Page 30 of Tell It To The Waves

Every hangover, every time something bad happened to one of us, we came here. A stack of pancakes and fried potatoes with onions solved it all… or so we thought.

“It’s only fitting,” she calls over the car's hood before making it around to me.

“My stomach is already growling.” I loop my arm through hers.

Walking in, it’s the exact same; nothing has changed… Well, it has, but only by time and age. The wear and tear on the linoleum floors, and the booths aren’t as red as they used to be.

“Sit anywhere you’d like,” the waitress calls to us from behind the counter.

We both beeline it for our booth, a booth that has seen tears, anger, and laughter over the years by us.

Before we sit, she wraps her arm around my waist, head on my shoulder, and we silently stare at the booth. She and I both have the same memories.

Once we’re seated, the waitress comes over, looking at Bay. “Want the usual, darling?”

“Yes, please. And make that two orders. With two Diet Cokes.” Bay looks and winks at me.

“Coming right up.” The waitress tears off the paper from her notepad.

“It hasn’t changed one bit,” I tell Bay, looking around the diner.

“Nope. Not one bit. And I think that’s why I like it. It reminded me of us when I come here. Plus, they have the best pancakes.”

The waitress sets down our Diet Cokes, shimming away without a word.

We both take a sip, looking at the other. I watch her eyebrows crease, and a thought shows on her face. “How did it feel?” Bay asks me.

Confused, I ask, “How did what feel?”

“Last night with Bohdi, how did it feel?”

I swallow, thinking of lying, but I tell her the truth. “It felt like every fiber of me wanted to explode. Like home, but like a new place, too. Confusing, but also made me mad at him. So many emotions and feelings, Bay, that I haven’t even worked through yet. Eight years, eight years we haven’t spoken, seen each other, but last night, it felt like it was just yesterday. It felt so wrong, but so right.” I tell her honestly, because it truly did.

Bay’s eyes softened at my words. “Don’t go back, stay here.” Her words are so quiet, but also so loud.

I give her a gentle smile before I look down at the table. “I can’t, Baylee. I have to go. Driftwood isn’t my place anymore.”

“What is your place, though? Because here you are eight years later and still have nowhere. You never found another to take Driftwood Bay’s place. And I think it’s because there isn’t one that can compete with here.”

All her words make the hair on my arms stand, goosebumps emerging. Something in me agrees with what she said, but this isn’t my place anymore. I look up at her.

“Before you leave, I want to show you something.” She smiles at me.

A stack of pancakes and fried potatoes gets set in front of me, and my mouth waters. Taking out my cell, I have to capture this moment, taking a quick picture as Baylee laughs at me.

We both devour our breakfast; my stomach feels like it’s going to explode. “God, that was good. Tastes the same, too,” I tell her while pushing my plates away.

By the time we're leaving, the diner is filling up with customers.

“Let me show you quickly. Also, where are you parked?”

I tell her, pointing down the road.

“Perfect, that’s the direction we needed to go, anyway.” She claps her hands together.

She doesn’t tell me where we're going, just drives until we come up to Crabby Dan’s. I look at her, my forehead raised.

Parking, she motions at me to follow her. Instead of turning left at Crabby’s, we turn right, and she stops. “This.” Bay waves her hands.