“I love you too,” I said, taking my hands from her face, stepping away.
Proving my timing correct, Andy opened the door to the classroom and declared himself starving.
“Let’s get you home and fed,” I said, steering Andy away from the love of my life.
“See you Thursday,” Andy called back to Lily. I saw the stricken look on her face at the thought of having to go through the pain of seeing each other—and yet not—two days from now.
“I’ll have Stick bring him on Thursday, and both days next week,” I said. Next week would be the last two sessions. I’d looked into more lessons for Andy next semester, but there would be nearly a month before those started up. And if Lily was one of the instructors, I’d have to rethink it entirely.
“Thanks,” she said to the solution of Stick coming in my place for the last three lessons.
“And I’ll be done with the steam room next week, too,” I said.
She nodded. “Okay. I’m sure it will look great.”
I shrugged. It would look great to me, but I thought it would seem like a lopsided tiling job to pretty much everybody else. Frank had approved my plan, though, and had been happy with my work thus far, so I was covered.
“This was your building first,” I said, trying to make light in a moment that was breaking my heart.
And hers too, if her eyes were any indication. Though she put a tremulous smile on her face as she said, “You’re damn right. You may have had it on loan, but that steam room is mine.” Her voice wobbled at the last and she looked away. Then turned away.
“Bye, Lily,” I said, and started walking away from her, Andy tagging along at my side, then dashing ahead of me.
“Goodbye, Lucas,” I thought I heard her say, but I wasn’t sure.
Chapter26
Lily
The last dayof swim lessons I thought Lucas might show up, but he kept his word and had Stick drop off Andy. The kids were really cute and so proud to show off the great strides they’d made during the ten-week program. For the last half-hour we just let them jump off the diving board, half of us instructors in the water if needed, the other half on the pool deck with the kids.
In a way, it was probably good that Lucas had indeed stayed away. I planned to keep my part of the deal I made with my father, but it had been so hard the day I told Lucas we had to stop seeing each other. And the pain hadn’t lessened since. I’d started to text him several times, but had stopped myself. I almost had Jane wipe him from my contacts and texts—I couldn’t seem to do it myself—but I didn’t. Some masochistic part of me would pull up texts he’d sent and read them over and over.
Over the weekend, Syd, Jane, and I had gone to a few parties, and I’d tried to engage, tried to look at the Bribury guys with new and fresh eyes, but it hadn’t worked. I only saw visions of Lucas sitting up in the spectator area watching me. Or flashes of his big and beautiful body over me, his hands in my hair, him whispering that he loved me.
Syd and Jane had pity on me, but I knew I was being a complete Debbie Downer. Yeah, we’d only been together seven weeks, and I had my whole college career—hell, my whole life—ahead of me. But Lucas was…the one.
On some level I knew I would go on. I would have college boyfriends. I would one day get married, and I’d love my husband. But I also knew with absolute certainty that I would never love anyone the way I loved Lucas Kade.
We gave out certificates of completion to the kids after the lesson, in the hallway with the mothers. Hugs were also given out to the kids, and I hung on to Andy a bit longer than his squirming six-year-old body would allow. He didn’t get that I probably wouldn’t ever see him again, and I didn’t bring it up. Let Lucas handle that one. Or maybe Andy had enough going on in his life that not seeing Miss Lily again would be of little notice to him.
But I would notice. Beyond Lucas, I’d come to love little Andy. And I’d miss him.
Andy ran to show Stick his certificate, but Stick wasn’t alone. Jane, apparently having just come into the building, was standing next to Stick. I waved goodbye to the rest of my kids and their mothers and made my way to Jane, who was looking at Andy’s certificate, even though she’d never met him.
“Wow, great job, big guy,” Jane said to Andy, who beamed up at her. Another victim to Jane’s unexplainable orbit of attraction.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Jane at the same time Stick asked the same thing. Though his inflection was much more on “you” than mine on “here.”
She shrugged, directing her answer to me, ignoring Stick. “I was on this side of campus and I thought I’d walk home with you.” Much like the other time she’d shown up here unexpected—hoping to get a glance at the new guy I thought was so hot—I suspected she had been nowhere near the women’s IM building. No, Jane knew today was the last day of lessons and that either Lucas would show, or he wouldn’t, and either of those outcomes were bound to make the cut deeper.
A good friend, Jane. It just took a little doing to get past her prickly personality and become friends.
But on days like this, I was so glad I had.
I said another goodbye to Andy. He ran ahead of Stick, who turned to me and said, “I’m sure it doesn’t help, but just know that he’s as miserable as you look.”
I nodded to him, understanding, and in a way appreciating the sentiment.
