Hollow Cove Promises

by Leigh Allen

  For right now, I need to play the role of single girl. Soon enough I would get my answers.

  We got out of our car and met the guys at the ticket booth. Like true gentlemen, they paid our way into the fair. Alex walked beside me while Grace and her date walked ahead of us. I knew what was going on right now, it was a classic move. Somehow, Alex and I ended up alone and I had no idea where Grace had gone off too.

  “I think we lost our friends,” I said to Alex.

  He chuckled. “I think you are right.”

  “Do you like the Ferris Wheel?” he asked.

  I looked up and saw the bright neon green lights of the large Ferris Wheel. It was towering above us and might be a nice way to just sit and think.

  “Sure,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  Alex was a nice guy and he didn’t deserve for me to act any certain way toward him. It wasn’t his fault I saw a ghost from my not so long ago past. It also wasn’t his fault that my heart would probably always long for Seth. Regardless if that was right or wrong.

  We walked over to the Ferris Wheel and stood in line. Alex was nice and asked me questions about school and work. It was a nice conversation, but there was no spark.

  When it was finally our turn, Alex helped me onto the car and we sat back as the ride began to move. As we began to move higher up, I felt a wave of anxious energy wash over me. Something in my mind told me to look around. As I began to gaze out over the fairgrounds, I saw a familiar dark head of hair. I leaned forward, forgetting that I was sitting high in the air.

  Alex grabbed my hand, pulling me back before I toppled our car over and sending us flying to the ground below. “Hey, are you alright?” he asked.

  I unlocked my eyes from the figure and looked over at Alex. “Yes. Sorry, I was just looking around,” I said.

  He seemed to accept my response and he continued to look around. I realized too, that his hand was still holding mine. I didn’t want to pull away and make the rider any more awkward than I already had, so I just went with it.

  My eyes traveled back to the ground and I couldn’t help but wonder if my eyes and head were playing tricks on me. Then, like a punch to the gut, I saw him.

  Seth.

  He was standing beside the funnel cake cart and he was staring up at me.

  At us.

  An angry scowl masked his face and hurt reflected in his dark eyes. I closed my eyes for a minute and then reopened them. When I looked again, Seth was still standing there watching me.

  Tears burned at my eyes and my heart began to beat so fast, I feared I would have a heart attack. Right then, being in this car with Alex seemed very, very wrong. His hand on mine was like a burning flame and I had to remove myself or I would get burned. I carefully slid my hand out of Alex’s grasp, my eyes never leaving Seth.

  I spotted Brody standing next to him, speaking something in his ear. However, Seth’s gaze never wavered away from mine. Why was he here? Why was he doing this? Was this his way of hurting me? This tormenting game we were both playing was going to be the death of me.

  Sensing my frigid mood, Alex cleared his throat. “Who is the guy?” he asked.

  Startled, I unlocked my gaze for a moment to look over at Alex.

  “What?” I asked.

  He smiled and I saw that he was let down. My heart filled with guilt and I felt like a terrible person. “It’s ok. I saw the way you reacted when you just saw that guy. And, I can tell that you are clearly into someone else,” he said.

  He was right, but it still didn’t make any of this any better.

  Sighing, I continued to stare at Seth and I smiled. “Alex, you are such a great guy. That guy is my ex-boyfriend and my first love. I honestly don’t know what went wrong with us, but when I broke up with him, it broke me, too. I haven’t seen him in a long time, well until today.”

  Alex nodded and placed his hand on mine. Not in a romantic way, but in a friendly manner instead. “I totally get it. Honestly, I’m still hung up on my ex-girlfriend, too. I only agreed to this date because my friend begged me and you are hot,” he said.

  I giggled at that and was grateful that Alex could understand what I was going through.

  “Looks like we are just two very messed up people,” I said.

  “You said it,” Alex chuckled.

  I sat back in the car, and began to calm my breathing. A slight breeze filtered through the air and I realized I had been sweating. The cool air chilled my skin, but it did nothing for my racing heart.

