st Coast, he was devastated.”
“He was angry that you wanted to go to college?”
“He had planned on my helping to run the family business. He was exhausted and desperate for a break. I think he was hurt that I left, but it came out in anger.”
“What about your brother?”
“My brother had never planned to stay in town. He had his own dreams, and when I left, he watched our father struggle and he gave up his dreams to stay there with him.”
“Wow, that’s big.”
“I know. The shitty thing is I never visited them. I never called. I kept playing this narrative in my mind that they were wrong and I was right. I was so angry that I never gave our family a chance to heal back together.”
“And now?”
“I think we are on the right track. I genuinely think that I can look at the situation and appreciate the sacrifices they both made which enabled me to be where I am. I told them both that when Jarrod met with us. And they told me a whole heap of stuff I wasn’t ready to hear, but I’m going to work on.”
I had to laugh at the idea Erik really had no idea what his brother and father were going to say he had to work on. Even I knew the areas I had short comings. I knew I was a mouthy brat sometimes and complained about things I had no reason to complain about – it was something I had been working on since my own treatment.
“Don’t laugh. It was serious,” Erik said as he dramatically dropped his head into his hands.
“So, you’ve got a couple weeks left here; what are you going to do with yourself?”
“I’m going to the spa,” he announced a little too loudly as everyone in the room turned around to look at him.
“Shhh.”
“Sorry, I’ve been thinking about a massage since the day I checked in and I’ve been too busy to get there. So, this afternoon, I’m actually going to get a massage.”
“Good for you. Maybe you should get a manicure and a pedicure, too, while you’re at it.” I laughed.
“Maybe I will,” he said with a huge smile on his face.
It was clear that Erik’s life was coming together, and I was happy for him. But there was a twinge of worry that he would finish treatment and move back home without ever seeing or talking to me again. That would be a nightmare. I wanted Erik in my life, even if it was as a friend. I needed someone who had my sense of humor and quirkiness to guide me through a little fun and excitement every now and then.
Chapter Twenty
Erik
“Come on, slow poke,” I yelled at Cassidy as she climbed up the rocks to the peak with me.
We had gotten to the top before everyone else. Mostly because I kept pushing her to keep going harder and harder, but it never would have happened if she hadn’t been so willing. Cassidy didn’t stop once and had a new determination in her eyes that I hadn’t seen ever before.
“My tiny little arms don’t help me as much as your buff ones do.”
“You mean these guns?” I joked as I flexed my muscles.
I jumped down to where she struggled to climb up and grabbed her ass to push her up the rocks. And boy, did I enjoy having my hands on her plump, round bottom.
“Erik, what are you doing?” Melanie said from behind me.
“Um, helping this beautiful woman up the mountain,” I replied without turning around.
“It’s okay, I’m almost there,” Cassidy said through laughter as she climbed up.
I quickly jumped up with her so we could both have a few minutes alone on top of the mountain before everyone else finished their climb.
Our hike that day had been as close to perfect as I could have imagined. A whole two hours of time with just the two of us to hang out. Everyone was well outside of ear shot, so we flirted and joked and got along like we were on a little hiking date, with only the occasional glance behind us to see who was there.