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“No, I’m not.” Rachel stands up but sways a bit on the spot. “I’m going to go with Jamie-Lynn to get us more refreshments.”
Jamie-Lynn links her arm with Rachel’s and they walk off towards the bar. This is the first time that Hazel and I have been alone since this afternoon. A quiet settles between us even in the noisy bar.
“I’m glad you came out tonight.”
I look over at Hazel. She’s not looking at me but poking the red cherry at the bottom of her glass with the tiny straw.
“I wasn’t sure you wanted me to or not.”
“I didn’t.” She looks over at me. “But I was wrong.”
I lean in closer to her and she mimics my movement. I study her face, remembering every line and curve. The scar on her chin she got playing on teeter totter when we were little is still there, but it’s faded over time. Her green eyes still have flecks of gold in them.
“You’re just as beautiful as I remember,” I whisper.
She blinks in surprise, like she’s not sure she’s heard me correctly. “What?”
“Okay, here we go,” Jamie-Lynn says, as she slips back into her seat and sets down my water in front of me.
Rachel follows behind her and sets down Hazel’s drink in front of her.
HAZEL
I’m just as beautiful as he remembers?
The alcohol may have loosened my tongue when I admitted to him that I was glad that he came out tonight. But what’s his excuse—he’s only been drinking water.
The rest of the evening Ethan is bombarded with questions about me and urged by Jamie-Lynn to tell them embarrassing stories about me.
“Well,” he thinks to himself for a moment. “There was the incident with Brandon Howley.”
“You don’t need to tell that story,” I interrupt.
“Don’t listen to her,” Rachel tells Ethan.
He smiles and gives me a quick wink before turning to his audience.
“Hazel was always the tallest girl in our class. Taller than most of the other boys. Well, it was the night of fourth grade recital. We’d spent weeks learning songs, the dance moves, everything. It’s time for the show to begin, and we are only three songs in when I start to hear arguing behind me. Hazel is on the back riser and I turn to see what is going on. Brandon Howley was
“He was trying to grab, so I stopped him.” I shrug unapologetically and take a sip of my drink.
“You didn’t just stop him.” Ethan laughs. “You pushed him. He fell forward into the kids that were standing in front of you. They didn’t know what hit them and they all went forward too. It was like a set of human dominos toppling one by one until only one was left standing.”
Ethan looks at me and I raise my glass making him, Jamie-Lynn, and Rachel laugh out loud.
More stories are told, and more drinks are consumed on my part. Both Jamie-Lynn and Rachel head out but neither Ethan and I are ready to go home yet. When it’s just the two of us at the table, it feels like everyone else in the bar just fades away.
I enjoy hearing all about what he’s been up to over the years, but I can’t help but feel sad. Its time lost between us that we can’t get back and I don’t even know why.
“Last call!” The bartender yells out.
I look down at my watch. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to stay out so late.”
“I forgot how quickly time seems to fly by when I’m spending time with you.” Ethan takes my hand in his. It’s warm and tempting to let him, but right now I don’t trust myself. I pull my hand back.
The spell around us breaks. I can see the hurt expression on Ethan’s face but he doesn’t say anything. He’s always been a suffer in silence type of guy. He’d always try to protect from things he thought would hurt me. It’s a noble trait in theory, but at the end of the day, it just made me feel like he didn’t think I was strong enough to handle some things.
I stand up and suddenly I feel the full effects of an evening of drinking hit me all at once. I sway on my feet and wait for the room to stop tilting.
