“No, not yet anyway. But he’s openly repented in the church he attends about his past ways, and has promised to do only good from now on. He volunteers for charities, helps out with the homeless… You name it.”
“Can’t believe it.” I rub my forehead. I can feel a headache starting. “He was a frigging bully, for chrissakes.”
“A repentant one. Also some awful stuff came out about his family. His older brother bullied him, too, apparently.”
“Not good enough,” I grumble. It isn’t. Wasn’t Asher also bullied by his father? I remember the story Ev told me. But he turned out just fine. “Not even close.”
“I know.” She sighs into the phone. “Anyway. I wanted to let you know, oh and that he works for an event organizer. The one who organized Asher’s and Audrey’s wedding reception. No wonder we both saw him there. He must have found your address on the guest list.”
“Crap.” Fear shudders through me.
“Look, I got to go now. Come have a coffee with me in the afternoon? There’s this new café near State Street, and Kayla might drop by, too. We can talk about this.”
I get the name and address of the café, and promise to go. Then I disconnect and let out a long breath.
Coffee with the girls is always fun. There will be some gossip and plans to go shopping, or do our hair or watch a movie. I love those girls. Yeah, Kayla has been growing on me, too.
But truth is, I can’t take my mind off Jesse, and I can’t wait for evening when he’s off work to finally see him.
After a morning of running about, mailing my packages and shopping—I love Kayla, but her dinner options are a toss between tortilla chips with dip and ice cream—I’m looking forward to meeting the girls and grabbing some lunch there.
Stomach grumbling, I put away the groceries, drink some cold water, and head back out. Tall trees line part of the street, foliage rustling, throwing dappled shadows on the sidewalk. I pull down my sunglasses and squint up into the bright sunlight.
“Amber!” someone calls, and I stiffen. “Can we talk?”
Nick Harris is striding toward me, dressed in a blue T-shirt with a smiley face on it and white shorts. His handsome face is drawn into a small frown.
His hated, arrogant face, the face that sneered at me and laughed at me too many times to count while he and his minions broke my pens, tore my notebooks, called me names and circulated awful rumors about me.
“Why would I want to talk to you?” I bite out the words, surprised that the tremor inside me doesn’t reach my voice. “Go away, Nick. I’m not weak anymore.”
“You never were,” he says, and I wait for him to catch up with me, not even sure why. “Would you have coffee with me?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Is he serious? “What do you want?”
“Fair enough.” He smiles, rubs his chin. His blue eyes are clear when he looks back up. “I know I hurt you in the past, Amber, and since I found out you were back in town, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Why?” The million dollar question.
“To say I’m sorry.”
His words hang in the bright sunlight, incongruous and unexpected, despite what Ev told me this morning.
I don’t know what to say, how to react. Is everything okay because he’s sorry? Can I forgive him? He pushed me to the very edge of sanity. He pushed me until I thought life wasn’t what it’s cracked up to be. That ending it might be a solution.
I turn to go, my muscles shaking with the need to start running until I can’t go on anymore. “Good for you,” I whisper.
“Please.” He circles me, holding out something. “My card. Take it. I know what I did was unforgivable. But who knows? Maybe one day you will find it in you to forgive me. If there’s anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask.”
Okay. Who is this guy, and what has he done with Nick Harris? I take his card, numb, nod, and watch him walk away.
Jesus. With a shudder, I stick his card into my purse and draw in a fortifying breath. I survived the meeting. I faced my bully and didn’t flinch. Didn’t run away.
A smile spreads on my face. I did it. I faced my fear.
With this, I figure I’ve had my dose of unwanted encounters for the day. Things can only get better, right?
So it’s a shock to my system when I arrive at the café on Lake Street and find Cassie outside, by the door.