The Solution to Unrequited

by Len Webster

  Mr. Gardwell nodded, pressing his lips into a fine line.

  “Alexandra,” her aunty said.

  AJ glanced back at the screen to see Aunt Josie’s blue eyes shimmering. “I don’t want him to get away with it, Aunty Josie. It means he can write that about anyone. I can’t let him or anyone from that magazine think rape is okay.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” she said in a soft voice. “Law is complex, especially when you have the Constitution. You have a solid case to sue them. The criminal intent to cause harm ensures that you get justice. The First Amendment will be a defense but not in this case. However, slander and false accusations are another. In order to win in court, you have to be honest with us about Kyle. Is anything that journalist wrote about you and Kyle true? Is there any evidence to prove his claims? You have to be honest with us. If you need your father and mother to—”

  “No!” she blurted out as her heart raced. She didn’t want her parents to ever think that Kyle had crossed the line. Or that she had crossed the line with Kyle. “I promise—” She tilted her chin in Evan’s direction; he had a poker face except for his eyes. His eyes were full of fear. “I haven’t. I would never be with Kyle. I promise you. I wouldn’t. I made you a promise.”

  Evan’s tense posture relaxed, and his arms fell away from his chest. Relief replaced the fear in his eyes. “I know, Alexandra,” he acknowledged.

  Her heart slowed and expanded. A different sort of warmth filled her. It didn’t hurt like all the other times her heart tightened. This was different. It was like her heart appreciated the fact he knew she didn’t break the promise she had made him on the New York state line. The very promise that made Evan Gilmore her entire world.

  A clearing throat got her attention, pulling away from the faint, sweet smile on Evan’s face. She focused back on the laptop screen to find Aunt Josie and Uncle Max peeking at each other.

  AJ licked her lips and concentrated on what was important. And that was to resolve the issue of the potential bad press the article could send her way. “I can assure you, Uncle Max and Aunty Josie, my relationship with Kyle is strictly platonic. I see him as a brother, and I care about him. I don’t want this article to affect him or his career either, but right now, with him not making a statement, I can’t protect him without making us look guilty. There is no evidence. There are no pictures or text messages. Nothing exists out there that could give that article proof in court.”

  Uncle Max’s lips curved into a soft smile. “I believe you, Alexandra. The court would side with you. Lucas, anything else to add?”

  AJ peeked over to find Mr. Gardwell setting the ceramic mug on his knee. “I can get it all set in motion, Alex. So long as your parents are okay with me representing you in court. Noel and Clara, if we can, I’d like to try for an out-of-court settlement with The Daily Sportstourage and a public statement from them to save Alex from having to go to court and adding to the media fire that is already getting out of hand.”

  “Alexandra?” her mother asked. “Are you okay with Mr. Gardwell representing you?”

  She glanced over at Evan. “Is that all right with you, Evan?”

  “He’s the best in Boston. I want the best lawyer representing you.”

  “Mr. Gardwell,” AJ said, her attention back on the lawyer, “I’d love for you to represent me and my family.”

  Her lawyer stood with a smile. “Okay. Well, as your lawyer, it is in your best interest to also consider suing the Boston Red Sox and Kyle Gilmore for negligence and emotional distress.”

  Her heart dropped.

  “You want me to sue …?”

  He nodded. “I want to take legal proceedings against Kyle Gilmore.”

  38 Sr

  strontium

  AJ

  Now

  “Are you hungry?” Evan asked as he continued to drive down Interstate 85. They had been driving for almost an hour, and music from the radio filled the tense air. AJ didn’t feel like talking. She wasn’t sure how to start a conversation with Evan.

  She was still too raw.

  Her heart too vulnerable.

  AJ removed her stare from the trees and greenery by the highway and glanced over at Evan, whose eyes were still on the road. “A little?”

  He chuckled. “You seem confused. Is that a yes or a no to being hungry? We should stock up on snacks and drinks, too.”

  She nodded, splaying her lips into a reassuring smile. “Yeah. We should.”

  “I’ll get off at the next exit, and we’ll find somewhere to eat.”

  A mile later, Evan turned off the interstate. He continued for a few miles, then pulled in at a diner. Evan glanced over at the console and then pointed out the window. “There’s a gas station over there. We can grab some stuff there before we get back on the road.”

  Pressing the button, she released her seat belt and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” Then she reached for the door handle and pulled it. Getting out of the car, she stretched her arms behind her head and then closed the door. AJ turned and took in the diner. It was an older establishment compared to the fast food restaurants nearby. The paint on the sign above the large window was chipped and faded with time.

  “You need your purse?” Evan asked.

  AJ bent down and noticed that she had left her purse on the floor. “Yes, please.”

  She watched as Evan reached over from the driver’s side and grabbed her purse. Then he got out of the car and closed the door. Once he made his way around the car, he handed her the purse and locked the rental.

  “Thanks,” AJ said and swung the strap onto her shoulder.

  Evan shoved the car keys into his pocket. “You ready to go inside?”

  “Yeah,” she said and followed Evan into the diner. Once inside, the warmth washed over her, providing relief from the chill outside. The diner wasn’t very busy. A few booths by the entryway were taken, and large men in flannel shirts occupied two of the red synthetic leather barstools at the counter.

