Without thinking, I’ve driven to the base of West Mountain. This is where we used to get away from everyone and just be together. I’ve climbed this trail with Tawny countless times, we’ve made out at the viewpoints; hell, we had sex at the summit one summer night before I left for Texas. This is the most important place on the entire island for me and Tawny and I haven’t been back since I left for college.
I grab a water bottle from my backseat and lock my truck before starting to hike a trail that’s as familiar to me as the road that leads to my parents’ house. As I walk, memories come flooding back of the years Tawny and I spent together, first as friends, then as boyfriend and girlfriend. This is where I kissed her for the first time, this is where we talked about our future, this is where we fell in love.
She made a mistake when she saw that picture of me at the party. But I suppose I can see why she did so. We had been drifting apart and that was my fault. I’m the one who took the scholarship out of state and I’m the one who had the insane schedule that interfered with our phone calls. There were letters I didn’t answer right away, phone dates that I missed, and even though it was only a couple of months that we were apart, it was enough to drive a wedge between us. Do I wish she’d given me a chance to explain? Hell yeah. It could have saved a lot of pain. But at the same time, do I honestly think we could have survived four years of distance?
That question fills my head for the rest of my climb to the summit. The truth is, I don’t know that we would have.
By the time I’ve hiked back down the mountain, my anger is gone, and all that’s left is a burning need to see her, and actually feel her again. I drive back to the inn, speeding recklessly and not caring. All I can think about is Tawny.
It’s dusk by the time I get there, and I take a moment to sit in my truck and find some self-control. I can’t burst in there and tear her clothes off, no matter how much I want to. My physical desire for Tawny is just as powerful as ever, but more importantly, I missher. I miss her heart, the conversations we would have, the way we knew each other better than we knew ourselves. I know we need to talk about the last decade and about what we both wantnow. Hell, for all I know she could be in a relationship and I might make a complete fucking fool of myself. But I have to try. She’s worth it.
Armed with that resolve, I get out of my truck and walk into the inn. I bypass reception and go straight to the office where I suspect I’ll find Tawny. She isn’t there, nor is she in the kitchen or the dining room.
“Damn it,” I mutter to myself as I fix my hat on my head.
“Looking for my sister?”
I turn to see one of the twins — Ella, I think — standing in the hallway with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Yeah, she knows what’s going on.
“Yup. Where is she?” comes my short reply. Ella’s grin widens.
“If I tell you, what are you going to do?”
“Find her. Apologize. Then hopefully kiss her.”
Ella claps her hands and I won’t lie, I’m relieved that she seems to approve of my plan. It dawns on me that she should be surprised that I want to kiss her, but obviously Tawny has probably explained our past to her sisters by now.
“She’s at home. We sent her there for the afternoon when it was clear she couldn’t function properly after your conversation earlier.” Ella cocks her hip at me and I know she’s not letting Tawny take all the blame. “I haven’t seen my sister that upset since our parents died. Fix it, Mac.”
I nod, soberly. “I will. If she’ll let me.”
I pull into the driveway of what used to be Tawny’s parents’ home. I knew she had stayed there even after their death, but she’s made some subtle changes. The contractor in me notices a few things that need to be done, like the front step that needs replacing and the corner of the garage where the paint needs a touch-up.I could do that for her…
I ring the doorbell and wait anxiously for her to answer the door. Nothing prepares me for what I see when she does.
“Babe.” The endearment slips out and I pull her into my arms before I can even register what I’m doing. As soon as I saw her red eyes, evidence that she’s been crying, and her wearing my college football sweatshirt, I knew she was hurting just as much as I was. And I wanted to be the one to take away that pain.
Tawny folds into my arms with a sob and all the years of heartache are instantly erased. Not completely, because there is a slight twinge in my heart that tells me I should be mad that I’ve missed out on so much with her. But right now, all that matters is stopping her tears.
I don’t bother saying anything else, I simply lift Tawny into my arms, secretly thrilling at the feel of her arms around me once again. I walk into the house, closing the door behind me with my foot. I kick off my shoes and then carry her into the living room to sit on the couch.
Tawny stays curled into my arms, but I can feel her body relaxing and her tears slowing down. Eventually, they stop, and she lifts her head to look at me. I pass her a tissue from the box on the table beside the couch with a small smile.
“Thanks,” she says quietly. She goes to move off of my lap and my hands tighten around her waist, holding her in place.
“Don’t, please. Having you in my arms is the best feeling I’ve had in years.”
The confession pours out of me and I feel Tawny freeze in my arms.
“Mac…” she starts, and I lift a finger up to cover her lips.
“Hold on. I need to say something.” She nods and settles back. It’s now or never as I take a deep breath and launch into the speech I prepared on my hike.
“I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to talk to you back then, to figure out what was wrong. You’re right, we were drifting apart and that was my fault. If I had tried harder to talk to you, or write to you, maybe you wouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I’m sorry that I avoided you all these years, instead of manning up and facing you. But I’m here now, T. I’m here, asking if it’s not too late for a second chance.”
When I finish, it’s so quiet in the room I swear I can hear both of our hearts beating.
The silence is broken by Tawny whispering my name again. Only this time, it doesn’t sound apologetic. It sounds reverent.
