“No,” he finally said.
She gave him credit for that, too.
“You should go,” she said.
“Yeah, I can see that. Going.”
“Anything of yours that’s not out of my apartment by the time I get back Sunday night will go to Goodwill or the dump. Leave your key on the kitchen table.”
He turned to walk away and did walk away. He made it halfway down the path to his car before turning back around again.
“I did love you, you know. I do love you,” Ben said.
“Then you should have been honest with me.”
“Is your new boy honest with you?”
“Too honest,” she said.
“Goddamn, you’re hard to please, aren’t you?”
“I have high standards. Getting higher all the time.”
“Well, good luck finding your Mr. Right. Tell your new boyfriend good luck. He’ll need it.”
With that parting shot, Ben walked away and didn’t turn back. He got into his rental car and drove away. For a minute or two she heard the sound of his wheels on the gravel getting fainter and fainter. Not that long ago she would have cried when Ben told her, Goodbye, see you in a couple weeks, love you, be good, baby, I’ll be back soon...
They’d had so many farewells and reunions dating him had been like riding a roller coaster. Every goodbye a stomach-churning dip. Every reunion a heart-pounding high. They’d never had a real stable and solid relationship, did they? She knew that now. Just one honeymoon after the other. She knew she was over him not because the anger was all gone—it wasn’t—but because she didn’t cry as he left, and she knew she’d never cry for him again. He wasn’t worth her tears. He wasn’t worth her time. Maybe he wasn’t even worth punishing anymore.
“Is he gone?” Chris asked from the doorway.
“Gone.”
“You okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Good.” He shut the door behind him. “I’ll go, too. I’ll...”
Joey tensed, scared of what he would say, scared of what she should say but didn’t have the words yet.
“Wedding’s on Saturday. Do you still want to go with me?”
“I can’t be Sam without Farmer Ted, can I?” she asked.
Chris smiled but it wasn’t a happy smile, not at all.
“I’ll see you at the wedding, then? Or should I pick you up?”
She wanted him to pick her up. She wanted everything to go back to normal between them for her last couple of days in Oregon before heading back to Hawaii. Why did it have to change? It had been so good. They’d had dinner with her parents two nights ago—her and Chris and Dillon and Oscar and Mom and Dad and...it had been perfect. Like old times but better because no one was scared for Dillon anymore. Mom and Dad had even behaved themselves and not brought up her breakup with Ben at dinner. Joey had seen knowing smiles between her and Dad as if they were saying, “Hmm...looks like somebody is getting a little help getting over her boyfriend...” The whole time Chris’s knee pressed against hers and his hand squeezed her hand between courses. She’d felt like she and Chris were a real couple that night, as much of a couple as Dillon and Oscar, who were getting married in a few days, and her parents, who’d been married thirty years. Chris fit right into the family. Her mom had even kissed both his cheeks and her dad had hugged him. Dad did not hug other men unless they were his own father or his son. Or Chris, apparently, who her father treated like a son. Oh, God, Mom and Dad were probably planning their wedding already. Dillon was getting married. Her turn next, right?
“Jo?”
“Sorry,” she said. “Got lost in thought.”
“You had a rough day. It’s okay. I’ll just meet you at the wedding. I’ll be the dork in the bright pink Oxford shirt.”
“Don’t forget to tie a red jacket around your waist.”