Reye's Gold (30 page)

“How dare you make me look like a fool. You should
have stayed home.”

“What?” Anger simmered just below the surface of
his composure. “I did what you asked. You wanted me
here, so I’m here,” he shouted.

“Keep your voice down. What is wrong with you, all
that money spent on your education and you’re wasting
it. All you do is sit around all day feeling sorry for your
self. When you’re not chasing girls, drinking, and partying, that is!”

“What? Now you’re disappointed in your son? Is that
it? Aren’t I dating and fucking the right shade of girls for
you?”

“You will not talk to me in that manner. See, that’s
what dating women who aren’t your kind does for you!”

“You don’t say another word about Reye. I stopped
seeing her for you and Dad and the suffocating expecta
tions you’ve set for me. So you can go to hell!”

“
You didn’t stop seeing her because I said so. When
have you ever done anything other than what you
wanted? I’ve never been able to make you do something
unless you wanted to. So stop blaming me for your
leaving her. I’m sick of it!”

He pushed past her and stormed down the stairs. His
dad stepped out of the study. His face was unsure,
worried.

“What is going on here? Why are you shouting at
your mother?” Stephen didn’t respond.

“Stephen. What’s all this about?”

“You really don’t know? You should ask your wife,”
Stephen said, continuing his march out of the front door,
slamming it behind him. He got into his car, squealed
out of the drive, and drove away. He stopped at a light,
fuming, his mother’s words reverberating in his head.

She was right, of course. It wasn’t her fault, not really.
He was really angry at himself for being a wimp, for not
standing up for something that meant so much to him.
He sat at the light absorbing that realization. All this
time, he’d been drinking and angry at himself, punishing
himself for his treatment of Reye. His only redemption was that at the time, he hadn’t realized that she’d meant
so much to him.

Later on that night, he sat alone on the sofa in his
apartment, holding a bottled water. He couldn’t bring
himself to get another beer. He was done with that. It was
dark in the room, save for the lights from the Dallas sky
line that twinkled as he watched them through the win
dows of his apartment. He listened to music, something
b
y John Meyer that reminded him of his time spent, like
this, with Reye. He missed those nights, missed her.
Nights spent with her on her couch, lights out, except for
a candle or two, listening to music and each other.
Mostly she talked and he listened. He stared out at the
city and recalled the earlier confrontation he’d had with
his mom and dad. He shouldn’t have said those things to
her. He hadn’t meant them, he loved her. Sure, he felt pressure from her, but ultimately it had been his decision
to end it with Reye, not his mother’s. Joe had called him
a coward, and he had been. He’d chosen the path of least
resistance, or so it had seemed like it at the time. He
hadn’t counted on the pain he’d later feel, along with the
regrets. He’d been the coward, the one that wasn’t willing
to be uncomfortable or to lose his favor as the golden
boy. He could have, she’d asked him to, and he’d walked
away, he’d let her down, and he’d regretted it immensely
.

His doorbell rang. Some brave soul coming to visit
the lion in his den, he thought sadly to himself. He’d
been a wounded lion with a thorn in its paw that bit the
heads of those who ventured near to help. Another regret.
Since he’d been home, he’d insulted or offended just
about anyone who was close to him or came close to him.
He turned on the light next to his sofa and went to
answer the door. It was his dad. He opened the door and
his dad entered.

“This is the first time I’ve seen your new place,” he said. “It’s nice, a little sparse, but nice.”

“Yes, it is. Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’ll take a bottled water, if you have one.”

“
I do.” Stephen went to the kitchen and grabbed a
bottle from the refrigerator, returning to find his dad
gazing out the window.

“This is a nice view.”

“It was the main reason I bought the apartment,”
Stephen said, handing the bottle of water to his dad.
“Dad, let me say that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said
those things to Mom today. I’ll go by and apologize
tomorrow. I was angrier than I’d realized.”

“You know, son, I had a talk with your mother after
you left. I had no idea that you were dating someone in
Austin last year or that she’d meant so much to you. You
never said. I thought you would eventually settle down
with Beth, thought you liked her. I was surprised by the
outburst today, but it explains your behavior since you’ve
been home, your not being at the office.”

“It’s not your or Mom’s fault,” Stephen said. Taking a deep breath and starting at the beginning, he told his dad
about Reye, how they met and why she had become spe
cial to him. He’d become emotional during the telling,
stopping several times to regain his composure. It was the
first time he’d talked to anyone since their breakup. His
dad listened without interruption or comment until he’d
finished.

