I didn’t tell anyone about the call. I didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea. I knew the truth and I knew it was nothing more than a simple call between friends who once loved, still do, but in ways that will never be expressed again, and ways many would never understand. It was the first time we ended a conversation without saying ‘I love you,’ other than when we were fighting. We both now knew life was good for each other, and maybe deep down we just needed that confirmed. Although, between us, my heart never raced with anyone else the way it did when I heard Danny’s voice, saw his face, or had him near me. Maybe it never would.
~* * * *~
My cousin and I continued to be regulars at Gillie’s. We watched all the games that we could there. After a while, we met two guys from the team the New York Islanders played, the Buffalo Sabres. They asked Debbie if she could drop them off at their hotel nearby. It didn’t cross our minds that she had a Pinto and those guys were both over six feet tall. Watching them get in the car was nothing short of hysterical. Like something you would see in a cartoon. One guy got his hair caught on the sun visor. That was reason for all of us to get hysterical about it, even though I thought it really hurt him. Even he laughed. Their hotel wasn’t far and it only took a few minutes to get there and drop them off. We didn’t exchange any numbers. We knew they were leaving the next day. There was no way we would ever see them again, but we would never forget that night.
When I got back into the front seat, I could see the dark clump of hair the guy had lost and hysteria took over. Debbie had to pull over for a few minutes because she was laughing so hard, she couldn’t even drive. I was going to take it off the visor when Debbie told me, “No, leave it, this way it will remind us about tonight and how much fun it was.”
Even though it was somewhat late, we decided to stop in Gadgets on the way home. We were both so wide awake by then. So, we turned the car around and headed there.
I spotted Kyle behind the bar instantly. It’d been a while since I had seen him.
It didn’t take him long to see me and a smile filled his face. “Hey, I was just thinking about you. You look great, by the way,” he stated. “Why didn’t you come here New Year’s? I was watching for you all night.”
“Thanks, sorry, Debbie and I just decided to stay home and spend New Year’s with family this year. It was actually really nice.”
“You look different for some reason,” he said.
“Different? I don’t know how to take that.” I laughed.
“I don’t know how to explain it, you just seem different,” he added.
“Maybe I am. Is that a good thing?” I asked jokingly.
“Yeah, it is. Are you hanging out for a bit?”
“We will be here for a bit. I want to dance. It’s been a long time,” I said as I walked away to find Debbie, who was talking to two nice-looking guys.
Am I really different? Maybe, I am. I have made complete peace without Danny and Kyle. Danny touched my heart and soul in a way that will last my whole life. He will always be what I consider my soul mate. Kyle also showed me love in a totally different way. I learned I can love someone else and be loved just the same. I’m just done with being hurt and setting myself up for heartache.
Debbie and I danced and hung out with the guys she met. The guy she had in mind for me wasn’t my type, though I wasn’t even sure what my type was anymore. But I acted polite because Debbie clearly liked the other one. It was the least I could do.
A short while later, she pulled me aside where they couldn’t hear. “You okay? Was it hard seeing Kyle?” Debbie asked.
“You know what? It really wasn’t.”
“He keeps watching you,” she noted.
“He had his chance, he didn’t want a commitment and he doesn’t want marriage. I don’t see that changing. I won’t waste anymore of my life on someone there is no future with. I’ll still be his friend,” I stated in a somewhat firm voice.
“Okay…I was just asking.” She laughed. “So, what do you think of John and Glenn?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound snippy, I just can’t anymore, I have to live in the present. As for John and Glenn, well—umm…Glenn is not really my type but if you really like John, it’s fine for tonight.”
We hung out with John and Glenn until almost closing when we finally decided it was time to leave. Many times while we were there, I could sense that I was being stared at but I refused to let it bother me. “Just give me a minute. I need to say goodbye to Kyle. I’ll meet you out front,” I said as I headed toward the bar where Kyle was.
Dear God, please don’t let Glenn ask for my number. I kept thinking.
“Okay, we’ll wait out front,” Debbie replied as the three of them headed toward the door.
“We’re heading out. It was nice seeing you,” I said to Kyle.
“You too, well I barely got to even talk to you,” Kyle stated.
“Sorry, but Deb really likes this guy she met and I didn’t want to leave her alone with them,” I replied.
“Maybe next time…I thought maybe you were going to wait for me to get off,” he muttered.
“It will only make things worse if I do that. We’re in a good place right now, let’s just leave it that way, so no one gets hurt,” I said, shocking myself with my newfound confidence.
