Page 116 of Crystal Iris
“Long.” She hands him his keys. “By the way, Iris can’t drive.”
He looks at me. “What?”
“Ignore her. She’s being dramatic. I made it there just fine.”
“Ask her when was the last time she drove.”
He looks at me with crossed arms.
“When I took my driver’s test, at seventeen. And I aced it,” I say, walking into the house.
He looks at Akira, and she says, following me, “She’s a handful, isn’t she?”
We’re walking outside when Broc drives by. I see when his eyes find her.The surprise.Akira pretends not to be affected by it, but I know her better.
He pulls over immediately. “I didn’t know you were coming,” he says to her.
“Last-minute decision.” She’s too cold. I feel bad for him.
“Your hair, you changed it.” His eyes say more than his mouth.
“I sure did.”
“How long are you staying?”
“A few days,” she tells him.
“I’ll see you around,” he says, walking away.
I have to give it to Broc; he plays it casual enough. I know him well by now—he’s more than excited to see her.
“Iris, wear a jacket tomorrow morning, it’s gonna rain and we’ll be outside,” he tells me before drivingoff.
I nod.
We eat dinner indoors; the rain’s coming down heavily, and I welcome the coziness. Hoyt’s made a delicious savory pie, and we eat while discussing the latest news he’s received from the lawyers. Apparently, Aaron’s made a few mistakes—not with Hoyt’s money—his is mostly frozen—but with other accounts.
“He’s losing it. I think I should be able to get my money back soon,” he tells us.
I can’t help but feel nauseated. I would never wish to see Aaron fail. I’ll always be grateful for our past, all he’s done for me. I want him happy.
“His mother finally sent an email, saying the wedding is off,” Akira says, taking a bite of her side salad.
“She did?” I ask.
“Yeah, she blamed you too.”
“Let me see.”
She passes me her phone.
We regret to inform that the wedding of Iris and Aaron is cancelled. We kindly request that you do not contact the groom during this difficult time. We extend our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.
“It’s not like anyone’s going to contact me, though. I don’t know any of the guests.” I try to keep eating. The wedding was supposed to be in just a couple of weeks.
I excuse myself to bed earlier than planned. I’m still feeling bad about Aaron’s news.What’s going on with him?He was the best at what he did. To lose money like that—he’s struggling. I hope I’m not the reason. I wish things had ended differently between us. A part of me wants to reach out, but I know there’s nothing I can saythat would make the situation better. I only want to go back in time and do things differently. The last time I sat in this bed and cried, I was still hopeful that things could be talked through.
I haven’t slept well; even so, I welcome the work Broc gives me. The stalls need cleaning and care, and the horses are moved to the outdoor space surrounded by a wooden fence.
