“Here, sir.” I approach, fruit extended to him.
“Oh, my goodness, I try to carry too many,” he tells me in a heavy Spanish accent.
“Here, take my basket.” I hold the empty bucket out to him.
“Gracias.” His head bobs, as in a nod of appreciation.
I hold the basket while he piles the apples inside. “No, problem.”
“Thank you, very much.” His brown eyes bore into mine. “Hey, I know you. Your picture is on my daughter’s refrigerator.”
“Sorry?”
“Zack, right?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” I try to comprehend who he is. To my knowledge, only one person has my picture on their fridge. “Are you talking about Liz?”
“Yes, I’m her father, Luis. It’s nice to meet you.” He extends his free hand to me.
I slide mine in his gripping it firmly. “It’s good to meet you too.”
“Man, oh man, those pictures with the ball players and the signed book. That was really something.”
“Yeah, it was no problem,” I manage as a pit grows in my chest. I take in his dark features, course black hair, and olive skin. “I guess you’re visiting?”
“Yeah, got in earlier today. Just ran to the store while Liz started some dinner.”
“Okay.” I start to back away. “Well, good luck with the groceries. It was nice to meet you.” I bow my head and turn and head for the exit.
My mind reels. I’m sure it must have been a last-minute visit. Perhaps, he surprised her. Maybe got a cheap fare. It seems like she would have at least texted me. I don’t want to believe she would leave out that her dad was visiting or lie about working all weekend. He probably just got in, and she’d been busy getting her place ready and figuring out food.
I can’t see how Luis can be her biological father. I google red hair color to confirm there is no way he could be. This information, although it hurts my feelings that she withheld it, isn’t a lie. Why would she not share the truth, though? Why wouldn’t she tell me he was coming? I thought we’d established a better rapport. I’d even offered to get baseball tickets for them if he came into town.
Too frustrated to do much else, I drive home, sit on the sofa, and stare at the wall. I have no idea what to do. I place my phone on the coffee table, waiting for her to reach out. Watching the time, I guess he would have been back at her place in half an hour, forty-five minutes, tops. I switch on the television, half-paying attention to the local news. At the hour mark, I give up and change for the gym.
As I’m swiping my phone from the tabletop, it buzzes with receipt of a call. Seeing her name, I draw in a breath.
“Hello?”
“Oh my gosh, Zack, Luis just told me he ran into you at the grocery store. This afternoon has been so crazy, I haven’t had two seconds to message you.”
I exhale. She isn’t a psychopath or a crazy lying narcissist. “Yeah, I was surprised when he recognized me.”
“I was asleep when he called and had to get to the airport and back in Friday afternoon traffic. What a mess. My apartment wasn’t clean, and I needed to go food shopping. I’d like you to be able to hang out with him. Do you have some time tomorrow or Sunday?”
She isn’t hiding, which I figure is a good thing. But after our random run-in, I figure she doesn’t have a choice. “I was supposed to go to Jeff’s thing tomorrow night, but I can bail on that.”
“Great, I’ll cook dinner, why don’t you come over at six?”
“Sure, sounds good, do you want me to bring anything? Or try to get some baseball tickets?”
“Are they in town?”
“One o’clock game on Sunday.”
“I’m working till two and then have to get him to the airport.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow night then.”
“Great, okay, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” I end the call, feeling heaps better. Still, I wonder why she wouldn’t tell me about their relationship. He could be her step-dad, or maybe she’s adopted. I’m guessing this is why she always hesitated a tick when mentioning her father. Too wound up to relax, I keep my gym plan and drive to the sushi place afterwards.
My work keeps me occupied the next day, and I stop by the gym after my shift. Before heading to her apartment, I buy a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of wine, and a six-pack of assorted beers. My palms are sweaty as I balance the bags and knock on the door.
“Hola, amigo. Buenos noches. Estás haciendo malabarismos con la comida.” Luis greets me, saying that now I’m juggling the food.