  “So, why don’t you go talk to that guy?” Alex asked me.

  It was the million dollar question. And, I didn’t have an answer for it. Talking to Seth wouldn’t be easy. There were so many emotions swirling around and we both had hot tempers.

  Sighing, I smiled. “Seth and I are like fire and ice. We loved hard and fought harder. I don’t know if we could talk,” I said.

  My heart felt like it was shattering all over again as I admitted that fact.

  “I get it, but can I be blunt?” Alex asked. I nodded, letting him know to continue. “I think you and this guy need to just get everything out into the open. That’s what I did. My ex and I realized breaking up was best for us, but we still talk. Maybe one day we can get back together, but it’s a nice feeling to not hate her anymore,” he finished.

  Alex had great advice and I knew he was right, I just wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to take that leap. I wasn’t so sure I could trust myself around Seth. Seeing him brought up old memories and feelings that I knew would never go away.

  “Maybe,” I said.

  The ride continued and Seth got lost in the sea of people below me. When the ride was over, I almost jumped out of the car before the guy working the ride could help me out.

  I raced to the funnel cake cart where I had seen Seth, but he was gone. I felt like dropping to my knees right then and there. I had been so close to him, but yet, so far away.

  “Sorry you missed him,” Alex said, catching up with me.

  “It’s ok. I think it was probably for the best,” I said, even though I didn’t feel that way at all.

  The sweet and grease filled air made my mouth water and all of a sudden, I wanted a funnel cake.

  “This sounds insane, but I think I want a funnel cake,” I said to Alex.

  Chuckling, he walked up to the counter. “You read my mind. I think after our serious talk, we need some greasy food,” he said.

  As we ordered our food, Grace and Aaron walked up to us. Seeing her, I narrowed my eyes and glared at her, but Grade just ignored me and smirked.

  “What have you two been up to?” Grace asked us, winking.

  Alex and I looked at one another, before he responded. “We just rode the Ferris Wheel and now we are getting a funnel cake,” he said.

  I was grateful that he kept our freak-out moment our little secret. Alex was a great guy and one day, he would make some very lucky girl happy, but that girl just wasn’t me.

  “Awesome, I love funnel cake,” Grace cheered.

  We all stood around, eating our funnel cake, and watching the sights and sounds of the fair. I never told Grace about seeing Seth. I was just going to keep that as my own little secret.

  Chapter 22

  Seth

  “Slow down,” Brody yelled after me.

  I couldn’t slow down. I kept walking faster and faster until I was sprinting to the parking lot.

  Seeing Mia sitting next to that preppy looking kid was my ultimate undoing. My heart shattered again and this time, I was certain it would never be mended again.

  “Just leave me alone, Brody,” I shouted behind me.

  I needed to be alone. I didn’t want anyone seeing me right now. I was steaming hot angry and I knew it was only a matter of time before I blew up like a ticking time bomb.

  “I’m not going to leave you alone, man. Just slow down and we can talk about this,” Brody yelled.

  He was a persistent little shit. I knew in my heart he wouldn’t leave m
e alone. When I reached my bike, I jumped on and reached for my keys, but they weren’t in my pocket.

  “Fuck!” I yelled into the air.

  Brody finally reached up to me as I was petting my pockets in a haste. If I had dropped them, there was no telling where they could be.

  Huffing and puffing, I was walking around the bike, searching through the lot for my keys.

  “Looking for these?” Brody asked, dangling my keys in front of him.

  “You took them?” I asked, confused and pissed.

  “I swiped them when you were standing like a zombie and watching Mia. You are in no shape to drive right now,” he said, his eyes narrowed in on me.

  I blew out a heavy breath and placed my hands on the back of my hair. Pulling at my hair, I screamed out again. I was losing my mind and there wasn’t anything that could fix me. Well, there was one thing, but she was clearly moving on.

  “Brody, I will calm down. But right now, I just need to get the hell out of here,” I said, my voice hoarse from screaming.

