Summer Girl

Summer Girl - Chapter 27

Chapter TWENTY SEVEN 

Two days off wasn't enough, but we had to make it enough.

   The three of us went to the amusement park again. Harley and I rode the ferris wheel over and over, and Max stole me away to ride the tea cups, just him and I. It was the best day - even better than the first time we'd gone. Now, Harley and I were together and it felt like a lifetime ago that I had spent that day with him, barely knowing who he was.

   "I love you," he whispered to me, nuzzling my face, while we were at the top of the ferris wheel. "I'm so glad we are here, together."

   "Last time we rode this together... I was so nervous to be alone with you," I admitted, then added laugh.

   "You were?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

   I nodded. "I was."

   "That was the start, for us. Sure, it took us a long time to get here, but... it was worth it," he told me, then kissed my cheek.

   "I don't want to be away from you," I said, out of nowhere.

  "You know I feel the same, Izzie," he whispered into my ear.

   "I hate the feeling of impending doom... knowing you are leaving." I laid my head on his shoulder.

   "This is what I was talking about. I literally can't stand to think about leaving you."

   "Let's not think about it," I told him, as the ferris wheel slowed down. It was almost our turn to get off.

  That night, I cried, leaving Max and Harley at the motel. Max was leaving the next day to go back to Lakeland and I wanted more time. I needed to see him again. It was late and I knew I had to go home. I'd spent the past two nights at the motel, only texting Cora to let her know where I was. She wasn't even back in Siesta yet. It wasn't as if Tom cared where I was. Now, I had to go. I had to work the next day, early, and I had to realize that sleeping in the motel, with Harley and Max couldn't continue.

   I hugged Max, hard, crying into his shoulder. He held me for a long time and then wiped my eyes, kissed my cheek and then turned away, not able to hold it together. We didn't even say anything to each other.

   Harley kissed me, running his fingers through my hair. "I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"

   I nodded, not letting him go. "Yeah," I agreed, even though I wanted him to come with me. I didn't want to go back to the beach house alone.

   "I love you," he said sweetly.

   I kissed his neck, then mumbled, "I love you."

   I cried all the way back to the beach house. Inside, it was quiet and dark. It was after eleven, so I assumed Tom was asleep. I went upstairs to my room, shutting myself inside, and then I cried some more. I couldn't stop. It just wasn't fair that I was given these boys, this new part of my life, only to have them ripped away again.

   I fell asleep, my pillow wet from crying, but woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. I was frantic, looking around my bedroom for Harley, or Max. But I was alone, and it was the worst feeling.

   The next morning, I took a shower and went downstairs to make a coffee before work. Tom was in the kitchen, at the table, as if it were just a normal day. He looked at me, his eyes wide.

   "I didn't know you were here," he said, without even saying hello.

  "I came in last night, sorry," I answered, walking towards the coffee maker.