by Amy Sparling
Maybe I’ll convince my parents to move up there and get jobs and we can all just start over together and pretend the Poes never existed.
The theater lights dim and the previews begin. I watch the screen numbly, not really paying attention to the flashing colors and sounds. I don’t now why I’m even here. I thought seeing a movie would take my mind off the garbage fire that is my life, but it isn’t helping at all. Now I’m just stuck in a dark room with strangers, being forced to watch some kid movie when really I’d rather be crying and throwing things and mourning the end of my relationship.
I hate this. I hate it so much.
How could Ethan have done this to me? Even if he did think our relationship would be over soon since I’m moving to college and he’s staying in our hometown, he could have at least waited a few more days. I will be gone next week. He could have waited until then. Or he could have been the good person I always thought he was and just break up with me first. He could have even done it over text. It would have broken my heart, but at least he wouldn’t have cheated on me first.
A tear rolls down my cheek and I don’t bother wiping it away. This hurts like hell. Worse than any pain I’ve ever felt. Ethan was my soul mate and now he’s with Kennedy. It doesn’t even make sense.
I try to ignore the nagging thoughts that pry at my heartstrings, telling me that I should have expected it. That it makes sense because Ethan and I have been drifting apart. How could I have expected him to stay my boyfriend when I’m moving several hours away? Maybe this is just all my fault.
I swallow down the popcorn, bite after bite, until every single piece is gone. It doesn’t make me feel any better. I crumple up the bag and toss it into the seat next to me. I slouch down and try to focus on the movie. It’s one of those Pixar films with really good graphics that almost seems real. It’s just like my love life. It looks real, but it’s not.
Another tear falls.
This was a stupid idea. I don’t want to be here anymore. But I don’t have anywhere else to go.
A shadowy figure enters the theater and walks up the stairs in the center aisle. I’m not really paying attention until the person gets closer to my row all the way in the back. He steps into the row and I keep my gaze focused at the screen.
Ethan sits in the empty chair next to me. I continue to ignore him, although I guess I have to admire his tenacity. How did he even find me here?
He reaches across the armrest and takes my hand. I want to yank it away but the second his warm skin touches mine a floodgate of emotions pours through me. I know his hand almost as well as I know my own flesh. I’ve held his hand countless times. When I’ve been happy or sad or sick or cold. And even though I’m so mad and so unbearably heartbroken, I don’t pull away. I love the feeling of his hand in mine, his fingers interlaced between mine. A glimpse of what we used to be.
I hold onto his hand and I stare straight ahead at the movie. We sit here in silence as the rest of the film plays, and all the other people here have no idea what kind of tension is happening in the back of the theater. I don’t let go even though I alternate between wanting to punch him in the face and wanting to snuggle against his chest and beg him to tell me what I want to hear. That it’s over with Kennedy. That he chooses me instead.
I don’t do any of that.
I just sit here, holding on to the hand of the guy I love, until the credits roll.
Then I get up, and untangle my hand from his, and I walk away.
Chapter 22
This time I won’t let her disappear on me again. I jump up and follow close behind as she hurries down the aisle before anyone else in this theater can leave. She turns the corner and pushes out the door into the lobby and I’m right behind her. “Ella, talk to me,” I say.
I’d stupidly thought that we would be okay since she let me hold her hand. But now she’s running away from me again.
“There’s no reason to talk,” she says, walking quickly to the doors.
We step outside into the warm summer air. The sky isn’t as bright as it was this morning. Dark storm clouds threaten in the distance and they’re only getting closer as the day goes on. It’s the remnants of the hurricane that are stretching out and finding us even though we’ve sought safety from the worst of it.
Ella walks to the edge of the parking lot, where the concrete turns into grass and there’s a large ditch that separates this shopping center from the one next to it.
She turns around, folds her arms across her chest, and stares at me. “Why are you following me?”
“Because I love you.” It might sound stupid right now but it’s the truth. And it’s the first thing I thought of. “Baby, I love you so much. Please stop running away from me.”
Her lips quiver but she remains strong, staring at me with all of her emotions masked. “How long has it been going on?” she asks.
“How long has what been going on?”
She glares at me. “Kennedy!”
“Oh,” I say, feeling like an idiot. “Baby, there is nothing going on. I swear. You just haven’t let me explain yet.”
She draws in a deep breath and lets it out quickly. “Ethan, you are such a liar. How the hell is sleeping with your ex considered nothing?”
“What?” I grab my neck. “I didn’t sleep with her!”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, whatever. Maybe you didn’t have sex, but you shared a bed with her. You shared a hotel with her. You can’t possibly make me believe that nothing happened when you were in bed together.”
My heart hammers in my chest. I’m so glad she’s talking to me now, but I’m also confused as hell.
“Baby, we didn’t share a bed together. I mean, yeah, we did technically share a hotel but—”
She bursts into a sob at my confession and I try to hold her but she steps back. “Ella, it was nothing. I’ll explain.”
She shakes her head. “It’s true. You slept with her. And you wouldn’t have told me if she didn’t plaster it all over her stupid social media.”
