ChapterFourteen
Rory wasn’t sure where she wanted to go. She just knew that she had to get out of the house and away from her mother. After their big blowout, a myriad of emotions coursed through her. On one end, she was ashamed of the way she spoke to her mother, but on the other hand, she was angry with her for interfering in her life. She just needed to go somewhere that she could blow off some steam. As she drove downtown, it was evident that finding a quiet spot would be difficult. It seemed everyone was out and about, probably making early Christmas purchases to avoid the rush coming next month. She was planning to do her own shopping during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday blowout sales herself.
As she passed the marina, something told her to pull over. Without hesitation, she pulled up to the curb before walking up to the boardwalk.
She leaned over the railing to look out at the pristine water glistening under the bright rays. There were a few fishing boats out on the horizon with a troupe of birds trailing them.
She sighed heavily. Her life felt like a mess, but it had nothing to do with her mother. She should have expected Andrea to try to get to the bottom of what was going on with her. Before everyone and everything else, it had always been just the two of them, and she knew her mother would do anything to make sure she was okay. She remembered that well about her— even if it meant going without or sacrificing her own well-being, she would. That was just the type of mother she had. It still didn’t give her the right to go behind her back. She knew she had to apologize for the way she reacted eventually but right now, she just wanted to hold on to the anger she felt, especially as she wasn’t able to tell her mother-in-law how she truly felt about her and her meddling ways. She knew Lenora was still scheming to sabotage her wedding and that she had something to do with James not having any free time to himself, but she didn’t have proof. But she was also angry at James, angry that he couldn’t tell how much she needed to see him. Their wedding was a little over a month away, and yet it felt like she was alone in all of this. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, she wasn’t sure if this wedding would actually take place come December 23rd, nor if she wanted to walk down that aisle.
She felt more lost and frustrated than she’d been when she had just gotten there. With another heavy sigh, she started to head back to her car when she noticed a young man walking in her direction with his head down, his hands in the pockets of the green hoodie sweater he wore over a pair of skinny black jeans and white sneakers. What caught her attention was his cropped dirty blond hair and the angular features of his face, so similar to his father’s.
“Trey?”
The young man’s head snapped up, his blue eyes registering surprise.
“Hi,” he greeted hesitantly.
“Hi. What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be on campus now?”
Trey shrugged his shoulders. “I only had an exam today. That’s over with, so…”
Rory nodded her understanding.
“What are you doing out here?” he returned.
She gave him a tight-lipped smile before answering. “I had some free time, too,” she replied vaguely.
“Are you leaving now?” he asked, looking behind him before turning his gaze back to her.
“I was…what’re you…are you here with someone?” Rory averted her eyes, trying to see who was behind him, but her gaze came up empty.
“No, I’m not,” he confirmed. The two stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before Trey spoke up. “I’m gonna get a hot dog by the stand over there. Want one?”
Rory hesitated. She opened her mouth to decline the offer but at the last minute said, “Sure. Why not?” Maybe this was the perfect opportunity for her to get to know the young man better, plus she was hungry. She’d skipped breakfast, and the only thing she’d eaten all day was the apple from the kitchen. It was almost midday now. Her stomach grumbled as if on cue just then.
She gave Trey a sheepish look. “Sorry about that. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Don’t sweat it,” the young man responded, his lips broadening into a reassuring smile.
With that, she followed him toward the hotdog stand, just a few feet away from the boardwalk.
After the two collected their order, they strolled down the boardwalk before settling on one of the double benches along the side. They immediately dug into their hotdogs, foregoing making small talk as they filled their stomachs.
In between bites, Rory took the time to continue admiring the small boats and yachts moored by the docks swaying back and forth, ready to be boarded and driven out to the open waters. The cloudless sky was the bluest she’d ever remembered seeing it.
She took a swig from the bottle of water she bought and turned to scrutinize Trey’s side profile.
“What?” he asked after more than ten seconds of her unwavering gaze. He turned to face her; his brows scrunched together in confusion.
“Nothing,” she replied simply, returning to her meal.
“It must be something. You were staring like you were waiting for me to combust in flames or something,” Trey summarized.
Rory lowered the hotdog and turned to look at him with a small unsure smile.
“I was just wondering if everything is okay with you.”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it?” he asked, making a face as he looked at her like the question was stupid.
