She doesn’t have to say it. I know where her mind is going. If I get sick like my mother. The cancer wasn’t detected until it had spread through most of her mother’s body, and the treatments made her even weaker. It was awful, watching Mrs. Fisher deteriorate before our eyes, but even worse to watch Chloe’s heart break apart bit by bit every day.
I did the best I could to pick up the broken pieces and put them back in place.
Until I single-handedly shattered it.
Taking a minute to look out at the water, I turn and admire Chloe. I want to apologize and let her know I’ve regretted that night at the party every day of my life. I want to tell her I’ve dreamed about her. I’ve missed her so much it hurt. I’ve hated how things ended between us, and I’d do anything to go back.
“Chloe,” I start and lean on the railing next to her, drink in one hand.
“Yeah?”
“I—”
“Sam?” someone interrupts. “Sam Harris, is that you?”
Chloe and I both turn and see a woman walking toward us. Pink streaks her pale blonde hair, matching the long dress she has on. She’s familiar, yet it still takes me a minute to place her as one of my former girlfriends. Chloe, however, recalls this woman right away.
“Tiffany,” she says, with just a bit of question in her voice. “Tiffany Henson?”
“It’s Miller now,” she says and shows us her left hand. “I’ve been married for eight years already, gosh, I’m old!” Tiffany, one of my many high school girlfriends, comes over, slowly shaking her head. “How the hell are you?” she asks, looking from me to Chloe and back. “Chloe, right?”
Chloe smiles and nods. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“I love your show. And I’m sorry if I was ever a dick in high school,” Tiffany spits out easily. I just need to come out and say it too, but I need Chloe to know I mean it.
Chloe shrugs. “It’s water under the bridge now. We all did—and said—things we didn’t mean when we were teenagers.” She flicks her gaze to me, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s talking about our pact. “How are you?”
“I’m good! Teaching at the elementary school, which I love. My youngest just turned three two days ago. My sister is in town” —she motions to a woman at a table behind her— “and we snuck away from a quick sister outing before she has to head back to the city this evening.” She angles her body toward mine. “I know what Chloe’s been up to, but what about you?”
“I’ll let you two catch up,” Chloe says quietly and goes back to the table.
“I’m a doctor,” I say, watching Chloe unwind her headphones from her phone. “In Chicago.”
“Wow, good for you. I always knew you were smarter than you let on.”
Chloe holds her phone up to her mouth, talking into it.
“Uh, thanks?”
Tiffany laughs. “I mean that in a good way. You were so caught up in being Mr. Popular then, not that I blame you. I was too.” She shakes her head. “Gosh, what were we thinking? Talk about being young and dumb, right?”
“Right. I did a lot of dumb things, that’s for sure.” My eyes go to Chloe again. She brings her phone to her ear, listening to a message. She must send voice messages via text the same way Rory does. We all tease her and say she’s too lazy to text, yet hates calling. But she might be onto something because it is much easier.
“You did something right.” Tiffany smiles and follows my gaze to Chloe. “You’re a doctor and you two are finally together.”
“What?” I blurt, blinking in the bright sunlight.
Tiffany presses her lips together and looks at me dubiously. “Like you guys were fooling anyone. I should go before my sister takes off without me. It was really good seeing you again, Sam. You look good.” She smiles. “And happy.” Her eyes go to Chloe again. “I can see why.”
“Yeah, it was nice seeing you again, Tiffany,” I say, and my heart skips a beat in my chest when I turn back to Chloe. She’s talking into her phone again, and looks up. She stops talking when she sees me looking, and smiles.
Fuck.
I wasn’t fooling anyone then…and I’m tired of trying to continue to fool myself now.Chapter FifteenChloeI need someone to pinch me.
No, really. I might offer the couple over there, clearly on their first date, twenty bucks per pinch because I’m having a good time with Sam—a really good time with Sam. We’re talking, just casually talking, and it feels so good to hang out like this again. I forgot how easy he was to get along with, and now that my heart has settled back into my chest it almost feels like old times.