"He has to work," I mumble, and she casts me a sympathetic look. She doesn’t mean it in a cruel way, but it still stings. “Anyway, enough about my uneventful life. How are things with Kurt?” I wiggle my brows, wanting to change the subject. I hate complaining about Cohen, to anyone, even my best friend. It feels wrong, like I'm ungrateful. Marriage isn’t perfect, right?
Kurt and Chelsea have been dating since she moved here a year ago. I can’t believe how our friendship has blossomed in such a short time. I never saw a need for friends, tried to keep my circle small, but she found a way to break down my walls.
Kurt is a realtor for an international property group. He's always flying her off somewhere for the weekend for an impromptu getaway. I can't help but envy the relationship they have. He always makes every effort to make her feel special. I cannot remember the last time Co and I had a quiet dinner alone.
“Well,” she flushes. “Kurt’s been talking about us moving in together.”
"Already?" I cannot hide my disbelief. They barely know each other. Argh, I'm a mother-hen. "And what do you think of it?"
"Well, I didn't say no," she says, biting her bottom lip.
I rush over and pull her into a hug. "This is so bloody exciting Chels. Wow." I'm so glad she's met someone like Kurt. After everything she's been through with her asshole ex, she deserves to be happy.
Even after Chelsea leaves, I cannot shake the feeling of excitement at her news, and the frustration at how normal things have become between Co and me. Maybe I should stop complaining and do something about it. It isn’t just his responsibility to keep the spark alive.A fire you don’t tend to will simmer and eventually die. I didn’t want that. The fact that we’d had sex means something. But why is it that I have to convince myself of that?
* * *
Park Senior is justthe way I remember it when I walked these halls nearly two decades ago. The grounds we’re gathered in still feels like the heart of the school. I used to stand on those bleachers cheering Co when he scored a goal. We were just kids then, and I don't think either of us saw this far into the future. Marriage and mortgages were the furthest things from our minds.
"Quite a turnout." Chelsea comments.
“It always is. It’s the first bake sale of the year and the biggest fundraiser.”
"Sinclair, is that you?" The woman in front of me is beaming at me like I should know her. I don't. "My god, it's been years, hasn't it? And here you are, still looking as glamorous as ever." It must be a really long time since I cannot place a name to the face.
“Hi…uhm…”
"It's me, Kendall, Kendall Ray." Her big blue eyes widen in surprise. I don't remember her. "We were in High School together." I look at Chelsea, who is having a conversation with a man. Gracie is drawing on her book at the small table I set up for her behind our stand.
“Oh, Kendall. Of course.” I hit my forehead lightly. “It’s just been years. How are you?”
“Great. Glad to be back in Tynemouth.
Kenneth had to move back home after his father died.”
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." I honestly cannot place this perky blonde woman, but she seems to know me. I need to remember to consult my yearbook before I attend things like this. It makes sense I don't recall her; she did say they moved away. We couldn't have been close, though.
“How is your family?”
"Oh, they're all great, thank you. Well, it was good catching up, but I really should get back to the bake sale."
“Oh, you and Cohen must come over for tea sometime. We moved in with Ken’s mother. It’s temporary,” she whispers. “Just till she…you know.”
Wow.Talk about subtlety. Kendall sashays away over to the next table, striking up a conversation.
"She looks like fun." Chelsea chuckles, and I roll my eyes.
"Blast from the past, I barely remember," I explain. I hate talking about that. The fact that I don't remember everything. The accident took so much from me, but I'm determined not to let it take anymore. "My goodness, you sold almost everything." I say more to steer the conversation in a different direction.
“Guy over there bought a few dozen. Must like your cookies.” she smirks.
"Corny. Nice." I shield my eyes from the sun with my hands and look over to where Chelsea points. A tall, broad-shouldered man leans against a tree, his baseball cap is pulled low, almost covering his eyes. Lifting a hand, he waves back at me. He's dressed casually, blue jeans, a checked shirt out of his pants. Just a regular Joe on a regular day. Except there is something about him that doesn’t sit well with me. Something that makes my insides twist with unease.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen him around here before.”
“Who cares? He just cut our standing time in half. My feet are killing me.”
"That's cos you wore heels…" I trail off, frowning. I busy myself counting the inventory we have left, but I feel his gaze on me, and it unnerves me. It's odd for a man to be wandering around a bake sale by himself. Maybe he's a single dad and is waiting for his kid. That cannot be it. I know most of the parents of Willow's teammates, and he is not one of them.
