Furthermore,whyis Marcus trying to make things up to me? I bump into him just once recently—which is sort of shocking, actually, since Ternbay is so friggin’ small—and all the pain of his rejection stung. Then, the friggin’ guy has the audacity to accuse me of keeping secrets from him!
That pissed me right the fuck off. How hypocritical can he possibly be?! The whole basis for our breakup was because the idiot kept so many secrets from me! His whole life was one big lie! He was running around with me while he had a baby and a family at home, for crying out loud. On top of that, he was too petrified of anyone finding out he’s queer, so he broke things off with me instead.
Coward. It’s the cowardliness and the lies that fucking pissed me off.Stillpiss me off, I guess, even though our split worked out for the best. I met Aaron, and I found true love—even if that ended tragically, I still had it.
I wouldn’t give back a second of the too-short time my husband and I had together for anything.
Apparently, I must have been too up in my head and missed most of everything going on around me because suddenly, I’m startled back to my surroundings. “Wee-Waters,” the bartender grunts at Gannett. “Let the guy have a minute, would ya? He’s probably weighing out his options of whether or not he wants to pull up your slack for a living…”
Gannett narrows his eyes at the grump behind the bar. “Masterbaterson, I’d like to see you go out on that boat with me for a day, andthentry to come back and tell me how much I slack off.”
“No need,”he retorts. “You don’t shut up about it every night here afterwards. Besides, Iwouldpuke out on that boat.”
Gannett snorts. “Gordy, you’ve lived on the coast more than half your life, how the hell am I just now finding out you get seasick?”
“Because not everyone is an over-sharer like you.”
“I donotovershare.”
“The fuck you don’t!” Gordy taunts. “Gannett, you seem to forget that your ass is in that stool every goddamn day. I practically know what you dreamt about last night at this point.”
Gannett appears to ponder that for a second. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell you about how I managed to fall into a giant pit of rubber chickens. Dude, it was so realistic, I swear I even heard their chorus of vilekazooingwhen I woke up…”
Gordy pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head, exasperated. Then, he gives me an apathetic look. “It’s okay if you want to turn down the job offer. I can take down your number and shoot you a text or something if anything opens up here. Give it a month or so, and something usually pops up.”
Marcus interjects, “Caleb, no. Come on,seriously? Can I just have a minute to explain myself, and maybe you’ll change your mind.”
Marcus hops off the stool and heads over to a more private table, encouraging me to follow. I throw up my index finger, hopefully indicating to Gannett to hold on a minute. He nods, before turning back to Gordy to continue whatever bickering—well, maybe-bickering, I guess. It actually kinda looked like they were engaging in some fucked up version of flirting to me, if I’m being honest.
I slump down in the chair across the table from Marcus, and he lifts his hands and begins signing to me.
Chapter Seven
“First of all, let me get this out. You definitely should text Lo, because if you leave it up to her, she will fucking ghost the hell out of you,” I sign to Caleb, trying to maintain a level of modicum of privacy in the somewhat crowded pub and thankful that I have the skills to do so.
“Who?”
“Lauren. If you’re waiting for her to come to you first, I can tell you right now, you will be waiting a long time.”
“How do you—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“I just know, okay? It didn’t take me long to put the pieces together. She wouldn’t tell me how she met you, so that told me she met someone through work. She doesn’t get out much, so that tracks. She slipped up and told me your name the other night because all she’s done is gush about this drool-worthy guy named Caleb who was wildly sweet and took her out on this amazing first date,” I reply,making sure to emphasize just how sardonic I’m being about theamazingbit.
I crack my knuckles nervously, then continue, “Listen, she may have insinuated that she felt bad that you’d been unable to connect with anyone around here—and even more poorly that you haven’t been able to find work—because of your inability to speak. I’m fucking trying, Caleb.”
“But why?”
“Because I fucked up, and I’m sorry. Because I saw how happy you made Lauren after just one date. You have absolutely no idea how badly she needs to feel seen and appreciated, and you did that. I cannot hold onto a grudge like I have been, when I’ve seen the way she’s been walking on cloud nine since…”
“You and I have history though. I can’t let it go just like that. You hurt me!”
“I know!” I nearly shout before remembering we're in public and lowering my voice back down to a whisper. “Caleb, I fucking know I did, but if I can make it up to you by taking this on—working by your side and interpreting for you when you need me to—why not let me? Don’t flush an opportunity like this down the toilet based on some menial history.”
He shakes his head. “Menial. What we had was menial. Love that for me.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” I quarrel, reverting back to talking with my hands. “What we had was two fucking summers. If you can’t let that go for the bigger picture here, then I guess no one can say I didn’t at least try.” I sit back, pointedly crossing my arms over my chest.
And, trust me, Iamtrying. I made a promise to Brody that I’d make an attempt at being the bigger man and let shit go with Caleb, to tryto be friendlier. If Caleb can’t see past that, thenhe’sthe asshole here, not me. It’s not exactly like I’m thrilled to have found out that Lauren is now dating my ex side-piece either, but at least I’m making an effort to bury that hatchet.