  “Back over there,” Evan said, pointing toward the back of the diner. He led her to the booth by the jukebox. Once they reached their table, they sat down, and AJ removed her purse from her shoulder and set it next to her.

  Taking off her jacket, she watched as Evan reached for the menus and slid one to her. After she had covered her purse with her jacket, she picked up the laminated menu and perused the choices.

  “The waffles look good,” Evan stated.

  She hummed. “The pancakes look even better,” she said as she set the menu down, deciding that pancakes with strawberries and ice cream were her choice even though it was freezing outside.

  “Hello, I’m Misty, and I’ll be your server today. What can I get y’all?” their waitress with the red ringlets asked as she pulled a pad from her apron pocket.

  AJ noticed Evan was still looking at the menu, so she ordered first. “Could I please get the pancakes with strawberries and ice cream?”

  “Sure, suga’. Anything to drink?”

  AJ brushed her hair back as she glanced down at the beverage options on the menu. Normally, she would have a chocolate milkshake, but with the ice cream on her pancakes, she needed something to wash it down. “Can I get Sprite?”

  “Course,” she said, writing down AJ’s order. Then she turned her attention to Evan. “And for you?”

  “Just the waffles with extra syrup, please.”

  “And to drink?”

  “Water, thank you.”

  Their waitress smiled. “You got it. Won’t be long.”

  “Thank you,” they both said, and their waitress left to take their ticket to the register.

  Evan set the menu down and splayed his palms on the table. “I’m just gonna go to the bathroom before the food comes. You gonna be all right?”

  “Seriously?” she asked, humor lacing her voice. “Evan
, I’ll be fine. Just go.”

  “Won’t be too long,” he said and slid out of the booth, making his way toward the bathroom.

  When Evan was out of her sight, AJ leaned against the booth cushion and stared up at the ceiling. She hated that she was so awkward around him. He knew she loved him. She confessed it before they left, and now, she couldn’t even hold a normal conversation with him.

  Her phone ringing next to her caused her to turn her head and peek down at her coat-covered purse. She let out a sigh and reached over to push her coat away. Setting her purse on her lap, she flipped it open, pulled her phone out, and set her purse back next to her. She grimaced at the sight of her mother’s name on the screen as guilt added another heavy ton to her chest. Inhaling a deep breath, she swiped her thumb across the screen and pressed her phone to her ear.

  “Hey, Mum,” AJ greeted, trying her best to keep her voice even so her mother wouldn’t notice her unusual behavior. She hadn’t told her mother that she would be returning home for fall break. AJ had meant to but nothing in the past forty-eight hours had gone as expected.

  “Hello, my love. How are you?”

  She hummed. “Same old.” Then AJ heard footsteps and glanced over to find that it was a woman and not Evan leaving the women’s bathroom. She sighed in relief, not realizing until that very moment just how tense she was. “Mum, I need to tell you something.”

  Her mother went silent for a long moment. “Alexandra, are you okay?”

  It was the million-dollar question.

  Was she okay?

  Right now, she was numb.

  The full extent of her pain was still covered by shock.

  Shock of Evan appearing out of nowhere.

  Shock of how she confessed her love for him.

  Shock of Evan’s supposed love.

  Shock at all the effort he’d put into saving them.

  “Mum, I’m coming home.”

  “What?” her mother breathed. “Alexandra, did you drop out of college?”

  To her surprise, AJ let out a laugh. An honest laugh. “Seriously, Mum? I tell you I’m coming home, and the first thing you ask is if I dropped out of college? Do you know me at all?”

  “I’m sorry,” her mother said, full of guilt in her voice. “I didn’t mean that. I know you wouldn’t have dropped out without at least discussing it with your father and me. You’re too committed to your dream of becoming a physicist. Anyway, you’re coming home?” The excitement in her mother’s voice had her smiling.

  “I am, Mum. I’m coming home for fall break.”

  “Oh, that’s so great, Alexandra. Your father is going to be so excited. He’s missed you so much. I’m going to the grocery store after the bakery closes, and I’m going to buy everything I need to make all your favorite foods. Oh, Nicola! I’m on the phone with Alexandra. Could you pack some of those cupcakes we made earlier? Alexandra’s coming home—oh, my love, what time is your flight? I’ll have your father pick you up at Logan.”

  “Mum …” she said in a small voice.

  “Oh! Danny. I’ve got to call Danny and let him know you’re coming home for fall break. I know he’ll make those cupcakes you love since he adores you so much.”

  “Mum.” Her voice was a little stronger.

  “Alexandra?”

  She took a deep breath. “Mum, I’m not coming home alone, and I’m not flying to Boston. We’re driving.”

  Again, her mother fell silent.

  Finally, after some time, her mother inhaled deeply. “Alexandra, are you bringing home … are your father and I going to meet your new boyfriend?”

  She flinched. “What? No, Mum.” She sighed as her free hand rubbed her eye. “Mum, Evan found me. Kyle told him I was at Duke, and Evan flew from California to see me. Next thing I know, I’m agreeing to spend fall break trying to get us back to where we were. He wants to save us, Mum.”

