Never Let Me Go (20 page)

He grinned, handing me his menu. “S’okay. You can just get me the pastrami with Swiss on rye with a side of curly fries and a bowl of fresh fruit. And for dessert, I’ll have—”

“New York style cheesecake with a glass of cold milk. I’ve got it Mr. Jenkins. I apologize for the delay, again. I’ll get that to you right away, I promise. Regan will come and bring you your drink as soon as she can.”

I walked back toward the counter and placed Mr. Jenkins’ order ticket up on the board.

Working here wasn’t my first job, but it had definitely been the most challenging. I’d never worked such long hours, or dealt with such temperamental customers.

“You’re almost done, Mich,” Melanie said reassuringly, squeezing my shoulder on her way to seat some customers.

Thank God
, I thought, stuffing my order pad back in my pocket just as the bell above the door chimed. I looked up to see Rory walking inside, a huge grin on his face.

He looked amazing, I had to admit, even though we were just friends. He wore a simple button down shirt, tucked into his jeans, and a tie. I secretly wondered what the occasion was, and why he was more dressed up than usual.

I smiled when our eyes met, and he strolled casually over to me. “How are ya, Michele?”

I sighed, standing on my tiptoes and hugging him. “I’m tired. Don’t I look it?”

He laughed, and I gestured for him to follow me to the locker room. I turned around so that my back was to him. Without me even having to ask, he grabbed the strings of my apron and untied them. He took the apron from around me and folded it, setting it down on the bench next to me.

“What brings you to my neck of the woods?” I asked, getting my paddle brush from my purse and combing out my hair.

Rory chuckled, his eyes meeting mine. “Just because you got a job at Big Springs’ favorite diner doesn’t this ‘your neck of woods’. You’ll leave eventually, and this’ll still be my town.” He flashed me a playful grin and I rolled my eyes at him. “I actually came here for two reasons. The first is kind of… out of the blue, I guess?”

I grabbed my cell phone out of my locker, opening up the messenger and checking my text messages.

Hayden <3: Hey, gorgeous. I miss you. We still on for tomorrow night?

Nickayla Alicia: What time do you get off work today? Colin and I want to talk to you about something.

Colin Westwick: What time do you get off work today? Nickayla and I want to talk to you about something.

I rolled my eyes at Nickaylin’s identical text messages, and typed out a response to Hayden before looking back up to answer Rory.

Me: Yeah, definitely on for tomorrow. I miss you too.

“What is it?” I sat down on the bench across from him and crossed my legs as I changed my shoes.

Rory grabbed his tie and pulled it, as though he was uncomfortable. “I was wondering if you would mind putting in a good word for me with your coworker, Mercy?” His grin was shy, and it was like his entire face smiled all at the same time. “I’ve seen her a few times while dropping you off, and I can’t quite seem to work up the nerve to talk to her myself.”

Oh, goodness. His face flushed a deep red when he talked about Mercy, and I couldn’t help but gush right along with him. Sure, my relationship with Hayden was new, but I knew exactly how it felt the moment that you realized your feelings for someone were much more than platonic.

“Oh, Rory, of course I’ll put in a good word for you!” I exclaimed, nudging him with my knees. “She’s really cute isn’t she?”

He nodded, averting his gaze and lowering his head. “The cutest. She’s the first girl I’ve been attracted to since Saoirse, and I don’t want to bloody mess it up, you know?”

I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

“Of course. When I come in in a couple days, I’ll give you the best seal of approval I’ve got.” I grinned, giddy with excitement. “What’s the other thing you came here for?”

He stood up, placing my apron in my locker, pulling my purse out, and handing me my cardigan. I glanced at him questioningly, but I stepped into it, and wrapped it around my sundress.

Rory averted his gaze again, then brought his hand up to his mouth. “Misserrobebeeisheertoseeooh.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him and grabbed his hand, pulling it down. “Come again?”

He huffed, turning away as though he was afraid to look at me. “Mister Brody is here to see you. He says it’s important.”

I closed my eyes, unsure of how to respond to that.

I was fairly certain that I had asked Brody for space merely
days
ago, and he needed to see me? I wasn’t ready to confront him again after the last conversation that we’d had. And God, why did he have to show up at my job? Why couldn’t he have approached me back at home? Why did he have to make this a public thing?

I rolled my eyes and placed a hand on Rory’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Rory. I’ll see him. I’m not going to shoot the messenger, I promise.”

I wrapped him in a hug and took his hand. I grabbed my purse and waved to Melanie as Rory led me outside.

Outside of Buck and Doe’s, the sight of Brody nearly brought me to my knees.

He leaned against the Westwick car, his legs crossed at the ankles and the back door wide open. He wore a tuxedo—probably one that he’d borrowed from Colin—and a pair of dress shoes. His sandy blonde hair was parted to one side and slicked back, one of his hands stuffed in his pocket and the other holding a bouquet of wildflowers.

I stopped dead in my tracks as my gaze ran up his body. I crossed the street of the square, my heels clicking against the pavement as I walked slowly over to Brody.

I stood in front of him, my hands at my sides and my legs crossed at the ankles. I cocked my head to the side as I took in the sight of him one more time, his grey eyes regarding me with caution like he expected me to slap him again.

“Say something please,” Brody said, finally.

I took a deep breath. “You look—you look great, Brody. Is that Hugo Boss?”

He nodded, turning around and flashing me a shy smile. “Yeah, it’s one of Colin’s. Do you really like it?” I gave him a nod, and he handed me the flowers. “These are for you.” He paused. “Look, Mich, I know that I fucked up, and I know you asked for space, but I couldn’t let you go on with this Hayden guy without getting the chance to talk to you first. I want to be honest with you, Michele, and I need you to give me that chance. I know what you’re going to say better than anyone—I know you’re going to tell me that you’ve moved on and you don’t love me anymore and you need to let me go and you’re sorry, but I need you to hear me out and I need you to give me a chance, Mich. Please. I know you’re going to say, no, but I had to try, you know?”