“Okay,” he replied, but I saw sadness fill his face.
“Goodnight.” I reached over, gave him a quick kiss, walked away, and didn’t even look back.
“Bye,” I heard him say.
By the time I got outside, I saw that John and Glenn had left. I sighed in relief that I wouldn’t have to tell Glenn that I didn’t want to exchange numbers.
My cousin must have seen the look of relief on my face when I didn’t see them. “He knew,” she said with a laugh.
“Thank God! Sorry, John might be really nice but Glenn—just not my type.”
“It’s fine. We will see if John even calls me. Tonight was so much fun anyway,” she said as she got in the car.
I got in on my side and laughter took over again when I saw the hair on the visor, which started Debbie’s hysteria again as well.
It took a little time to calm down enough for her to consider driving. “Everything go okay with Kyle?” she asked as we finally were on our way home.
“Yeah, it did. He seemed disappointed that I wasn’t waiting for him to get off, but no point in setting myself up again, for a dead-end relationship.”
“You have changed and you’re right. Why waste any more time on him if he doesn’t want what you do?”
“I guess I have changed, but I think for the best,” I said softly as I gazed out the window and realized just how far I’d finally come.
When we finally pulled up at my house, we wound up laughing again at the hair. I thought that night would be a funny story we would always remember and tell everyone about.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It seems to happen in life that just when you feel everything is going as it should, something happens that will forever change your path, your destiny. It happens so quickly—a mere heartbeat in time. Most times, you don’t see it coming, so there is no preparing for it.
It started as a simple typical day. I was off work and my mom and I went shopping at the mall. Summer was just around the corner and we wanted to get some new clothes for the upcoming season. We had a great time and we laughed hard as we tried on things that we wound up thinking we would look ridiculous in. We stopped for lunch at our favorite mall restaurant when our arms couldn’t carry much more. We enjoyed a nice lunch together, talked and laughed about our day. It was the perfect way to spend my day off. We finally made our way home hours later, our hands filled with bags from our purchases.
“Do you girls think you left anything in the stores for others to buy?” my dad jokingly asked us.
“Maybe, I don’t know…probably not,” I laughed as I glanced at my mom and smiled.
“I guess I am out of luck on getting
any dinner now that you girls ate at the mall, I bet?” My dad already knew the answer. It wasn’t often my mom and I went to the mall without stopping at the restaurant where we loved to eat.
“Mom will make you a nice bowl of cereal,” I said, laughing as I picked up my bags and started to head upstairs to my room to put them away. After I tried them on again, of course.
“Gee, thanks,” my dad said as I heard both him and my mom laughing now in the kitchen.
Then the doorbell rang.
“I got it,” I said as I put the bags down on a nearby chair and walked to the door. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No,” I heard my mom say just as I put my hand on the doorknob and opened the door.
My heart stopped. I couldn’t move and I was left completely speechless. If anyone would have told me what was about to happen I would never have believed them. There he was at my door, standing on my steps—and here to see me?
Why?
Our eyes locked and my mind began to fill with so many questions.
I opened the door very slowly. Our eyes continued to stay locked, I didn’t even blink. I was afraid if I did that it would be a dream. My heart began to race in anticipation as I stepped outside.
We were face to face. There was nothing between us then, only unanswered questions as to what brought him to my doorstep.
“Can we talk?” he asked, not taking his eyes off mine.
“Mom, will things get better?” My daughter’s words bring me back to the present, all these years later.
“Sweetheart, I wish I could say that they definitely will. Sometimes, I am afraid it’s only the beginning.”
About the Author
Cindy Springsteen lives on Long Island with her husband and two children. She has had a passion for writing since she was in her teens, starting with poetry, which won her numerous awards and which were published in various publications. She has spent many years researching and writing about parenting teenagers for many publications. She is presently a virtual assistant for a well-known author. This is her first novel, which is based on a true story.
Other Works by Cindy Springsteen:
Award winning Waffles and Pancakes Series:
Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in Friendship
Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in Bullying; Best Children’s Book 2012
Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in the True Meaning of Christmas; Best Animal Book 2014
You can find Cindy at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/C_Springsteen
Email:
[email protected] FB:http://www.facebook.com/author.cindy.springsteen
Website: www.cindy-springsteen.com
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5819163.Cindy_Springsteen
Cindy Springsteen, Destiny (Forever & Always Book 1)
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