Page 74 of Until the Last Star Fades

Riley changed the subject. “Case, you working tomorrow?”

“Yep.” He nodded. “Popcorn for dinner again.”

“Popcorn can count toward your five a day,” said Piper.

“That’s a stretch.” Casey chuckled. “I’m hoping they’ve fixed their claw machine. The rescue needs more toys for the dogs.”

Riley hugged him then stood up. “You’ll score a bunch—you always do.”

“Text if you need me and give Maggie a hug.” Piper rose to her feet and embraced her friend. “You did the right thing.”

“Keep telling me that until I believe it.” Chin hovering over Piper’s shoulder, Riley met Casey’s eyes, his kind expression unable to soothe the worry fluttering in her stomach.

• • •

Sunshine danced across the gentle waves of New York Harbor as the orange ferry carried tourists and locals toward Staten Island. With every passing minute, Lower Manhattan receded a little farther, but the watery gulf did little to distance Riley from her decision; she feared its ripples would affect her and Maggie for months to come. I can walk away from Josh, but the fallout is impossible to outrun. Sunglasses hiding her tears, Riley slumped on the railing, the wind whipping her hair and thoughts into a tangle.

What have I done? Failed Mom. Hurt Josh.

Beside her, a cluster of merry Italian tourists snapped selfies with a distant Statue of Liberty, torch thrust confidently into the cloudless April sky, her promise of enlightenment, freedom, and hope all on Riley’s wish list. One of the group, a raven-haired woman wearing an ‘I Heart NY’ t-shirt knotted at her waist, held her hands just so, making it look like Lady Liberty was balancing on her palm. With a laugh, she kissed her tanned male companion and sank into an embrace, their eyes never leaving each other.

Josh and I were like that once. Just because you no longer love someone doesn’t mean saying goodbye won’t hurt. We shared memories, secrets…the pain and sweetness of the past, the fears and hopes for the future. If I did the right thing like Piper says, why does it hurt so much?

Her phone buzzed in her hand. She guessed who it was before looking at it. Erika. What was it this time? A list of bands for her and Josh’s reception…photo booth vendors? Even before she had called off their engagement, Riley had grown sick of these continual nudges down the aisle, and the nauseous feelings were rising again. She wiped away her tears and tapped the call button. Get it over with.

Erika picked up two rings in. “Rye! So, whadya think? Aren’t the hockey player cake toppers adorable?” Her words rolled fast and furious. “If you tell them Josh’s uniform colors, they’ll custom paint his figure. He’ll LOVE—”

“Eri, it’s over. I broke up with him—”

“WHAT?!”

“—this morning, so no need for cake toppers or bridesmaids…or anything else.”

Holding back tears, Riley told Erika everything and tried to wrap up the call three times, but Erika kept lobbing questions. When Riley’s answers weren’t satisfactory, the bride-to-be shifted to advice for fixing the unfixable. They were going around in circles, their conversational carousel heading nowhere quickly.

“But Rye, you’re giving up so much…”

Riley stood her ground, choking back tears.

“Fudge!” Erika huffed. “Gotta go. Stanley’s using our new leather sofa as a chew toy. Talk later?”

Call over, Riley couldn’t hold back any longer. Warm tears chased down her cheeks as melodic Italian accents happily sailed along the breeze. Carefree and reveling in their ferry adventure, the smitten couple glanced at Riley and looked uneasy. They shifted down the railing as if her heartbreak was contagious.

I’m not kidding myself. I know Josh’s money couldn’t guarantee a cure, but it would’ve alleviated some of Mom’s stress, erased the fear of losing her apartment. Pitching in on her medical expenses was the ONE thing I thought I could help her with, and now I can’t even do that…

As she stared into the water, the skirt of Riley’s sunny yellow dress flirted with the light wind. She spun her mom’s moonstone ring around and around her finger, wishing for a miracle.

Thirty-Two

“Sweetie, you sat inside all day yesterday. It’ll do you good to get some fresh air this afternoon.” Maggie set down her fork in her spinach salad—her most recent craving. She had already devoured its strawberries and walnuts. “And your friend Ben is from England? That’s exciting.”

Riley pushed up the three-quarter-length sleeves of her New York Islanders t-shirt and slumped back in her chair, taking a walnut from her salad with her. “Ben’s working.”

“Well, go meet Piper.”

“She’s making puppets after work.”

“Does she need help?”