“And Kaitlyn… did you ever hear from her?”
Chris shook his head. “Not while we were teenagers.”
“Oh, really?” I questioned, hoping he’d explain himself.
“Well, we bumped into each other about six years ago while I was still living at the beach.”
“And?” I prompted. “How did it go?”
“It was a crazy whirlwind of a weekend, full of stolen moments and painful goodbyes,” he said with a hint of sadness.
I could only imagine how he felt seeing her again after all those years, knowing how madly in love he was with her. “I’m sure that was tough for you. How did her life turn out? What has she been doing all these years?”
Chris lowered his eyes to the floor. “Let’s just say she’s happily married with two beautiful children,” he said with a bit of finality then gulped the last of his beer and set the empty bottle on the table.
I sensed the emphasis on two, but I didn’t want to pry. The tone of his voice indicated that it was a sore subject, so I figured he would tell me more when the time was right. I just nodded and took another sip of my beer. “Oh, okay,” I said, filling the silence.
“I’m just keeping myself busy,” he continued. “I mean, she’s happily married. It’s time to move on. Know what I mean?”
I nodded. “I’m sure it was hard to walk away, but sometimes the right thing to do isn’t always the easiest.”
“Yeah,” he said sadly. “I mean, if I thought she was miserable or if I thought the dude was a prick, I would’ve fought harder. But she’s happy, and her husband seems to be a great husband and father. He’s raising those kids right, for sure. The last time I saw her they were one big happy family.”
“Oh, you saw her again? Lately?” I inquired.
“Yeah, a week ago. Bumped into her and her family at a grocery store. They were all laughing and smiling. I knew at that point I had to move on. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was for the best.”
I nodded. “I understand. Well, maybe you’ll find love again someday,” I said, trying to keep him encouraged.
“Yeah.” He looked up at me with those deep set, brown eyes, fixing them on mine. I stared back, losing myself in the depths of his dark irises. I saw pain behind those eyes, but hopefulness as well. It was the same hopefulness I remembered from years ago. “Maybe someday,” he said softly. Just then, shaking his head as if he were trying to snap himself out of a trance, he changed the subject. “Wow! Can you believe we’re really here after all these years? It’s quite serendipitous,” he chuckled.
“Like the movie?” I asked.
Confused, he asked, “There’s a movie?”
“Yeah, Serendipity. It’s my favorite. Apparently, rom-com isn’t your thing.”
He shook his head. “No, I can’t say that it is.”
“You should watch it sometime,” I suggested. “But to answer your question, no, I really can’t believe it’s been so long. It seems like yesterday, and yet it feels like forever ago. I feel so old.”
“Old?” He gave me a look of disbelief. “No way. You don’t look a day over twenty-eight.”
My giddiness boiled over in the form of a giggle. Damn! Could I sound any more ridiculous? “You’re crazy,” I told him. “I’m actually thirty-eight.”
His eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up. “You’re shittin’ me!”
I shook my head, grinning at his surprise. Another nice ego boost. “Nope.”
“I didn’t know you were only seven years older than me.” The expression on his face changed with this realization.
Only.
Now that’s a thought.
“Well, I was twenty-four when you were seventeen, but you turned eighteen a few weeks after you left Fairbanks, so I guess, technically, I’m closer to six years older.”
“Wow, it seemed like such a huge gap back then, but now… it’s like we’re practically the same age.”
I like the way you think, Chris King.
“Too bad I’m closer to forty and you’re closer to thirty. I wish we could switch ages,” I said wistfully.
Glancing at his empty beer, Chris stood up from his seat, grabbing the bottle off the table. I assumed he was going back into the kitchen for another one.
“Oh, age is just a number,” he assured me, as he stepped away from his seat.
Don’t leave. Keep talking…
As he left the room, he asked, “Want another beer?”
“Sure.” I gulped the last of the bottle.
“And, if it’s any consolation,” he called from the refrigerator, “you look a helluva lot sexier at your age than I do at mine.”