  Brody took a brave step toward me and with his other hand, patted me on the back. “Look, it’s time for you to either talk to Mia or move on. But, what you are doing isn’t healthy. She clearly knows you are back in town now, so just stop the disappearing act,” he stated.

  I wanted to punch my best friend, but I told myself not to. I knew Brody was right, but I just couldn’t imagine moving on and finding anyone else. Mia stole my heart and no other woman would ever have it.

  “I can’t live without her,” I said, finally crumbling to my knees. I fell back and landed on my ass. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I sat there, wrecked and broken.

  Brody sat down next to me and just sat with me. Neither of us spoke again, we just sat alone in the parking lot while I tried to understand how my life became such a fucked up mess.

  Chapter 23

  Mia

  Ever since I saw Seth at the fair, I couldn’t help but look for him everywhere I went.

  On my way to school.

  To the grocery.

  Even when I was in class, I would catch myself glancing out the window at the street, desperately hoping for a glimpse of his dark hair on his bike. But, it was like he was never there at all. There hadn’t been any more signs of Seth and I was driving myself crazy each time I looked for him.

  A full week had passed and Isaac was preparing me to meet his new girlfriend, Lana. Things between them were getting pretty serious and I had never seen him more nervous in my life. It was Friday evening and Isaac had made his famous lasagna that I adored. It was a recipe my mom had taught us when we were kids. Every time Isaac made the dish, it reminded us of our childhood. I loved that he decided to make it today.

  He was busy scurrying around the kitchen when I walked into the house from work. I had agreed to work an extra shift at the cafe so that he could come home early and prepare.

  “Do you need any help?” I asked, looking around at the kitchen.

  The table was set with four plates and four glasses. I looked over at Isaac as he pulled the lasagna out of the oven. The house smelled divine, but I was more focused on the additional plate. Had I asked Grace to come over and forgotten? It was possible. I had been so wrecked all week that anything was possible at this point.

  “Hey, why are there four plates?” I ask.

  If I did ask Grace, she must have forgotten too, because she hadn’t said a word about it to me.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Lana will be bringing her niece with her. She just got custody of her and doesn’t want to leave her alone,” Isaac said, bringing the dish over to the table.

  He carefully placed the hot tray on the pot holders in the center of the table.

  “Custody?” I asked.

  How old was Lana?

  “Yeah. I didn’t really ask a lot of questions, but apparently her older sister is a drug addict. She lost custody of the girl and Lana was the only one willing to take her in,” Isaac finished.

  In my head, I imagined a young child, scared and helpless. My heart broke for her. “That’s terrible. But, it’s great of Lana to step up. I can’t wait to meet her. I will check and see if I have any old crayons for the girl to play with,” I said, rushing back to my room.

  I heard Isaac yell for me, but I ignored him. I had just found an old box of metallic Crayola crayons when the doorbell rang. I pulled a couple of white printer paper out of my printer and began sprinting back toward the kitchen. I reached the end of the hall just as Isaac opened the front door.

  Standing in my doorway, was a beautiful woman in her twenties. Her long, red hair was styled in those amazing beach wave curls. Her blue eyes shined brightly as she looked up at my brother. I couldn’t help but sigh watching them. However, my moment of sweetness was brought to an abrupt halt when I spotted the niece. Instead of a young little girl, I saw a teenager with dyed black hair, black lipstick, and fishnet stockings.

  What the hell?

  “Come in,” Isaac said, taking Lana in and giving her a kiss.

  The girl beside Lana cringed and rolled her eyes at the sentiment. They walked inside and Isaac closed the door behind them. I realized that I was standing in the middle of the hall with crayons and paper sticking out of my arms. They must think I am crazy.

  “Lana, this is my sister, Mia,” Isaac introduced us.

  “Hi,” I said, sheepishly. I felt awkward standing there. “Um, Isaac said Lana was bringing her niece,” I added, noting the paper and crayons.

