“Yeah, but I haven’t for a while.”
“Guitar, right?”
“How did you know?”
Owen shrugs and moves his pale feet in the water. It seems like he’s slicing through the moon with his toes. “I can picture you playing guitar and singing in a dim nightclub. Sad songs, obviously.”
He wonders if Owen sees him as a sad person. He wouldn’t define himself as happy in any way, but he doesn’t like the thought of being viewed as sad. He will be sad once Julie passes, but that also means he could finally leave Van Buren for good, and the thought warms his heart.
He shakes his head, pushing the thought away. How sick must he be to wait for the day his sister passes away? He feels ill, the burger shifting in his stomach.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Owen’s voice is low and tense, pulling Will away from his gloominess.
“You can tell me.”
“It’s not something I’m proud of, but you were honest with me today.” He exhales. “I used to be a drug addict.”
That unexpected statement floats between them, and Will waits patiently for Owen to continue at his own pace.
“It started when I first gathered the courage to go out to parties, but it escalated quickly when I realized that was the only way for me to loosen up and talk to strangers. When it got too intense, I dropped out of school and lived on the streets for a while until I was arrested and went on trial for soliciting—which Iwasn’tguilty of. Luckily, my dad had some connections, and the judge ended up sending me to rehab and giving me two years of probation. My parents exiled me here to stay awayfrom trouble.”
Will takes in Owen’s confession, thinking how easy it is to assume things about someone. He would never have imagined a guy so put-together as him could go through such a mess.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.”
Owen moves his feet in the water. “I’m better now, but when I think of where I should have been in life, I feel like a loser.”
“A loser would’ve gone back to doing drugs on the streets like others around here.”
Owen nods. “Yeah, true. But I had so many plans and things I wanted to achieve.”
Will can relate. He was never a big dreamer who wanted to conquer the world, but his modest dreams involved living somewhere else and being surrounded by people he could trust.
“I think that dreams sometimes have their own plans and timelines. Just because they didn’t happen when you wanted them to doesn’t mean they’re lost.”
Owen nods. “I like that. That’s a good way to look at things. And drugs have been a big problem in these parts, I’m told.”
“It’s been getting worse in the last couple of years. Van Buren has been mostly spared, but other towns are a mess.”
“Maybe I can help with that.”
Will frowns. “You?”
Owen shakes his head. “Didn’t mean it like that. Hmm, do they have good desserts here?”
“Are you a chocolate guy?”
“I’mthechocolate guy.”
“Then they have good desserts.”
They return to their table and order the chocolate lava cake, which Will only tried once but couldn’t finish on his own. They keep the conversation light after the heaviness they shared earlier, talking about Will’s work and the changing seasons.
When the cake arrives, Owen rubs his hands in anticipation. He digs his spoon into the cake and scoops a big piece into his mouth. His sounds of pleasure are hilarious but also somewhat erotic, making Will wonder if this is how he sounds during… different circumstances.
“Eat,” Owen says. “We’ve earned this cake. Every calorie.”
Will takes a bite. The sugar overwhelms his taste buds, but they finish the cake easily, with Owen eating the bigger chunk.
