***
Samira found herself touching her cheek every time she thought of Andy. He had walked away before she could react to the kiss, but she would have to face him later. She was being silly. A kiss on the cheek meant nothing. She kissed plenty of her friends and family on the cheek when she greeted them or said goodbye. But if a kiss on the cheek was so meaningless, why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?
“Aunt Mary, are you sure you don’t want me to stay here with you?” Samira asked for at least the tenth time.
“If you don’t go meet that boy… I said I have plans, and I do.”
“Reading a book is not plans,” Samira argued.
“To me it is. Stop arguing with me, and go have a good time. I need to get used to entertaining myself. You’ll only be here for a few more days, and there’s no reason I can’t sit here and enjoy some time alone with a book. Now, go get ready before you’re late,” Mary urged.
Samira didn’t move from her place on the sofa. She wanted to go, but it was a huge step. She had gone through a lot of effort to forget the past, yet she was getting dangerously close to inviting it back in.
“Honey, stop wringing your hands over this. You say you have moved on from the past, but is it true? You can’t move on if you keep running away. I love you, dear, and I just want to see you finally able to be happy. Getting some closure is the only way you’ll be able to get there,” Mary said, as if reading her mind.
“You don’t understand. I’ve been so angry at him. After we broke up, my parents had horrible things to say about him. I know his dad didn’t think I was good enough and said horrible things about me. Like an idiot, I stood up for him because I knew we’d get back together like always. I said awful things to Mom and Dad and then left. I did all of that, and he didn’t even call me. And now he wants to act like none of that happened?” Samira wiped at the tears that trickled down her face.
Mary moved to sit next to her. She lovingly rubbed Samira’s back and gave her time to compose herself. After a moment, she patted Samira on the thigh.
“Tell that to him, dear.”
Chapter 3
Samira checked her reflection in the mirror one more time before leaving. The pale-yellow sundress accentuated her bronze skin. It was loose fitting and fell to her knees. She chose a pair of plain black flip-flops to wear with it. The people of Miller’s Island were casual, so she would be fine with whatever she chose to wear if she didn’t overdo it.
“You look amazing,” Andy said after she parked her car by the crab shanty and stepped out.
“Thanks. You don’t look bad yourself.”
She took a moment to take in the sight of him. He had on a pair of jeans and another white t-shirt. He was tall and lean, but the ripple of muscle could be seen beneath his shirt. The years had served him well.
“Let’s take my truck,” he offered. “I thought it might be better to meet here because it’ll be crowded down by the bay.”
Samira followed him to his truck and waited as he opened the door for her. “Such a gentleman. Thank you.”
Andy simply smiled and waited for her to climb in before closing the door. He took his seat and looked at her for amoment before starting the truck. Samira took the opportunity to steal a few more looks while he was focused on driving. The fine creases beside his eyes and the smile lines around his mouth told her he liked to laugh.
“I’m glad you decided to come. I figured you would cancel on me,” he said after a few minutes.
“I thought about it,” Samira admitted.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Why did you want to see me tonight?” she asked.
“I had fun on the boat. I know you aren’t here for long, so I figured if I wanted to see you again, I had better hurry.”
“That’s true. I have to be back at work next Monday. But it’s been fifteen years, and suddenly you’re in a hurry?” Samira asked.
Andy was quiet for several minutes. His expression was serious as he pulled the truck into the crowded parking lot. He found a parking space in the grass and carefully backed the truck in and shut off the engine.
“I’ve been thinking about the past fifteen years an awful lot lately. You’re right. It’s not fair for me to be in a rush now, but I am,” he said before stepping out.
Samira sat still and watched him walk around the truck to open her door. She didn’t have any idea what his answer might be when she asked the question, but it surprised her. She accepted his offered hand and silently stepped out of the truck.
“I’m really sorry for how things ended between us,” he began.
“I don’t want to talk about the past,” Samira cut him off. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
