I pop up, looking for him, just as I feel something grab myankle and tug. I shriek. Andrew shoots back to the surface and immediately begins laughing.
“What was that for?” I ask, splashing him in the face.
“Payback.” The grin on his face turns devilish.
“I could’ve died.”
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, Em.” He reaches out, caressing my cheek for a moment, then slowly drags his hand down and back into the water.
I want nothing more than to just crawl into his arms right then and soak up all the love he has to give to me. That’s not how we work though, and Andrew has Angelina. Whatever he is doing right now, whatever I’m feeling right now, doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the way I do.
I internally curse myself before opening my mouth and asking, “Does Angelina know we’re down here? I’d hate for her to wake up alone in the tent with no truck at the campsite and think we Meredith Blake’d her.”
“Are you talking about that evil girlfriend fromThe Parent Trapwho gets set off on a raft?” Andrew asks, narrowing his brows and scrunching his nose in puzzlement.
Of course, he knows exactly what I’m talking about. Rebecca and I forced him to watch the movie with us so many times! “Yeah…” I trail off with a laugh, hoping he won’t think anything of it if I pretend I’m just being silly old me.
“You’re so weird,” he chuckles and pulls himself out of the water again onto the dock. “We can go check on her. I’ve got such a hankering for some Oreos and milk right about now anyway.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
I swear he’s disappointed we have to go back to his girlfriend, but I won’t let myself think like that.
CHAPTER 16
Summer 19
Ifinish explaining the whole situation to Dani, the day I spent with Andrew, confessing our feelings for one another, and Andrew asking to take me on a date tomorrow night. Dani listened contently the whole way through, but now she looks at me confused.
“This all sounds so exciting! Why are you crying? Did something happen? What’d that idiot do? I’m going to kill him!”
“Woah, there! Settle down.” I laugh. I have to be thankful for her willingness to throw down for me so quickly. That spark of spunk reminds me a little of Rebecca. The thought somehow comforts me. “Nothing happened. Andrew didn’t do anything wrong.”
My phone dings, and I glance at it.
Andrew
Can’t stop thinking about you and our date. I’m so excited!!
I blush a little and hold it out for Dani to see. “In fact, he’s only doing things right so far.” I set my phone back down. “It’s just that I came home and realized how excited I was thateverything finally felt like it was falling into place, but the person I wanted to tell all about it isn’t here to listen.”
Dani’s eyes are full of sympathy and understanding. “Remember how hard it was when we lost Grandpa?”
I stiffen. “Way to kick me when I’m down.”
She chuckles a little in exasperation. “No, I’m not finished. I just meant it was really hard after losing him, but you’ve gradually become okay with living life without him here with you.” She adds, “You were way stronger than any of us expected during that time.”
I nod. “Rebecca helped make me feel better.”
She thinks about my response for a moment. “What did she do to help you handle it so well?”
I reflect on that moment nearly six years ago. “We skipped rocks. She talked to me about how it was okay to hurt, and I was lucky to be so sad over his passing because it meant I had someone worth missing. Then we baked cookies,” I say simply.
I watch as her wheels begin to turn. “She’s right. You were lucky to have her, even if it was shorter than expected. It doesn’t make it easy, and obviously, there’s no replacing her, but I hope you know I’m here for you. I can listen to you talk about your journey with Andrew or your memories with Rebecca. I can even go on adventures with you like she used to do if you ever want that.”
I throw my arms around her. “Thank you, Dani!”
She hugs me back. “That’s what sisters are for. Now, let’s do something to honor Rebecca. What should we do?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to do that with Andrew the last week or so, but it hasn’t made me feel better.”