Liz approaches. “Luis, I don’t think Zack is really fluent in—”
“No sabía lo que te gustaba, así que traje todo.” I tell him I wasn’t sure what he liked and hold up the six-pack of beer and wine.
“He speaks Spanish muy bueno.” Luis takes the alcohol from me.
I wrap an arm around Liz as she approaches. “These are for you.”
“Thank you.” She kisses my cheek.
For as nervous as I am, Luis’s broad smile and calm nature have me feeling relaxed in no time. He jokes with Liz about her cooking and lack of decoration. Then, we talk about my family.
“Oh, look, I got the wedding pictures from Mom today.” I extend my phone to Liz, and Luis cranes his neck to look. I like that I can show my family is not the vanilla-to-the-core type.
“These are amazing. Where is Rebecca from?” Liz asks.
“South Africa, but she went to high school in the States. All of her family came for the wedding, it was huge.”
“Hey.” Luis taps Liz’s arm. “Did you get the photos back from Jenna’s wedding yet?”
“No, what a fiasco. I don’t care if I ever see those pictures.” Her eyes cut to me as if she’s remembering I’m there and said too much.
“You looked beautiful.” He looks to me and points to her. “She looked amazing.”
“I bet she did.” I wink at Liz.
The conversation flows easily as we move from drinks, to dinner, then dessert, and finally clean up. Before I realize, it’s after ten.
“Hey,” I say to Luis as I’m leaving. “If you want, I could swing by and take you to the stadium with me. You can hang out in the locker room and then see part of the game. There’s always extra tickets.”
“You wouldn’t be kidding me, would you?”
“Not about baseball.”
“That would be amazing.” Luis shakes my hand.
“Okay, I’ll swing by at nine thirty to pick you up.” We exchange cell numbers, and Liz walks me down to my car.
Head trained on the pavement, she stuffs her hands in her back pockets. “I know I owe you a huge explanation. I’m sorry. And”—she takes my hands—“I hope you’ll forgive me. It’s a long story, and not one I share with just anyone.”
“Well, we only went on like five official dates—”
“Don’t do that.” She tugs her hands from mine.
“Sorry, I tend to use humor to cover tense situations.”
“We can talk next week, if you still want to continue this.” She waves her hand in the air and then slaps it to her leg.
“Don’t do that.” I grab her hand and study her eyes. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You are.” She smiles.
“Okay.” I roll on my feet. “I probably won’t see you tomorrow, but call me.”
“When will you be done with the game? I could bring you dinner.”
“Maybe around six.” I rake my hand through my hair, suddenly nervous about what she has to tell me.
“Okay, I’ll pick something up.”
“Great. Okay, I’m going to go.” I point to my car.
She opens her mouth as if she’s going to say something but closes it quickly. I hate the tension between us but am not sure of our status. I’m already too far into this not to be hurt, so I jump in the car and wave to her as I back out. In the rear-view mirror, I see her standing in the middle of the lot, watching me as I drive away.
> All morning, I run through worst-case scenarios, trying to prepare myself for whatever Liz has to divulge. Maybe her real father abused her mom, Liz, or her siblings. My stomach turns thinking of someone hurting Liz. Or maybe her dad died a horrible death, but her mother remarried after they moved to the States. Thankfully, I only have a few hours for my brain to spin till I need to get ready for work.
I swing by and pick up Luis, and he doesn’t stop talking the entire ride. The man knows everything there is to know about baseball. We get him a badge at the security desk, and he follows me to the locker room. I unpack at my station, and it’s not minutes before I hear Carlos’s voice.
“Hola, Zack my boy, what are you doing? Picking up random Hispanics now?”
“Nah, man.” I slap him on the back as he greets me with a hug. “This is Liz’s dad, Luis.”
“The redhead? You meeting the family? That’s awesome.” Carlos extends his hand to Luis. “Nice to meet you, brother.”
