Page 51 of Tell It To The Waves

Her eyes bounce all over my face, trying to decipher what I’m truly getting at.

“Why the change of mind?” August leans on the doorframe, her T-shirt falling just at her thighs.

Closing my eyes and looking back at her face, “You are wanted here.” Did I really fucking say that? Hurriedly, “Meet me tomorrow and we can sign the papers. Just have a cashier's check made out to me.” Turning around, I haul ass to my bike before she can say anything.

Entering town, I slow in front of the store, hopping off the bike. I stand in front of it, trying to picture it decorated by August, and I can’t picture anything. I don’t know this August.

Inside, I take off the for-sale sign and stand in the middle of the room, imagining the crowd she’ll bring in with her bakedgoods and back to the day Craig walked inside, catching me cleaning the place up.

“What are you doing here, son?” Craig, August's father, stands at the door, filling the frame with his huge body, looking at me as I clean the glass of the display cabinet.

I stop and stand up straight, throwing the rag over my shoulder. I could lie, but why?

Weakly smiling, I say, “I bought it for her.” I don’t need to say her name; he already knows. I see the shock slowly roll over his face. It’s been a year since August left, and here I am, buying something for her.

“Oh, Bohdi.” He says my name like he feels sorry for me.

Craig has never told me where August is. She changed her phone number, deleted her social media, and disappeared. He’s only ever told me she’s doing as well as expected, letting me know she’s alive. Other than that, I’ve never gotten anything else out of him.

“Losing the person you love is the worst feeling in the world. It’s a pain that can’t be dulled; it only eases with time, but that ache lingers, never truly going away. But we can still love them, want them, and yearn for them.”

I stand there, knowing he’s talking about his wife. I break. I break in front of August's dad, letting someone see the pain for the first time.

This man doesn’t hesitate, walking to me and giving me a tight hug, slapping my back. “You have to let it out, Bohdi; it will eat you up inside if you don’t. Feel the pain, the hurt, the loss. Feel it and then let the thought of them mend you somewhat back together. But life has to go on.” Craig shakes his head, his own eyes glistening.

“Thank you,” I tell him, because those are the only words I’m able to say.

As Craig opens the shop door, he looks back at me. “She’ll come back home. No time soon, but she’ll come back.”

He leaves me there; the words digging themselves inside my mind and heart.

Snapping myself out of the memory from so long ago, those words reemerge with it.‘She’ll come back home.’And she did.

Tapping the for-sale sign on my hand, I wonder if Craig knew that some way he’d get her back here. Knowing all she needed to do was come home just once and Driftwood Bay would sink itself into her, once again. He knew. I smile.

Locking the store up, I walk down to the pier, needing more time alone.

I’m not sure how I’m supposed to save the marina; I don’t have the slightest clue. I want to tell Kai so badly, but I can’t. I have to fix this, then let him know what actually happened, and try to repair the brokenness of our brotherhood.

The contract states that once the loan is paid, they will remove the lien, and the property will rightfully belong to my parents; or, if I marry Molly, ownership will revert to its previous state.

Leaning on the wooden railing, watching the ocean waves, I want to throw myself into them. How the hell did I get myself and my family into this? I’m so mad at myself. Because we needed help, they pounced. Seizing an opportunity.

As I watch the waves, they try to hypnotize me; I wonder how many other people the Williams have taken, and that makes my stomach curdle.

Driftwood Bay is a small town; we survive off the summer visitors for the three months a year. How many have been forced to relent and give in to them? Anger boils up with just that thought. Poaching on innocent locals, taking what is theirs.

Looking out at the horizon, I have to formulate a plan. I can’t just sit here and act like all is fine, because it isn’t.

I need to get back into their office and copy the original contract that my parents signed. And once I have those, I can move forward with calling off the wedding. But I need the contract, just in case. I don’t know what kind of shit they will try once they see I’m not playing their games. Or can no longer hold anything over my head.

Pushing off the pier, I stride with purpose, the first purpose I’ve felt in years.

I go to the oldest store in Driftwood Bay, Sea Salt Confections. The owner has been a friend of my family for as long as I can remember.

The doorbell rings, announcing my arrival. Bud turns and gives me a small smile. He’s aged so much in the last couple of years; it’s scary to see. These people you grow up around, aging and showing you that life isn’t permanent.

“Hey Bohdi.” Bud waves me over.