Page 254 of Steeling Her
A bright white big shiny yacht.
“Wait, what?” I point at the sparklingly clean motorized vehicle that is rocking back and forth on the water.
“Come on!” Danielle pushes me in the direction Haley walked in to get onto the yacht. The staff are all lined up uniformly. One man reaches over to take Haley’s bags from her hands and to allow her to safely get on the yacht.
“It’s fucking huge!” I squirm at the sight. “Did you buy it?” I ask her; I can’t take my eyes off of it.
“Nope. TJ rented it for the day, so I thought it would be a good day out for us. You know, catch up on the tan, relax, and have some girl time,” she says. She smiles and thanks the man who helped her. “So, come on! Get your ass on this yacht, Steel!” she jokingly shouts to me as I nervously make my way toward the walkway that thankfully has railings on either side so I can hold on for dear life.
Me and water have this hate-hate relationship. I don’t like swimming and everyone knows that. I haven’t changed.
But once I’m on the yacht, I should be fine. Although, once I stay on it, I need about ten life jackets wrapped around me.
The same guy helps me on, but I’m just a little less graceful than Haley. I grip on to his arm a little more than I should, but I just don’t want to fall in. I borderline give him a Chinese burn because of my nervous nature when it comes to the water.
“Sorry,” I apologize to him, only for him to laugh and tell me it’s no problem. Like Haley, Danielle gets on the yacht and sets herself down without any help. It’s not their first rodeo. It’s not mine, either, but I just hate the water.
I like the shallow end, where I can stand up and remain in control.
Once we are all on, we change into our swimsuits so we can relax in the sun for the day. This is something I never knew I needed. I was happy to sit alone in my home for the next few weeks, but I knew it wouldn’t be good for me in the long run. I have to face people—I have to face my family, my friends, and Nick. My brother plays on the same team as him, how can I not see him?
The talk I had with Mr. Jackson keeps playing in my mind, over and over, and I cannot stop thinking about it.
Keep an open mind.
Everything he said shocked me to my core. It wasn’t a visit I thought I would ever get, especially not from him of all people.
But I couldn’t get over the look of sorrow in his eyes. A plea for forgiveness that I knew he needed. It was a long time coming. I knew I would forgive him in the end, I just needed clarity—the release and understanding.
It took five years, I know, but he finally made the effort; that’s what matters most to me. I don’t agree with what he did, but he learned from his mistake and made the effort to correct it. Time is going by, and fast. I refuse to hold anymore grudges; they’ll eat me alive. I cannot carry the burden any longer. It’s too much, and the weight is too great.
It’s time to move on and move upwards.
Let go and be free.
We gather at the bow of the yacht and sit on the beds they had prepared for us just as the engine revs a little. The yacht begins to move from the dock. I have never been on such a luxurious yacht in my life. It’s beautiful. I know TJ’s wallet is going to hurt after this treat he gave us.
Haley lays back and sighs in content. She is living the life she always wanted—a life of luxury. To be fair to her, she stayed in college and got her degree in business management. Has she used it?Not a single ounce of it.
I join her and lay back on the warm sun bed, kicking off my sandals and tucking them underneath the bed at the end so they are out of the sun. Danielle saunters out with a board full of food, except this time, it’s filled with food fancier than normal; prawns, skewers, caviar, bread sticks, cheese, grapes, and some hummus. There are some fine delicacies on the wooden board. I’m full from the lunch in the car, but I will no doubt be picking some for myself soon enough.
Fast food only fills me for a certain period of time, then I get hungry again. I pride myself on eating so well these days. Candice and I push each other to stay fit and healthy, so we tend to stay away from the greasy stuff and go straight for the nutritious stuff, but there are the odd days where we need to let loose and treat ourselves. We don’t do it often, even if we want to.
“So . . .” Haley sits up and lets her sunglasses slide down the bridge of her nose so she can look at me. Me and Danielle look at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something. “I wanted to ask you both something,” she starts.
I’m grateful they haven’t bothered me about why I’ve locked myself away from everyone, even though I know Haley is usually straight to the point, she’s being respectful. However, I am also not stupid enough to realize that they know.
I know Haley’s dad stayed with her. He most likely spoke to the three of them about what me and her dad talked about. Then of course, with her big mouth, she obviously told Danielle, who then told my brother, who then told the rest of my family.
The texts and phone calls suddenly stopped at the same time. I know they want to hear more, but they also know how I’m like. I will talk about it in my own time, not theirs. Between the breakup and the visit from Mr. Jackson, I need the time off, but they only know half of the story.
Danielle nods for her to continue while she eats her cheese and grapes.
“We’ve set the date,” she says. We both smile back at Haley, who looks so excited to talk about her wedding. “We’re going to do it next summer, back in Mississippi. I was going back and forth between here and there, but I’ve decided that I want to do it back home.” She shrugs her shoulder, acting like it’s not a big deal, but we all know it is to her. “Well, TJ really wanted to go back there, so were doing it in our local church. Plus, we have a really great place for the reception. We both want to stick to traditional marriage.” I can see how much she truly loves TJ. Nothing has changed the way she feels about him.
“That’s amazing!” Danielle reaches across and squeezes her hand.
“So, will you both be my bridesmaids?” she asks us. “I’ve asked my cousin Taylor to be my Maid of Honour and Ellie to be a bridesmaid too.” She clasps her hands tighter, hoping that we say yes.