God, what was this boy doing to me? I thought I’d wiped my hands clean of him, and all it takes is him showing up at my job rocking Hugo Boss and I’m putty in his hands once more.

Throughout the entire course of our relationship, I had wanted romanticism from Brody. I wanted him to give me hearts and flowers and the entire fairy tale that came with the three words he’d never said to me, and yet there he was, ready to give me almost everything that I wanted. I would be stupid not to at least humor him and give him a chance to say what he needed to say.

Finally I said, “Okay, Brody. You’ve got your chance.” I paused. “I just have to tell Hayden.”

He groaned, running his hands over his hair and keeling over. “See?! I knew you would say that! I knew that this was a longshot, but I convinced myself that it was worth the try, because you’re worth everything Mich! God! How could I be so stupid?!”

I laughed, placing my hand on his shoulder.

“Brody, stop.” I couldn’t believe I was doing it, but I had to soothe him. “Brody, I said okay. It’s just dinner, right?”

He looked up at me, his grey eyes narrowing as he tried to size me up. His eyes roamed down my body, and then back up to meet my gaze. “Yes. Just dinner, I swear.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go. I’m starving.” I giggled and got into the car.

He slid in next to me, and I crossed my legs as he closed the door. I was made vaguely aware of the fact that Rory climbed into the front seat. Brody looked over at me, and I gave him a smile.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“It’s a surprise. I know you have
no reason in the world
to, but…trust me?” It was hard to say no when I could see the desperation in his gaze. “Please?”

I took a moment before responding to pull out my phone and tell Hayden about my evening plans. It wasn’t like I needed his permission or something, but I promised him that I would be honest with him, no matter what.

Me: I’m off work, and Brody showed up. I’m going to go to dinner with him and talk with him. Please don’t be mad. I’ll tell you how it all goes when I’m done. Miss you. <3

I nodded, and we went on our merry way.

…

Awe. That was the very first thing I felt when we walked inside a small, intimate restaurant on the Big Springs pier. The inside was lit up with only an abundance of candles and one chandelier right over a table that was already adorned with food.

I turned around and looked over at Brody, giving him a suspicious expression. “This looks an awful lot like we’re on a date.”

He shrugged, pulling out a chair for me and gesturing for me to sit. I sat down, and then watched as he sat down across from me.

I noticed that he was silent on the entire car ride over, and now that we were alone, he seemed like he got even shier than he was before.

“Brody?” I asked, looking down at the food in front of me.

He’d had chicken parmesan served for us, and there were fresh chocolate covered strawberries on the table. A vase with fresh roses sat on the tabletop and Brody’s grey eyes never stopped searching mine for a sign of anger.

“I know this isn’t a date Michie. I also know that we’re not together, and it’s too late for me to give you the hearts, the flowers, and the romance. I know that.” He paused, shaking his head. “But you
deserve
the hearts, the flowers, and the romance. You
always
deserved it, but I was just too blind to realize that when you were mine.”

Damn. He was doing it again. He was stealing my heart and breaking it all in the same fucking sentence. It wasn’t my heart’s fault. We had always belonged to Brody. We just couldn’t help ourselves when it came to him.

“I wouldn’t say that you were blind, Brody. You knew what I needed. You just couldn’t give it to me.”

He nodded, taking a bite of his food and averting his gaze. He took another bite, and then another, not taking even a moment to swallow. Just from the awkward way that he wouldn’t look at me, I could tell that he was trying to keep from saying something that he thought was stupid.

“Brody, you know you can talk to me right? Before we were together, we were best friends. Sure, we’re not together anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to still be your—”

“
Don’t
say that you just want to be my friend!” he interjected with a shout, looking up at me with such a pained expression that I swear my heart stopped. “Please. Just don’t.”

I tossed my fork down, gaping at him. I never expected such an outburst to come from him. Sure, he was the one who always ended things with us, but he was also the calm one. Our arguments weren’t explosive like most people’s, because while I was a hurricane raging through a country and leaving destruction in my wake, Brody was the Red Cross relief effort, cleaning up everything that I’d destroyed. So for him to yell at me like that, it was staggering, and I didn’t exactly know what to do with what he’d just thrown at me.

“Brody,” I said, watching with a weak heart as his head snapped up, and his entire body tensed. “Why can’t we be friends?”

He groaned, running his hand down his face and shaking his head. “
Because
, Michele, I don’t want to just be your friend! You’re the only girl I ever cared about impressing. You’re the only girl who could put me in my place without totally breaking me. When we’re together, all I can think about is how I never want to be away from you, and when we’re apart, I’m wishing that I was with you. You don’t even know what you do to me.” He paused, raising his head and sitting up straight as he gazed directly into my eyes. “You’re the only girl I ever thought I could love.”

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

There was the one word that I’d
ached
to hear from him for two years, but could never quite get him to say. Getting the ‘L’ word out of Brody Durham was reminiscent to pulling teeth, but he just threw it on the fucking table and looked at me like he didn’t just stop my heart by saying it.

I was stunned, honestly, and I didn’t even know how to react to that. He hadn’t exactly said that he’d loved me, but five minutes into our dinner, he’d come farther than he ever had in two years together.

All I’d ever wanted was love, ever since my father abandoned me and my sisters. I wanted a family, a man who would love me unconditionally and to settle down and create what I never had. I needed that, I
craved
that. I craved it from Brody, and I think that I always knew he wasn’t capable of giving that to me. His priorities lied with taking care of the family he
already
had, and not with creating a new one with me. The heartbreak of that knowledge was nearly enough to kill me.