page 55 of When Forever Stays

It’s an invite I never expected Crew to extend. But I’m grateful for it all the same.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun,” Rhett answers.

And just like that, the man of my dreams and my best friend are forgetting the past and moving forward.

TWENTY ONE

RHETT

Crew, West, and I arrived at the pool hall a few minutes ago. West is looking for an open pool table while Crew and I order wings and three root beers.

We find a booth and West sits with us after reserving a pool table. Crew and West talk back and forth with no lull in their conversation. It’s nothing I have any input in, so I stay quiet. Once the waitress brings us our order and West prays over our meal, their attention turns to me.

“So what are your intentions with Dana?” West asks just as I take my first sip of root beer. I cough and clear my airway, but it burns going down.

Both men are staring at me expectantly. “I want to marry her.”

Crew raises a brow, and West grabs his root beer and takes a swig. He sets it down a little too hard, and the carbonation bubbles up and almost over the bottle.

“Is that how you felt before you ghosted her?” Crew asks.

I scratch the back of my neck and study my untouched plate. To give myself a moment to find a way to answer, I grab a wing from the bucket and dig in. After a few bites, I realize I need to finally answer.

“What I had with her even back then was amazing. But can I confidently say yes, I was in love with her? No. I can’t.” I take another bite.

“But you can say that now? That you’re in love with her? That youchooseher?” West asks, accusation lacing his tone.

“Yeah, absolutely,” I answer around a bite of wing, not wanting to wait a second longer. I don’t want to plant a single doubt in either of these men’s minds.

West and Crew look at each other as if they’re trying to gauge the honesty of my response.

My phone rings. I wipe my hands on the napkin and dig it out of my pocket. Ashley’s number flashes on the screen. Something in my gut tells me to answer.

A feeling of foreboding comes over me. “Hello?”

“Hey, is this a bad time?” she asks.

I motion with my head to West and Crew, indicating that I’m going to step outside, and both men nod in acknowledgement.

“Yeah, give me a second. Is everything okay?” I walk toward the exit. “Is Oscar okay?”

“I don’t mean to worry you; I just needed to talk.”

“Okay?” It’s more of a question than encouragement to continue.

“He’s as okay as can be expected, but he’s furious with me,” she says, and I can feel her pain through the phone. “It feels like no matter what I do, it’s the wrong thing.”

I make it outside and walk a few feet away from the door for privacy.

This doesn’t sound like her. “Did something happen?”

She scoffs. “Not really. He’s just become even moodier over the last couple of weeks. Has he reached out to you?”

“No. Did you expect him to?”

She sighs before answering. “Not really, it was just hopeful thinking.” She pauses, and I start to respond when she continues. “Look, I know you have your own life on the island now. But I really wish things could be different. I regret?—”

I know the line of thinking she’s heading down, so I cut her off. “No, you did the right thing. It would have forced him into the spotlight against his will and potentially ruined both of your lives. I was far from father material back then.”

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