AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Others in the parking lot were starting to stare in our direction. I glanced toward the restaurant. We were at the far end of the parking lot, and Sally was approaching with a few of her friends that had gathered just outside the door. They started walking toward Remi’s car.
“Not until we talk.”
“The harem might object,” she spat nodding in the group’s direction.
I walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and slid into the seat, leaving Remi at the back of her car. She hurried around and yanked the driver’s side door open and looked inside. “What are you doing? Get out!”
“No. We haven’t finished our discussion. Get in,” I said calmly.
“Dylan, why are you doing this? You aren’t going to change my mind.” I could hear the pain and frustration lacing her voice.
I leaned over and looked up at her. She was so damn exasperating! “Will you just get in the fucking car? Unless you really do want to make a scene. We can hash it out in private or we can do it in the lot in front of God and everyone. I don’t give a shit!”
She gasped, clearly angry. I could tell by the way her shoulders slumped, and she pushed her long hair back, both sides at once but using only one hand. “Ughhhhh!” she yelled, but quickly got inside and started the engine, slammed the car in reverse. It took five seconds before she was tearing out of the lot and onto a side street.
I could see her take a deep breath, but she kept her eyes trained on the road. Her lower jaw jutted out in defiance. Neither of us had buckled our seat belts and the car began that annoying buzz. Remi yanked hers across her body and clicked it into place.
I studied her profile as if it would be the last time that I’d ever see her. Her small, straight nose, high cheekbones, and delicate features were so beautiful, even with her make-up smudged and the angry expression plastered on her face.
“What’s your problem?” she finally blurted.
“What’smyproblem?” I huffed in annoyance. “You didn’t talk to me before you made this decision.”
She glanced in my direction then back at the road. “Dylan it’s my decision, not yours. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I don’t agree. If that were true, why didn’t you just go to U of T in the first place, huh? I mean, if it had nothing to do with me and the plans that we made together meant zilch.” The buzzing finally got the best of me, and I put the seatbelt on. “What’s changed?”
Her face softened a little. “Reality. When we made these plans, we were so idealistic, and we didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, we should have known you’d be hyper involved with the team and my course load would interfere with all the parties. I’m busy with my science classes, studying, and the labs. I just can’t hang out like I want, and I’m jealous.”
My eyebrows rose. “Jealous? Of… the girls?”
Sure, there were women around, but none of them could take her place. They were fun, but she was…Remi. We just never had a relationship like that. I’d tried to ask her to the prom our junior year but she already had a date and so it was clear that she didn’t think of me as more than a friend so rather than create a huge abyss between us, I just relegated myself to being her friend.
“Nuh, no.” She shook her head adamantly. “Obviously, I want to hang out with you and do all the fun stuff, and I know you resent that I’m not there. I just… I should have known things would change.” The words tumbled out of her mouth at break-neck speed and my brow creased as my eyes narrowed on her face. “You shouldn’t have to worry about me. I just think we’re on different paths, and it started a little sooner than we planned, that’s all. But it was inevitable, Dylan.”
It was true; it had pissed me off that she wasn’t around as much, and even over Christmas she wasn’t any fun. Suddenly, I was filled with regret. Being the self-absorbed prick that I was, I didn’t think about what she was dealing with, and I felt defeated.
“What happened to us, Remi?” I ran my hand over my face, scrubbing at the stubble on my chin.
“We grew up,” she said simply. I could hear the crack in her voice, even if she tried to hide it.
“Not even one last summer working on the ranch?” I asked woefully, staring out the window as she drove. I hated that we were in the car. I wanted to put an arm around her, or hold her hand, and I wasn’t sure if it were to comfort her or myself.
She shook her head and brushed away an errant tear from her eye. “Now that I’ve made this decision, I think it’s best if I just get on with it.”
“Even if I ask you to wait?” I felt pathetic and desperate, and I didn’t even understand why I had this emptiness sucking a hole in my chest. I tried to take a deep breath to ease the tightness in my lungs, but without being obvious about it. It was no help.
“I really can’t, but you should still go. Maybe take that girl from Christmas if you don’t want to go alone,” she suggested without looking at me. It seemed so impersonal and cold.
“So, that’s how it is,” I said spitefully.
“That’s how it’s been, Dylan. Be honest. Try to be happy for me. I want that for you, and I know you enjoy soccer and your new friends. I’d never stand in your way.”
“What will make you happy?” I did my best to disguise my anger and disappointment that I was feeling. Pain that had taken root somewhere deep inside my chest. The future, no matter how bright my soccer career at Clemson might be, felt empty without the sureness of her presence. And what about later if I made it professionally? Just knowing she was near had been enough for me, but obviously it wasn’t enough for Remi. I knew I was selfish and self-absorbed, but it still hurt like a bitch that she could put me in her rearview mirror so easily.
“Making a difference for little kids with cancer. It’s more than a dream, I feel a responsibility to give back.”
I nodded. “I understand. When do you leave?” I asked the question, but I didn’t want the answer. Not really.