My vision blurs and my heart stops. Social media. What the hell did Kennedy do?
“What did she put online?” I ask, even though part of me fears the answer.
Ella stares at me like I’m stupid. “You don’t know?”
I lift my arms up. “I had no idea. I don’t follow her online, I hate her!”
Ella’s brows pull together, like she’s studying me to see if I should be trusted. And because I should be trusted, I try to look as innocent as possible. “Baby, tell me what you know and I’ll tell you the truth of what happened. I’ll tell you all of it.”
She folds her arms across her chest again. “You go first.”
I tell her about how I’d been wandering around the Walmart parking lot trying to find her. I tell her how Kennedy suddenly appeared and was freaking out that she’d found me, someone she knew, because she was stranded and panicked.
“I couldn’t just leave her there. I mean, I wanted to but… she was literally stranded without a car and her parents aren’t even in the country.”
Ella’s hard expression softens. “Yeah, I mean, I get it. You were being nice.”
“Exactly,” I say, glad to have found some common ground with Ella. Now that I have her full attention, I want her to know all of the details. “I should have told you sooner, babe. I really wanted to but, I mean, it’s Kennedy. I knew you’d be pissed. Hell, I was pissed. I hate her so much and even in an emergency evacuation, she’s still the most annoying person on the planet. And then I swear I was about to tell you that she was with me when you called me, but you were telling me about how horrible the camp site was and how miserable you were and I just couldn’t stand the idea of telling you about Kennedy when you were already so depressed. So I waited, like an idiot, and I’m so sorry.”
A cool breeze blows away the warm air as the clouds continue to darken all around us. Ella stands firm, her gaze never leaving mine.
“Tell me about the hotel,” she says.
“So we were going to have to sleep in my truck, like I was planning. But then her dad pulled some strings and paid a lot of money and got a hotel room. It had two separate beds and I figured it was better than sleeping in my truck with her.” My chest constricts as I admit the biggest lie I’ve ever told her. “So I went with her. We stayed in the hotel together, but we had separate beds and we didn’t talk much and I literally ignored her. I just showered and fell asleep.”
Ella stares at me for a long moment. If she’s trying to find a lie in my eyes, she won’t. I’m telling the complete truth. I have nothing to hide about my time with Kennedy.
Ella reaches into her pocket and takes out her phone. She opens Snapchat and then hands it over to me. “This is what she posted online.”
I watch the images, one after another, and my blood begins to boil. When I can’t stand seeing it anymore, I hand the phone back. “I had no idea,” I say. “She did that shit when I was asleep. I swear to you.”
“Okay,” Ella says softly. “I guess I believe you.”
I take a step closer, not daring to reach out to her just yet. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Please know that I would never cheat on you, Ella. Not in a million years. You’re my girl and you’re all I want.”
“But Kennedy clearly wants you,” Ella says, looking at the ground. “And she’s staying here. And I’m leaving. And she’s not going to stop pursuing you. It’ll only get worse after I leave.”
This was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess now is a better time. “What makes you think I’m staying in Hockley?” I ask as a smile plays on my lips.
She looks up at me. “You’re getting an apartment.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Yeah it does,” she says like I’m stupid. “You’re getting an apartment in Hockley and I’m moving to Dallas and we’ll be separate for the next two years. We’ll grow apart and we’ll slip away from each other and you’ll find another girl who is closer to home.”
“Baby, you’re the one who was looking for apartments in Hockley for me. I never said I was moving into them.”
She tilts her head. “What do you mean?”
“Why would I move out of my parent’s house and into a place that costs a lot of money if it’s in the same town? That would be stupid.”
She bites on her lower lip. “I don’t get it.”
“I signed a lease on a place next to your college,” I say. “Three weeks ago.”
Her eyes go wide. “You’re moving to Dallas?”
I grin. “Yes ma’am. If you’re going to Dallas, then I am too.”
“Oh my God!” She throws her arms around my neck and I hold onto her tightly. These last couple hours of being apart was too much. I need her close to me. I need to feel her heart beating against my chest. I kiss the top of her head. “It was supposed to be a surprise,” I say.
She pulls back and playfully punches me in the chest. “I thought you were going to break up with me!”
“Never,” I say. I kiss her and to my great relief, she kisses me back. She takes like popcorn and Dr. Pepper, and it’s the best kiss ever. I missed her so very much. These last two days were absolute hell without my girl by my side.
“I’m never leaving you alone again,” I say as I clutch her tightly to me. “Next time we evacuate, you’re leaving your car. I’ll just buy you a new one to replace it.”
She laughs and tucks her head into my neck as I hold her. We’re standing at the far end of a parking lot in a town we don’t know and I don’t care who sees us.
The only thing that matters is that she forgives me, and we are still together, still the happy couple we’ve always been. I can’t wait to start the next chapter of our lives together.
Chapter 23
I’m not exactly thrilled to go back into the hotel room, but at least Ethan is by my side and everything is okay now. I feel guilty for walking out without saying hello to Ethan’s parents, and I totally forgot to tell my own parents that I’d arrived safely. I fixed that by texting them when the previews started for the movie. But as for the Poes, I’ll need to apologize in person.