  Lana let out a sweet laugh. “Oh my gosh, Isaac. Did you not tell her old Jamie was?” she asked, turning to Isaac.

  Isaac gave me a glare before turning back and smiling at Lana again. “I tried, but Mia is stubborn and doesn’t listen,” he added.

  I stuck my tongue out at him and everyone laughed. Well, everyone except Jamie.

  “Dinner smells amazing,” Lana said, breaking the awkward silence now filling the room.

  “Oh yes, I just took it out of the oven. I have garlic bread, too. Plus, I bought that wine you liked from that little restaurant we went to,” Isaac adds.

  I’m beyond flabbergasted at the man now standing before me. My annoying older brother has been replaced with a caring and sweet gentleman. It struck me right then and there that Isaac would someday get married and create his own family. Right now, he was the only family I had. Would that change if he and Lana got married? I felt my stomach drop thinking about it.

  We all walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Isaac finished bringing over the salad and garlic bread. He poured himself and Lana some white wine while I brought Jamie and myself some ice water.

  We all began eating and everyone agreed the food was delicious. Lana and Isaac chatted away while Jamie and I sat there in silence. She seemed distant and I didn’t want to push her to talk if she was uncomfortable.

  “Jamie will be attending Hollow Cove High starting next week,” Lana said, smiling over at us.

  “Really?” I asked. “What grade?”

  Lana waited a minute, clearly wanting Jamie to talk, but once it was clear she was going to remain mute, Lana spoke for her. “Yes, she will be a senior.”

  “Mia can show her around,” Isaac offered.

  I almost choked on my bite of garlic bread as Isaac offered for me to play tour guide to Lana’s niece.

  “Sure, if I’m not too busy,” I say, swallowing my food.

  Isaac laughed at that. “Busy? With what? Mia and her boyfriend broke up recently and she hasn’t had much to do lately,” Isaac said.

  I saw Lana’s head spin around to look over at Isaac. While this was my first time meeting Lana, there was also an unspoken girl code that you just didn’t bring up painful breakups. A mom or another woman would know this, not an insensitive brother.

  “Isaac,” Lana said, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “No, he’s right. The first guy I cared about and made me feel alive since my parents died broke my heart. So yes, I am a loser with nothing go
ing on. Excuse me,” I said, scooting my chair out before I ran out of the room. I sprinted to the front door and couldn’t get outside fast enough.

  I heard Isaac call after me, but I just couldn’t stop. Once outside, I sighed and released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Tears sprang from my eyes as I walked over and sat on the curb. I extended my legs out onto the street and lay back into the cool grass. My eyes traveled up to the stars and I watched them, trying to locate the Big Dipper.

  I could hear the front door open and close and my anger began to rise again. “Go away, Isaac,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “It’s not Isaac,” a voice said.

  I sat up and spun around. Jamie was walking over to me. She didn’t smile or say anything else, but she sat down next to me. Confused, I watched her carefully for a minute.

  “I don’t think he realized that what he said was mean,” she offered, staring up at the stars.

  I lay back down and crossed my arms across my chest. “Maybe not. It’s been a rough couple of months,” I admitted.

  Jamie chuckled. “Tell me about it.”

  Oh, shit. Jamie was just taken from her mom. I was sure her life was way more messed up than mine, but I was the one being dramatic.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, turning my head to the side to face her.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s for the best, my mom is a mess,” she said, her face still stoic.

  “My life is a mess right now. I broke up with Seth, that was my boyfriend. He did something stupid and I just needed a break, but now…” I couldn’t finish my sentence, it was just too painful.

  “I get it. I had to break up with a guy I had been seeing since middle school. He was my safe place when my mom would get too high to function. Life sucks sometimes,” she finished.

  I had never been more grateful to have someone to share in my misery. As much as I loved Grace, she just couldn’t understand the pain I felt losing my parents and then Seth. But with Jamie, it was like she understood and didn’t judge me.

  I didn’t know this girl, but for some reason, I was sharing my life with her. And in return, she was sharing hers with me.