They banter over stats and rankings. When I’m done taping Carlos up, he volunteers to take Luis to meet the other players. I breathe easier, knowing Luis is in good hands. I keep my phone with me during the game and shut it off when Liz messages me that she met up with Luis and they’re heading to the airport.
“Dang, are you fidgety enough tonight?” Carlos asks as I help him through the post-game routine. “Trouble in paradise? The dad seems good with you. I snuck in some good stuff about you.”
“Thanks for that.” Finishing with the players, I pack up and head to my car.
On the drive, I get a message that Liz is picking up food and heading to my place. At my apartment, I toss my bag in the closet and hit the shower. I’m pulling on my shirt when the doorbell rings. I open the door, and Liz is standing there holding a bottle of wine and bag sporting an Italian logo.
“I haven’t had good Italian in forever.” I take the food from her.
“Brad said it was the best place for miles.”
“Why haven’t we been there yet?” The words come out of my mouth before I think, and I want to take them back. I don’t want to make promises I’m not sure I can keep after tonight.
We grab plates and glasses. I open the wine and pour a decent amount for both of us. “So, how was Luis’s visit? Did he like your apartment and everything?” I ask once we’re seated.
“He thinks I don’t have enough furniture.”
“You don’t.”
“He gave me some money, so I’ll have to figure out what I want to get first.” She lifts a bite to her mouth but stops before she eats it. “How was the rest of your week?”
“Crazy. I’m not sure the vacation last weekend was worth it.” I finish my salad and pull the pasta dish towards me.
Setting her fork down, she reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I know you have questions. I’ll answer anything you want.”
“I haven’t assumed there’s anything to be upset about.” I cut my eyes up to her face and smile. “We should finish this while it’s hot.”
Her face reddens, and she looks down at her plate. “Luis loves you by the way.”
“It’s because I’m amazing. Everybody loves me.” Winking at her, I pick up a slice of bread and pop a piece in my mouth.
“I know you are.” She smiles.
We talk about our shifts a little, and I keep up my light comical sidelines through the meal. Finishing, we clear the plates and start the dishwasher.
Corking the wine, I spin to face her. “I think it’s cooled off. Do you want to go for a walk? There’s a path that rings the complex.”
“Sure, sounds good.”
We each freshen up and then make our way down to the parking lot and trail.
“So…” she starts, as her eyes dart to me and then the ground. “Obviously, Luis is not my biological father. He surprised me with a visit because he knows September is a hard month for me.”
It pains me even more to know she’s probably been sad and didn’t tell me, but I let her continue. She sucks in a long breath. “Luis is my uncle. Elizabeth is my aunt, my mother’s sister. She’s
Irish, like me.” We walk a few more steps, and she stops and faces me. “They adopted me when my parents died. That’s why I moved to the States, to live with them. My brother Jacob and parents died when another vehicle hit us head on. My sisters, the ones I told you about, are my cousins.”
My mind searches for a reply. How do you get over losing your whole family? Witnessing their deaths? I hold my palms out, and she takes them. When she looks up at me, tears spill over her eyelids down her cheeks. I want to kiss them away and hold her until she feels no more pain. I pull her closer, and she melts into me. Wrapping my arms around her, I take in the feel of her. It’s the first time I’ve held her so close, and all my senses seem to ooze with relief.
“Can I ask a question?” I whisper into her hair.
She nods.
“You were in the car?” It’s a horrible thing to want to know, but I need all the facts to wrap my brain around her story.
Her head bobs on my chest. Every cell aches for her, and I hug her tighter to me. Nothing could have prepared me for that story.
“Okay.” She wriggles out of my grasp. Wiping her cheeks, she backs away. “We should finish the walk.”
“I understand why you wouldn’t tell everyone.” I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry will never be enough.
She tucks her hair behind her ears. “I haven’t had to tell anyone in a long time. It’s been so long since I’ve met new people, and I didn’t know what to do. It happened September first, fourteen days after I turned eight. A drunk driver hit us head on. I think my parents died almost instantly, but I watched as my brother took his last breath. It was my mom’s birthday, and we’d gone out to celebrate.”
