Page 3 of The Hang Up
I made a mistake.
A big one. The worst one of my life.
I’ve regretted leaving her so many times. I wanted to take it back, but I couldn’t. I joined the Army, and I was government property for four years.
As soon as my enlistment was up, I got out of the military and came back to Lilac Harbor. I came back to get my girl, but that hasn’t worked out so well. I can’t even get Lena to talk to me.
That won’t stop me, though. I’m back in Lilac Harbor for good, and I’m going to fight for her.
I let out a sigh as I watch Lena disappear into the back of the bakery. Heading back to my truck, I try to come up with a plan to convince Lena to give me a chance.
I climb behind the wheel and make the short drive home. I moved into my grandfather’s old house when I came back to town. He passed away before I graduated from high school, leaving me his house and workshop in his will.
The place is on the outskirts of town, half hidden by pine trees. Lake Michigan borders the back half of the property, and I admire the view as I walk toward the woodshop.
I roll open the wooden door and take a deep breath, smiling as I breathe in the scent of pine and sawdust. I’m instantly transported back to when I was a kid. I spent every second I could out here with my grandpa. He taught me everything he knew about woodworking and carpentry. I planned on taking over his business when he was ready to retire, but then he passed, and everything went to shit.
My grandpa was the best. My hero. He raised me after my parents passed when I was a baby. He was the only family I had left, and losing him hit me hard. It still hurts to this day.
I head inside and over to the chair I’ve been working on. I find sawing and sanding therapeutic. Doing something physical helps to clear my head as I ponder what to do about Lena.
How can I get through to her? How can I convince her to let me in?
If she could give me a second to explain, I could fix things between us. I could get us back on track.
Lena has always been my dream girl. I still remember the first day I saw her. We were in eighth grade at school, and I took the only open chair in the classroom right next to her. She looked over and smiled at me. That was all it took. I was hooked.
I didn’t even know what love was then, but I felt it for Lena. I’ve always felt it for her. Only her.
We were friends for a few years before I worked up the nerve to ask her to the Homecoming dance. She said yes. I kissed her goodnight afterward, and we were together from that moment on until…
Until I left.
My phone rings. I glance at the screen, sighing when I see Wade’s name.
“Yeah?” I grunt.
“How did it go this morning?”
I groan. “Not great.”
“She let you in?”
I grit my teeth. “No.”
Wade and I have been friends since middle school. He’s the only one who knows everything about why I left, and he’s been trying to help me come up with ways to convince Lena to hear me out.
Unfortunately, none of them have worked so far.
“Damn, man. What are you going to do now?”
“Keep trying.”
“Well, yeah, but how? Banging on the bakery windows isn’t working out.”
I glare at the chair I’m working on. “I know. I don’t know what to do. Cornering her will piss her off. Every time I walk into a room, she walks out. She’s blocked my number, so I can’t call or text her.”
“Write her a note,” he suggests. “A love letter. Girls like that.”