I stop just outside of the hotel door. Remembering how Dakota had heard us talking the first time I was here, I look at Ethan and whisper, “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be scared,” Ethan whispers back. His hand cups my cheek and part of me wants to pull away because I’m gross and dirty and need a shower. “You belong here. You have nothing to be scared about.”
I give him a soft smile because deep down I know he’s right. Kennedy is the one who should be scared to be here. I was invited, not her.
Ethan’s key card lights up the door lock and we step inside. The entire family is sitting in the living room watching the TV. My aunt and Roscoe are sitting on the floor next to the couch. Her eyes are glued to the news broadcast while she lazily pets Roscoe’s head. The Poes and Dakota are squeezed on the small couch and even Kennedy is being quiet, focused on the TV. She sits on a chair next to a small dining table.
“What’s going on?” Ethan asks. I don’t let go of his hand as we walk closer to the TV. I’ll admit, part of me wants to see the jealousy in Kennedy’s eyes when she sees me holding hands with Ethan, but she doesn’t even look over.
This must be serious.
I turn to the TV. The news is showing footage of the storm’s devastation. I recognize my old high school immediately. The walls are fine but there’s brown flood water at least two feet deep, running the entire length of the school. The flooding continues, as the helicopter camera pans out and shows water. So much water. Places where there used to be roads and grass and parks are now just water.
The news reporters talk over the video, and I hear things like five feet of flooding and my town along with several other nearby areas. They switch to showing footage that people sent in on their cell phones, and I watch a man holding onto the top of his car while the flood waters pull the car away.
My mouth falls open. There’s downed telephone lines, and cars with water over the roofs. There’s street signs just barely above the water, while some are immersed. People in boats travel around rescuing the people who didn’t evacuate while they wait on their rooftops.
I know we’re all watching for the same thing. We want to see our houses, our neighborhood. Some confirmation that the Poe’s house is either fine or under water.
We all sit here glued to the news broadcast for half an hour, and I don’t see their house. I don’t see my new rental house either. Or maybe we do and we just can’t recognize it because of all the water.
But I see other places I recognize. The diner Ethan and I ate at before leaving town has taken on several feet of water. That very booth we sat in is now ruined.
I hear a soft sob and look over to see Mrs. Poe with tears streaming down her face. Mr. Poe puts his arm around her and holds her tightly. We don’t need to see anymore. I think it’s obvious that no part of our town escaped without being flooded.
The news goes back to showing the reporters sitting behind their desk. They talk about other cities that have been affected by the storm. The tension in the room turns into sadness.
I look over at Ethan. His expression is somber. He squeezes my hand.
Aunt Donna clears her throat. Now that I look at her I can tell she’s had a shower. She’s clean and looks a decade younger, wearing one of Mrs. Poe’s matching track suits. Her hair is washed and pulled back in a bun.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” she tells Mrs. Poe. “If you need any help at all, I’ll be there. I can pull out drywall and carpeting. I’ve done it before.”
Mrs. Poe smiles. “Thank you, Donna. That’s a very kind offer.”
“It’ll be okay,” Ethan says. He glances at me before looking back at his parents. “Ella has already been through this before. But it was worse. She lost her whole house. Ours probably just got flooded. We’ll be fine.”
“We can just live upstairs unt
il the downstairs gets renovated,” Dakota chimes in.
Their parents give them a look of appreciation. “That’s true,” Mr. Poe says. “We’re going to be okay. At least we’re all here.”
“At least we’re alive,” I say.
If there’s one thing I learned about the tornado that took my whole house last year, it’s that life is more important than things. You can get a new house, even if it’s small and it’s a rental and it sucks. It’s still just a house. You can get new things. You can make new memoires in a new place. But you can’t do any of that without your life.
Mrs. Poe stands up. “I think we’ve seen enough news for the day. There’s nothing we can do from here, so why don’t we do something fun? There’s a huge pool downstairs.”
“I’m game,” Dakota says.
“I have a swimsuit,” Kennedy says.
Of course she does.
Everyone gets ready to head to the pool, but I stay behind. I tell Ethan I want to take a shower and get clean before I do anything else. He shows me to the bedroom that we’ll be sharing, and we actually have our own bathroom in here.
After everyone leaves, except for Roscoe, who hangs out in our bedroom, Ethan takes my hands in his. “I’m so glad everything is okay with us.”
“Me too,” I say. I shouldn’t admit it out loud, but the stress of possibly losing him was worse than the stress of this hurricane. I guess once you’ve been through a natural disaster, they no longer have the same power over you. My relationship with Ethan is much more important than a bunch of purple dorm stuff and some thrift store furniture.
“Now trust me,” I say, giving him a playful smile. “I would love to sit here and keep staring into each other’s eyes and saying how much I love you, but I have to take a shower.”
###
The hotel’s pool becomes a soothing oasis after dark. Once the little kids leave and the other people at the hotel go back to their rooms, Dakota and I are all alone in the blue water that’s lit up with color-changing LED lights.