I take a deep breath, but it catches in my throat. I swallow and try to maintain my composure. That something so horrible happened to such a beautiful person makes it even worse. Where was God?
She takes my hand. “I hope you understand. It’s not something you can tell everyone.”
“No.” I shake my head, wanting to clear the image of a young Liz trapped in the back seat of a mangled car, her family dead feet away. “I get it.” I take her other hand and look into her eyes. “Thank you for trusting me.”
She wriggles one hand away and swipes her hair behind her ear on the other side. “Anyway.” Squeezing my hand, she swings it between us. “That’s my story. Got any heartbreaking secrets to divulge?”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Not that I can think of.”
We walk in silence back to my apartment. I don’t want her to ever walk out that door again. I wish I could hold her forever.
In my living room, she spins around to face me. “I should go.”
“Don’t.” I pull her to me and engulf her in my arms. The feel of her chest moving in the rhythm of her breaths, the smell of her hair, and the warmth of her fills every space inside me.
“Yeah.” She pulls away. “I have to work tomorrow.”
I move my hands to her hips. “We’re going to do something fun soon, right? I’m going to see you more this week? Maybe like tomorrow?”
“You don’t have a game?”
“Drat, yes, the next two days.” I pretend to stomp my foot. “Wednesday night, after volleyball?”
“It’s a date.”
“Maybe we can skip volleyball.” I nod, trying to convince her it’s a good idea.
She tugs on my shirt. “You already missed last week.”
“Fine, can I kiss you?”
“Why are you asking?” She pushes up on her toes and presses her lips to mine.
Wednesday night comes, and I can think of nothing else but being alone with Liz. Two hours of volleyball matches, with her in her short shorts, jumping right in from of me, torture every cell of my body.
Afterwards, I hurry to shower and meet her outside.
“Gym showers don’t make for the best date look.�
�� She takes my hand.
“I like the curls, but any look is good on you.” I lean down and kiss her lips.
“So, I guess you guys are official?” Jeff calls from behind us.
My face warms as I spin to face him. I lift her hand with mine. “Busted.”
“You kids have fun.” He waves and heads to his car.
It’s funny because I doubt he’s much older than me. He’s in a different stage of life, past dating, with a house, almost ready for marriage and kids, I’m guessing. I wonder if I hadn’t gone to PT school if I would be there. Then I realize I want that. I’m ready for it. But, I’m willing to wait for the right person. I glance over at her red locks and snow-white skin, realizing she’s only twenty-two. I was nowhere near thinking about a serious relationship at twenty-two. But Doug and Amanda were, so I guess everyone’s different. At her car, I hold open the door, tucking that fact away for another day.
“So, what are we doing?” I ask as she slides into her seat.
“I don’t know. I’m starving though.”
“Double check that. Want to grab something and go to my apartment? I could follow you to your place and then drive you home later, you know, so it’s an official date.”
“Okay, that’s stupid. Why don’t you come to my place?”
“I can do that.”
Shutting her door, I jog to my car. As soon as I start the engine, I realize we didn’t talk about food. My phone rings, and I pick it up.
“What are we eating?” Liz’s voice asks.
“Was about to call you.”
We decide on sushi, and I swing by my favorite restaurant. It’s half an hour before I get to her apartment. She’s already changed into leggings and a different top. Her hair is smooth and straightened out, like it usually is.
Entering the living room, I pull her to me and kiss her. “You didn’t have to change. Now I look like a bum.”
“In jeans and an oxford? I don’t think so. You have the preppy-frat-boy look down to a science.” She takes one of the bags from me.
“Am I that much of a nerd?” We enter the kitchen. “Whoa.” I stop short. “What’s this?” In the center of her kitchen is a round table with four chairs surrounding it.
Deepest Scars: A Being Me Stand-Alone Companion Novel Page 18
