but don’t let me stop you.” I sip my spritzer.
A familiar voice interrupts us. “Haley Sparks? Is that you?”
The voice needles me, and I grit my teeth. It’s Carly. She wears the same forced smile that most people who know my history use with me. But she pushes past that and hugs me like I’m a long lost friend. I haven’t seen her since that night. “It’s been forever!” She pulls her very own bad boy to her side. Just a lucky guess given the ink running up and down his right arm and the lip ring. “This is Chad.”
We nod hello. He scuffs the floor with his foot, sighs and searches the bar as if desperate for entertainment. She whispers in his ear, and he heads over to a table. Justine takes her cue and finds the dance floor. I wish I could order a rum and coke but order a root beer. Something stronger than a spritzer.
“So, Haley,” Carly says, her voice breathless. Is she nervous?
I ignore her prompting, hearing the lecture in her words. What is up with everyone tonight? Somewhere in the heavens, someone deemed tonight, “Fix Haley” night and bug the hell out of her. My drink lands on the bar, but I don’t take a sip. I trace my finger through the moisture forming on the outside.
“You’re different,” she says.
“You think?” My phone vibrates and out of habit I glance at it. Seth again. I plaster on a smile. “How’ve you been, Carly? You know we never really talked in high school. Oh, wait. But that could be because you wanted my boyfriend.”
“Ouch.”
I shrug. In my mind, she deserves it.
“Have you talked to Seth recently?” she asks, then bites on her lower lip.
I shake my head. “He took off after graduation.”
“Oh.” She fiddles with her purse. Again, that look of knowledge. Did Seth blab about me to everyone?
“Have you?” I ask.
She nods. “We’ve kept in touch.”
I push my drink away without touching it. This night sucks.
She touches my arm. “Did you ever talk to him?”
“Of course, I did.” I huff. Just not after that night, and then he took off.
She narrows her eyes. “Did you ever talk to him about that night?”
I try to say no, but the words refuse to come, and I’m left looking like a dying codfish, mouth open.
Her grip on my arm grows tighter. “Haley, you don’t like me and probably never will, but you’ve got to talk to him. If he took off and never told you anything, there’s so much you don’t know.”
Chad shows up next to Carly and whispers in her ear.
“Sure, babe.” She kisses him then turns back to me. “Please. Give him a chance.” Then she leaves.
The phone vibrates, and I pull it out. It’s Seth. What was Carly talking about? There can’t be too much more to the story. I was the story. Not too much to miss. Impulsively, I open his text.
Seth: Where are you?
Me: Out with Justine.
Seth: What happened to our date?
Me: What happened to us?
Seconds pass and Seth doesn’t respond. Could Carly be right? Finally he texts back.
Seth: Shit happens.
I decide not to tell him about Carly. If there’s more I need to know, he’ll tell me eventually. Or I’ll ask him when I get up the courage.
Seth: Still want to have our date?
Me: Are you sure you want to do this? I’m not the same person you knew a year ago. I’m not the person you loved.
My chest constricts, and I fight the battle. A part of me wants to see him and another part wants to run far away. But this wouldn’t be about Seth and me. This is about finding out what I don’t know.
Seth: I’m not running anymore. I’m not the same either. I’ll never be the same again.
Me: Fine. Where are you?
Seth: I’m outside the bar.
I end the messaging. My first mistake was coming to The Wave. Of course, Seth would know to look here. I swallow the lump in my throat and find Justine. She’ll understand.
I wait. The typical night beach crews stroll past. The skimpily dressed girls hang on their boyfriend’s arms. They reek of alcohol. It isn’t bad now but once summer hits, the boardwalk will be packed. Cigarette smoke drifts through the air, and I watch the doors. Thank God Katie overheard they were going out; after that, it wasn’t too hard to find them.
My chest tightens, and I lose my breath when she walks out the door. She’s more beautiful now