  “You’re with …?”

  “I’m with Evan,” she confirmed.

  Her mother made a sound of dissatisfaction. “Alexandra, is driving back to Brookline with Evan a good idea?”

  She swallowed hard as her hand dropped from her face. “No,” she admitted in a tiny voice. “It’s not a good idea, but … but I miss him, Mum. And …” She paused, peeking over at the bathroom as Evan walked out of the men’s room, staring at his phone. “I love him, Mum. Not even Duke could make me forget him. None of the miles between us could change how I feel about him. He came back for me. I left him, and I owe him my friendship and forgiveness … but I don’t owe him my heart.”

  Evan glanced up to find her staring at him and smiled, sliding his phone into his back pocket. AJ focused on him, forgetting her phone call with her mother for a moment. He slipped back into the booth, and his smile deepened.

  “It’s my mum,” she said.

  A flash of sadness consumed his brown eyes. “Tell her I said hi.”

  That guilt she felt came back to hit her with all its force. She’d denied him of her parents. That had to stop. “Why don’t you tell her yourself?” she suggested.

  He shook his head. “No, it’s okay, AJ. I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on your mother.”

  “Alexandra, please put him on,” her mother insisted.

  “Sure thing, Mum.” AJ removed the phone from against her ear and held it out to him. “She’d like to talk to you.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked in a hushed tone.

  “I’m sure.”

  Taking the phone from her, he held it to his ear. “Hello, Mrs. Parker. How are you?” Evan asked. “Oh, that’s good. Yeah, college is great. How is Mr. Parker doing?”

  Her heart swelled as the first two questions he asked her mother was how she and AJ’s father were. It was proof that he missed her parents, and she had no right to take them from him.

  For the first time since Evan had surprised her at her door, she got a glimpse of the old Evan.

  The Evan he had been before prom. Before feelings got in the way and set them off course.

  Before her love for him threw them completely from the road they traveled.

  AJ sat back and watched as Evan smiled and laughed while he talked to her mother. That glint of life she was so used to seeing had returned to him.

  And for that, AJ was happy with her decision to spend her fall break with him.

  It gave her a chance to mend her friendship with Evan.

  And it meant her parents could be part of Evan’s life.

  His laugh as he spoke to her mother was proof enough.

  Their waitress set their plates down and asked if they needed anything else. When AJ shook her head, the waitress smiled and ripped their ticket from the pad and set it on their table while Evan continued his conversation with her mother. It was as if they had years of catching up to do when it was only months. But she didn’t mind. AJ sat back and listened. Evan hadn’t interrupted AJ’s mother once. Instead, he pressed her to continue, asking about her day, the restaurant, AJ’s father, the house without AJ, and the new menu she was working on. He would answer her mother’s questions vaguely, insisting they would have time when they returned to Brookline to talk about him and college. It was all about her mother, and AJ knew that her mother appreciated someone other than her father wanting to know about her day.

  Evan glanced up from cutting into his waffles and asked, “Your pancakes not any good?”

  AJ smiled, reassuring him that they were great. “They’re good. I’m just …” She paused and shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “No, go on,” he insisted as he set his cutlery on the plate. “You can talk to me, AJ.”

  Her heart squeezed at the softness in his voice. “It’s just when I got back on the phone with my mum after she spoke to you, she was a lot … happier. Yeah, she was happier talking to you than when she spoke to me.”
r />   “Really?”

  She nodded as she poked at her pancakes with her fork. “Really,” she confirmed and set the fork down on her unused napkin. “It was the happiest I’ve heard her in a while. For a moment, when I moved into my dorm room, she was happy because I was finally in college, but every phone call I’ve had with her has always had a tinge of sadness to it. You made my mother happier than I have in the past few months. Thank you for that, Evan, and I know my father would be thankful, too.”

  “How is your dad?” he asked in a small voice. “He doesn’t hate me …?”

  “No, my dad doesn’t hate you or anything, Evan. He just … They’re my parents. Even though they knew I was in the wrong, they still supported me because I’m their daughter. I know they didn’t want to shut you out. I made them choose, and I’m so sorry for that. My parents still love you, and please don’t hold any hate or resentment against them. It should all be directed at me, okay? Just me. Not them. Just me.”

  “Alexandra,” he said, pushing their plates aside so he could encase her hands with his. “I don’t hate your parents. I could never hate them. They raised me when I had no one. I’m proud of them for putting you, their only daughter, first. Let’s get something else straight. I don’t hate you, Alexandra. You’re my oxygen. You’re my everything. You chose you when I didn’t, and I understand that.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat as his brown eyes softened. Deciding that her heart couldn’t withstand much more, she changed the topic, knowing they still had many miles to drive. Miles they could spend talking about themselves.

  They could talk about states.

  States were safe.

  “Are you liking California?”

  He squeezed her hand. “It’s not like anything I imagined.”

  “Oh?” she breathed. “It’s better?”

  Evan shook his head as his lips made a fine line. “It’s the place I go to school. It’s not like anything I ever imagined because you’re not there with me.”