Page 86 of Another Love, Another Time
We finally got to the hotel I booked earlier. I made sure there were two beds. Auggie is in the shower while I get my stuff ready. I’m wiping my makeup off my face when Auggie comes out in shorts and nothing else.
I’m caught off guard. I’d noticed the changes in his face, but his body is all man now. Don’t get me wrong; he has always had a nice body, but he’s definitely more developed.
I see him smirk out of the corner of my eye, and it breaks me out of my thoughts. “Is this okay?” he points to his shorts.
“Sure.” I know he’s trying to be polite, but I don’t need to be looking south. “Are you done in the bathroom?"
“Yes, it’s all yours.”
I grab my stuff and head in to take a shower. As I turn the water on, I think about our time together. It’s one of the best days I’ve had in a while. It’s been nice spending time with Auggie outside of work. I can still feel the connection between us, but I need to keep him at a distance.
I’ve talked to Logan, and he thinks I should give him another chance. I am giving him another chance to be in my life, but until everything is out in the open and Melissa is out of our lives for good, I don’t know if there is any room for a romantic relationship with him. Even so, I am softening towards him, feeling the pull for more from him. I just have to stay strong.
I turn off the water and towel off. Thank God my mom packed me my sweatpants and T-shirts to wear to bed. I’m so glad she didn’t pack any of my old T-shirts that remind me of Auggie. He doesn’t need to know I still have them. Speaking of T-shirts, we both got one tonight as souvenirs.
I finish my nightly routine, throwing my hair into a quick braid so it doesn’t look crazy in the morning. I open the door and see Auggie with his brows furrowed, looking down at his phone.
“Is everything okay?”
He looks up from his phone, turns off his screen, and gives me his attention. I head towards my bag and pack my dirty clothes away as I wait for him to respond.
“Yeah. Nothing important. Do you feel better?”
I turn back towards him, smile, and yawn. “Yes. I’ll sleep much better with a shower.” I finish putting everything in my bag and then crawl into the second bed. I find my phone and plug it into the charger. Auggie gets under his covers and turns off the lights, plunging us into darkness. The only light comes in through the windows from the streetlights. It’s past midnight, so it’s way past my bedtime.
“Thanks for coming with me today, River. I had a lot of fun. I’m glad you introduced me to their music. They are so much better in person.”
“I was just thinking that too. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had this much fun. I’m glad you like them as much as I do. It means a lot that you thought of this. I would have never known they were performing this close if it wasn’t for you. So, thank you. You made my week.”
“Even above getting the house you want?” he inquires.
“That’s just the sprinkles on top.”
He’s quiet for a minute, and I think he’s dozing off. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I respond.
“Do you regret going into the Army?”
I’m not sure what he’s asking. “No. Why do you ask?”
“I just feel like so much was taken from you. You had planned on going to college and playing softball and—”
I interrupt him. “Stop beating yourself up. I won’t lie and tell you that I wasn’t angry at you. I’m still hurt after our talk, after hearing about you and Melissa. I just need time. But I don’t regret the path my life took. It may have looked different, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right path for me. I still went to college. I still got my degree. I still played softball. It just didn’t look like what I had initially imagined, but no, I don’t regret it. I’m grateful for it. I got opportunities to do things, see things, and meet people I never would have if I didn’t go down that path.
“I know it took me from you and my family, but I needed that for myself. I needed to remove myself from the situation. It’s made me a better person, a grateful person, one who appreciates what life has given me.”
“I’m glad. I was always so worried that you would regret it.”
“No, not at all. You can clear your conscience.”
He’s quiet again until he asks, “So, you got to play softball while you were in the Army?”
I smile, remembering my old team. “Yeah, I did. I played on a co-ed softball team while serving. It was a lot more fun; the stress of performing was no longer there. We were there to have fun. It didn’t bother me. Even if I had played in college, it wasn’t like I was planning on playing as a career. I loved playing softball because I loved the game. I still love the game. What about you? You always planned on trying to go pro. What changed?”
“What happened to you changed me. I was so mad at the police when they botched the DNA test and couldn’t find the person who attacked you. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it, so instead of blaming them and doing nothing about it, I decided that I’d become one of them. I would make sure that I would do everything possible to catch the suspects.”
“It was pretty much the same for me. The attack changed me. Overnight, I went from this naive teenager who thought nothing could touch her to this broken person.” He starts to say something, and I intercept, “I’m not blaming you. I’m just telling you the reality of the situation. I was broken. The rose-colored glasses were off, and I was seeing clearly. I couldn’t protect myself, and I never wanted to be in that position again. That’s why I joined the Army. But I also wanted to be able to help people through the tough times. I remember one of the police officers who questioned me. She was so kind and understanding. She didn’t rush me. She made me feel like I mattered, and I wanted to be able to do that for someone else.”
