this guy do to you? We are going to beat this fucker within an inch of his...”
I began laughing, very hard and loudly. Everyone stopped and stared at me like I was crazy, even Clint. My Dad’s men backed off the car as I continued to laugh and sound convincing doing it.
“What’s so funny?” Dino snapped, when I finally went from laughing heartily to giggles.
“The look on your faces. Oh guys, I’m sorry I scared you. I convinced Clint to go joy-riding. I thought it would be fun to try and lose you.”
I turned to look at Clint whose mouth was agape. I shifted my eyes so Clint could see that he needed to agree with everything I was saying. I nudged Clint playfully in the shoulder. “Isn’t that right Clint? We were just having fun in your new car. Right?”
I began nodding, my eyes going back and forth, helping Clint to understand what I needed him to do in that moment.
Clint slowly began to nod too. “Uh, uh yeah. Norah kept telling me to go faster and she thought it would be fun to try and lose you guys. It was all her idea.”
I turned back round to Dino and Robert. “That’s right. All my idea. I wanted to do something a bit crazy and fun. C’mon guys, you were young once weren’t you?”
They studied my face and looked at Clint, who remained frozen in his seat, petrified.
“It didn’t look like fun Lenorah. It looked awfully dangerous to us.” They could smell a lie; it’s what they were trained to do, amongst other things.
“Well, that’s my type of fun fellas. I thought you knew me better by now.” I should have won an award. I was becoming pretty good at this ‘lying’ thing.
They both looked at one another, still not convinced. “Well, when your Dad finds out about this...”
I cut in, “He is not going to find out about this, because if he does, I’ll tell him how you almost ran us off the road by assuming the worst.”
They both looked at each other, trying to ascertain whether or not to believe me. “You wouldn’t,” they both said in unison. Dino sighed, “Yeah she would. Alright, alright then. Fine. But you still have to come with us. Your Dad needs to talk to you about something else. It’s pretty important Lenorah. OK.”
I nodded. “OK, guys. Just give me a minute. I just need to say good-bye to Clint first.”
They walked back to their car to wait. I took a deep breath and turned back to Clint. He looked so sad as he watched me. I didn’t know how to start this conversation, how to say a final good-bye. The last time I said good-bye to someone I loved, it was forced. Now I had a moment to try and do it properly, but I was lost for words.
It was Clint who found his voice first. “You are not going to be the girl I’m going to marry are you? You are going to be the girl that got away.” He hung his head low as the realization hit him hard.
I moved closer to him and put my arm around his shoulders. “Clint, you should know that I knew about the ring. I knew you were going to propose.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I found the ring in your sock drawer. I knew, well, I had an idea of when...”
“Would you have said yes?” His eyes were looking for some kind of hope.
“Clint...” I began.
“If I had never done what I did, would you have said yes?”
Would I have said yes? The question repeated itself in my head. My past with Clint, those feelings and emotions. The love we shared. Those massive highs and lows. I thought about what I knew then and what I knew now. The answer wasn’t clear. I don’t think I’d ever know.
“I’m sorry Clint, I can’t answer that. But this it, this is good-bye.”
He lifted his head and I met him with my gaze.
Blue eyes meeting brown eyes one more time.
“It doesn’t have to be good-bye Norah. My Norah.”
I kissed him on the forehead. My lips tasting his soft skin, my nose inhaling his personal scent, storing it in my memory for when I would remember the times he made me smile and laugh and my heart sing.
“But it is our good-bye Clint.” As I removed my lips from his forehead, I let them find his lips. It was just for a second, but would always remain in