“We’re going for a walk,” I say to Quinn and Nola, who are looking at a magazine together.
“Don’t get sand in your… ouch,” Quinn mutters. “Geez, Nola.”
“You’re not Liam or JD, don’t be crass.”
I chuckle and fall in step next to Whiskey. We walk for a bit and let the waves hit our bare feet. Neither of us are talking and while normally the silence would be deafening, it’s nice to just be in her presence and surrounded by not only her beauty, but the scenery as well.
We come to a bend and have to climb over a few rocks. Doing this barefoot is not ideal, but she seems to have it mastered so I say nothing about turning back or finding a different route.
When we get over the formation there’s a small cove waiting for us. We have to wade through knee deep water, but it’s worth it.
“Wow!” I follow Whiskey to the small beach and sit down next to her.
“We can only be here as long as it’s low tide.”
“How have I never been here before?”
“A couple of years ago we had a massive hurricane. A lot of people lost their homes, even in Bailey. Somehow from all of that, this happened. Mother Nature created it.”
I figure I can sit here and talk about the cove and how serene it is, or I can ask about her, and since she’s always been my favorite subject the choice is easy. “Tell me about your life, Whiskey. I’ve filled you in on everything about mine.”
She pulls her legs closer to her chest and wraps her arms around her knees. “After you left, things were hard for me. Even though I was only eighteen, I had lost everything. You were my everything. For as long as I could remember, you and I were always together, and then we weren’t. It took a lot of drinking and a few drug induced nights to get you out of my mind.”
My heart twists painfully when she says drugs. I can’t imagine her doing something to harm herself.
“I went to therapy for a while. The whole, ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ thing worked until…” she trails off and seems to get lost in her own thoughts.
“I had to get a job and Bailey’s was hiring. I took every shift I could, doubling up most days for about seven months, and then the owner asked me to bartend. He said I was good at keeping peace among the regulars. For a while the tips were really good but then the storm hit. After the hurricane, they wanted to sell and asked me to buy it but I couldn’t with my credit… and it wasn’t like I had the money to put down on it. I begged them not to sell but they wanted to move to Florida. As a last ditch effort, I suggested they make me manager. I’d run Bailey’s in exchange for them paying the rent. It’s been a few years now.”
“Where do you live?” I ask her.
“I have a house not far from work. It’s a rental, but it’s mine. Own my car though.”
“That’s a step above me. I lease a car and rent a room from Quinn and Nola.”
“On the beach, I heard.”
“Do you want to come to California?” I ask, looking over at her. “I’d really like to show you the area.”
She glances at me briefly and then turns away. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
I adjust the way I’m sitting by pulling her legs over mine, leaving her no choice but to look at me. I trail my fingers over her cheek. “I know Harvey says I’m the one who has to come here because of your job. It makes sense, but I’d really like for you to see my life, to see how you could fit into it.”
“Why?”
I swallow the lump resting in my throat. All my cards are about to be laid out.
“Because I don’t want a divorce, at least I’m not pushing for one. You’re the love of my life, Whiskey, and I think we have an opportunity to start over.”
“We were young and stupid.”
“And now we’re older and probably not a whole hell of a lot smarter.” We both laugh. I reach for her hand and weave our fingers together. “Life would be different with me, I know that. I live in California and while I could commute, I’d want you there with me. It’s where the studio is, where I rehearse with the band. I know it’s a lot to ask, for you to give up your life, but I promise that if you do, you won’t be sorry.”
“Ajay, what makes you think I still want to be married to you?”
“Because you’re here. If you didn’t want to spend time with me, you would’ve told me to come to Bailey’s while you’re working or told me to ignore what Harvey says, but you didn’t. You didn’t even hesitate.” I let my words sink in and wait for her to tell me I’m wrong. She opens her mouth a few times, but words never seem to come out.
“I love you, Whiskey. I always have.”