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“Do you think you can run away and change your name to hide your true feelings? I have no closure. You stole that from me.”
Xander looked at her warily.
“This is officially your closure. Move on with your life. Find a husband, get married and forget I exist. This is my home now. I was no good for you. You told me that you wanted nothing to do with me, so you got your wish. I left before I could hurt you any further.”
“How dare you throw my words back at me. That was out of anger and before I could take it back, the accident occurred. Then you were gone. I only recently found the notes you left for me. If you want nothing to do with me then why Xander; why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you send me lavender roses for my graduation? Were you there hiding from me? Too cowardly to show your face? What about the rose you painted in the art lodge at the camp? Are you going to lie and say that wasn’t for me? Then the text that you missed me? If you want closure, then be done with me and shut off all communication. Stop sticking knives into my heart.”
Tears were freely streaming down her face now. She turned and walked away leaving him to ponder the questions she had asked. She started to run out of the park at full speed until her lungs burned with the heat of the day. She ran to the inn and rushed into her room. Rachel had just woken up and was frightened by Ava’s crying.
“What the hell is going on? Why are you crying?”
“I saw him. He’s here,” she sobbed.
“You mean Xander? Is that who you are talking about?”
“Yes. He’s here, and I spoke to him. He doesn’t want me. He said that he is officially giving me closure to move on with my life. Can you fucking believe that? He is giving me permission to go on without him.” She started crying even harder, and Rachel sat next to her to give her comfort. Ava reached inside her shirt and tore at the necklace which she threw on the bed.
“This means nothing to me anymore.”
Rachel tried to soothe her and got her a washcloth to wipe her face. Ava stretched out on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. When she had fallen asleep, Rachel left the room. She wasn’t sure she could help Ava with her problem. In all the years she knew Xander, he could be a stubborn bastard. He had proved that by disappearing.
She walked across the street to get something to eat. As she walked by the bar next door to the drugstore, she saw him sitting with his back to the window with two other men. She entered the bar.
“Hey, asshole, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Without even looking at her he answered. “Do all you Keenes have to call me an asshole?”
The two men sitting with him laughed. He got up from his chair and walked to a quiet table in the corner of the bar. Rachel followed him, and she sat down.
“So who else called you an asshole?” Rachel asked with a smirk.
“Jacob did last week when he came to see my mother in the hospital.”
“See, we call you that because you are one. What the fuck are you doing to Ava? It’s so unfair, Xander.”
“My name is Alex.”
“Fuck you, Wilder. I shared a crib and a bathtub with you when we were babies, and you will always be Xander to me. You can’t just disappear and change your God Damn name to Alex to make it all better. It’s not better, and it won’t be until you’re together with Ava. And what the fuck is that thing on your face? Really?”
“I can’t be with her. She is better off without me. What’s on my face?”
“You can be with her, and she is not better off without you. She is a freaking blubbering mess. She came into our room crying so hard that I thought someone died. I’m talking about that rat’s nest on your face. Ever hear of scissors? Or a lawn mower in your case.”
“I told her to move on with her life. I have.”
Rachel pushed her purse onto the floor, and when Xander reached down to pick it up, his necklace with the ring fell out of his shirt. As he went to tuck it back in his shirt, she grabbed at it and held it in her hand.
“Is this what you mean by moving on with your life? You’re full of shit, Xander. You haven’t moved on; you’re stagnating. And now she is dating this guy that kind of creeps us out.” She let that slip by accident, but it had the impact she needed.
“My father said she was dating someone, but I didn’t believe it.” He felt like someone punched him in the stomach.
“She just started dating him, brought him to the barbecue. I don’t like him, but in the interest of not making her life more complicated, I didn’t say anything to her. He is much too charming for me, and that always raises red flags. So either you come back, or she will be with this guy that is all wrong for her. I think all the badgering we all did has finally gotten to her.”
“Why are you here anyway?”
“If you wouldn’t have disappeared you would have a clue. I have a client in Montreal, and I need to go over patterns and fabrics with her.”
“For what? What type of patterns?”
“Wilder has that tan gone to your brain? I design wedding dresses with my husband, Rigo. If you had swallowed your pride, you would have met him when we got married. Ava came with me, and we were going to make a girl’s weekend out of it in Montreal. My car broke down, and it’s in the repair shop by Dunkin' Donuts.”
“Isn’t that convenient that your car broke down where I live?”
“If you are accusing me of staging this then you’re crazy. Do you think I climbed up on my car engine and messed with the fuel injectors? I have no idea where they even are. I never knew you lived here until now.”
Xander was curious about what had gone on while he had been away and he spent the next two hours talking with Rachel. His parents didn’t tell him much with his brief visits to the city. When they were done talking, Rachel hugged him and told him to shave and get a haircut. The room was dark when she entered, and she heard Ava’s even breathing.
