Summer Girl

Summer Girl - Chapter 36

Chapter THIRTY SIX

Sam was in the kitchen, when I walked into the beach house. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to act normal. I wasn't going to tell him that I had just had a fight with my only friend in Siesta. He looked good, and was drinking coffee at the table. I smiled, without hesitating.

   "Wow, you returned," he said right away. "I'm surprised."

   "Well..." I barely had to say anything.

   "Oh, you're not staying."

   I shook my head. "I saw Aaron. I stayed with him for a couple days."

   "Oh, wow. How's he doing?" Sam asked, genuinely interested. He and Aaron were close, for a few years. But I knew they hadn't talked at all since Aaron left, when he was eighteen. They'd had a big fight not long before he left. 

   "He's good, actually," I said, nodding.

   "That's great." He sipped his coffee. "And then what did you do?"

   "I was in Lakeland, with my boyfriend," I told him, again trying not to hesitate.

   "Ah. And you're heading where?" He smiled, knowing it had something to do with Harley.

   "Melbourne. Where's Cora?" I changed the subject.

   "Out back. She'll be happy to see you," Sam nodded towards the back door.

   And she was. And she took the news much better than Cay did. She hugged me hard, telling me she wished she had more time with me.

   "Mom, she's not dying," Sam laughed, still sitting nearby as Cora and I talked about everything.

   "I know, I know," Cora nodded, still hugging me. "Izzie, I knew you'd find your way. I knew you'd figure out who you were meant to be with, but I thought I'd have another year, or more..."

   "We will come back to visit," I said, instinctively.

   "But you'll be on the water, in Melbourne. You won't need to come back," she smiled.

   "But we will," I said again. I wasn't sure if it was true.

   "Okay," she nodded, letting it be. "When are you leaving?"

   I was going to stick around a few days, take my time packing up, spend time with Cay. This was not how I expected it to be. Now I had no idea.

   "I'm not sure. Harley has some appointments to see apartments today, he's on his way to Melbourne now." I glanced at the clock on the stove.

   Just past noon. "And I was sort of wondering... about the Jetta."

   "Oh, Izzie, of course, it's yours," Cora said quickly.

   "Really?" I was shocked. Sure I'd been driving it for the past year, Cora and Tom had their own cars, but I was still surprised she would just give it to me.

   "Of course." 

   I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know this is kind of crazy. But it feels right, being with Harley. I'll get a job, maybe I'll even go to college at some point -"

   "I know you'll do great things, honey. I will miss you, but I'd never want to hold you back," Cora told me, tears in her eyes. I was crying now, so she wrapped herself around me again. "You want help getting that bedroom packed up?"

   

   Cay called later in in the day, but I didn't answer. I couldn't deal with her again and I was okay with ending this way with her. She had been a good friend to me, but I was moving on. I had to.