“You know, son, when I was eighteen, before I met
your mother, there was a girl that I had grown up with, a
beautiful African-American girl, Anna. Her dad worked for your grandfather, doing odd jobs around our house.
It was a different time back then. We played together,
long past the time that we should have. We went to dif
f
erent high schools, but she would come over to the
house to help her dad from time to time. She was beau
tiful, and at eighteen, no one could have told me any
thing. Anyway, I wanted to marry her, and told anyone that would listen to me. Can you imagine her father’s
response, and your grandfather’s? He would not hear of
such a thing, and if he could have shot me, he would
have.” His dad was quiet for a minute, lost in his own
thoughts. “Anyway, her family moved away abruptly and
I searched all over town and the surrounding areas for
her. Of course your grandfather knew where they’d
moved, but he wouldn’t tell me. I was angry with him for
a long time after that. I went on to college, met and fell in love with your mother. I don’t know if Anna and I
could have withstood the challenges we would have faced
during those times. I’m telling you this to say that I
understand what you feel. I know that anger and sadness
that can come from letting someone you love leave.”
Stephen sat looking at his dad, his eyes filling with tears
again.

His dad continued. “Here’s the way I see it. You’ve got
choices. You can blame your mother and yourself until
you are old and grey, or you can recognize the wrong and
either try to make it right or move on. That decision has
to be yours. It’s been what, six months? Do you think it’s
worth going back to see if she would be willing to try
again? Women can be unforgiving sometimes. If she
loved you as much as you thought, don’t you think you
should try?”

“I don’t know.”

H
is dad looked at him intently. “I also need you at
the firm. You’ve got to take the bar exam and pass it so you can get on with your life whether or not you work it
out with her. She really might not be willing to take a
chance on you again if you’re unemployed,” he said with
a chuckle.

Stephen gave him a watery smile.

“I’d better get home. You know your mother will be
calling anytime now.” He stood up and started to walk to
the front door. Stephen followed, reaching out to grab his
dad in a hug.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you bright and early Monday
morning at the office.”

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

* * *

Reye sat behind her desk in her office at the center and reread the invitation a second time. “You will be
honored at the Twenty-fifth Foundation and Christmas
Charity Gala to be held on December 23 for your out
standing contributions to the lives of Texas children.”
The ball was to be held in Dallas at the Grand Hotel, one
of the finest hotels in Dallas, six weeks away. She’d been
nominated by Susan and the center’s board of directors
for her work with the kids in both the after-school and
summer programs. She was beyond honored. Hell, she
should be the one honoring them. She looked out of her
window, reflecting again on the hurt Stephen caused.

D
allas, huh? What were the chances of running into him,
anyway? She hadn’t heard from him, even after the
breakup. Well, in all fairness, she didn’t know if he’d tried
to call or not. She had thrown her SIM card away and
later traded her number for a new one. She hadn’t wanted
to run the risk of calling and begging him to come back
to her; once had been enough. Looking back at that day
still caused her to wince in pain.

The problem with cell phones was that you didn’t
really have to learn anyone’s number anymore. After the
cell was gone, she’d regretted not memorizing his number,
but it had saved him from her. She could laugh now about
driving by his apartment, driving by the law school in
hopes of seeing him, but it wasn’t funny at the time.

Apparently it had been just about sex for him. To be
fair to him, he’d never told her he loved her. He never lied
to her by promising her anything. She still loved him,
though, she didn’t lie to herself about that. She was still
angry, but at least the urge to see him had dwindled. She put the invitation on the bulletin board behind her back
and put the date into her phone.

She wasn’t going to Dallas alone, that was for damn
sure. The chance of running into him was small, but she
could use the company nonetheless. She thought of
calling Joe, but Joe had a girlfriend now. Actually, Joe had
numerous girlfriends, too many for her to keep up with.
Reye and Joe had become good friends, united in the purpose of making sure Shane stayed on track.

She could always call Sam, who held her when she
cried, dragged her out of the house to the movies, played
s
occer with her, and had even been willing to go to the
mall, which he hated with a passion. He’d seen her at her
worst, and she trusted him.

She picked up her phone and dialed.

“Hey, baby girl.” She liked that the men in her life
called her that; it made her feel loved, and, since Stephen,
she had needed mucho love.

“Hello, big brother,” she responded, looking out of
the window again. “You won’t believe this, but because of
my work here with the kids, I was nominated for an
award for outstanding volunteer in Texas.”

“Why wouldn’t I believe that?” he asked. “Even I’ve
noticed how hard you been working on behalf of those
little rugrats.”

“Well, I am to be honored, along with others like me
in Dallas, at this ball. I don’t want to go by myself. Would
you go with me?” She hoped she sounded upbeat. “It’s on
December 23, and I know you aren’t teaching then. Plus I feel an obligation to help the women in Austin get a
break from you and your infinite charms.”

“I’m sure they appreciate your efforts on their behalf.” He chuckled. His voice changed from playful to serious.
“Dallas, huh?”