I stood and followed him into the formal dining room. Mom had all but gotten rid of their small table in the kitchen, and we only ate here now. It was nice, but I liked looking over the hills from the kitchen a little better.
As soon as I sat down, my phone chimed. It was Preston. I glanced up to see Mom’s dark stare and held up my phone. “It’s Preston, Mom. I have to take this. Don’t worry. I’ll tell him you say ‘hi.’”
She narrowed her eyes at me in mock offense. I shot her a grin and got up from the table. I walked out the front door, breathing in the cool air as I answered the call. “What’s up?”
“There’s a bit of a cock up with the deal. It’s all red tape and government nonsense. I have the team back home on it. I just wanted to let you know in case it requires some face time from you. They’re asking for that.” Preston was clear with what was going on as always.
“Not a problem. Hell, I’ll fly to them if need be. I want this deal, Preston.” I pinched my nose, hating the near daily headaches I got from being here. “Thanks for all of your hard work. You’ll be getting a generous holiday bonus, my friend.”
“You already pay me enough, boss. I’m just doing my job. I am going to be on this today and keep you posted with anything that comes up.” Preston was locked away in his hotel room doing this while I spent time with my family. It didn’t seem fair, but he’d seen some of the town, and had some meals with the three of us, as well. Preston loved Texas and was slowly collecting every team shirt that he could, as well as a new pair of black cowboy boots. Next time I saw him, he’d probably come riding up on a horse.
I hung up and slipped the phone into my pocket. Looking over the forest across from the house, I couldn’t help but remember the times I’d spent with Rebecca here. Even though I never talked about it, I’d never forget the day we broke up. That hadn’t been the plan for me at all.
I’d taken her to dinner at her favorite place. We both knew that I was going to college in New York at that point, but I wanted to suggest another part of my plan. It was something I’d practiced at home in my room. I looked into her beautiful face across the table, tapping my foot nervously.
“What’s going on, Austin?” She was always direct with me, and I remembered not knowing what to say. There had been some tears since my acceptance, and I knew she was worried.
“I asked you here because I wanted to talk to you about something,” I started. She frowned at me. “Rebecca, this isn’t over for me. We’re not over.”
“You’re moving to New York, Austin. Are you suggesting that we try to attempt a long-distance relationship? You know how well those work out.” She sounded sad, and I shook my head.
“No, I’m not. I want you to come with me.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “To New York? I’m a small-town girl, Austin. I wouldn’t know what to do there.”
I reached out for her hands. “You want to go to school for hair and cosmetology. They have those there, and with your passion and talent, you could land an amazing job. I’ll get a job so we can have a little apartment, but I am going to make it there. I’ll give you the world, baby. You’ll live like a queen, and I’ll take care of you.” I knew going in that Rebecca loved North Reed, but I hoped that she loved me more.
“You can go to school here. You can do everything here, Austin. Why does it have to be there in New York, away from everything that we know?” Her eyes looked sad.
I opened my mouth to speak but closed it when I realized I didn’t know what to say.
I’d dreamed about going to New York my whole life. When I knew that I was good with numbers and planned to invest, there was no other choice for me. Wall Street was the place to be, and I was going to live that life. Rebecca knew all of that, and I didn’t understand why she didn’t want to come with me. I wanted her by my side.
Even now, standing out in front of my parents’ house, I wasn’t sure why she didn’t come with me. Her rejection still hurt. She was the reason I always asked my parents to come to New York for Christmas, even though I used the excuse of work. I had fallen in love with the city, but the girl who had my heart was here in Texas. She always had been.
I dated some of the most beautiful women in the world. They were models and actresses, women that any man would want on his arm. I took them to some of the best parties, filled with celebrities, and to dinner at the best restaurants. I took them to bed and tried to fuck Rebecca out of my system for the past eleven years, but it never worked.
“Austin, is everything okay out here?” Mom asked as she stepped out on the porch. The rain a few days ago had turned into snow, and it was beautiful outside. She shivered and looked closely at me. “Come inside. Lunch is getting cold, and so will you, standing out here.”
I followed her inside, still thinking about Rebecca. I thought that not seeing her ever again might do the trick. I thought that I might be able to forget about her and just move on with my life, but all of that came crashing down now.
Mom heated up my plate, and I sat down at the table, feeling a new resolve. I needed to work Rebecca out of my system for the last time or else she would continue to haunt me. I had a fantastic life at home, and I wanted to return to it, free and clear of anything here. I worked too hard to mope about this place. I worked too hard not to be able to move on.
I forced myself back to the present and started to eat. I talked to my parents about the phone call, telling them about the deal I was chasing. After that, I asked them about people in town. I never asked questions about North Reed. Leaving it behind meant leaving Rebecca behind, although I didn’t tell anyone the real reason we’d broken up. I blamed it on college and living apart, which was the same thing happening to high school graduates around the nation.
I never admitted that I asked her to move there with me, not even to Mom.
Dad perked up when I asked him about his friends. I acted like I didn’t know about their morning coffee and urged him to tell me about it. Dad worked hard for his dream, like I did, and he deserved the smile that was on his face. He was indeed happy here, and I’d never ask him to leave again.
I asked Mom about her book group and friends. She seemed surprised but told me all about their activities.
After lunch, I helped her wash dishes while Dad took an afternoon nap. “Is everything okay, honey?” she asked. “You’re acting odd after that phone call.”
I shrugged with a small smile. It was, and it wasn’t, but tomorrow I was going to clear the air with Rebecca. I would go home to New York with a clean slate.
I took Mom shopping for groceries in town, making my first real appearance since my haircut. There had been a few dinners at friends’ houses, but I hadn’t been to any of the shops in town. I’d avoided them for some reason, but it all made sense now. Every inch of this town had memories of Rebecca associated with them, and I wanted to forget all of them. But I never would. I never could.
We ran into plenty of people from the past at the grocery store. It wasn’t surprising. I knew everyone in town, and everyone knew me. I caught up with some of my old friends’ parents, which was nice. I even made dinner plans at the home of my former best friend, Seth.