Chapter Forty-Two: Faith in a New Love?:

I made it down to the beach. By now, it was ten in the morning. The beach started to get crowded. I looked around for Heather. I couldn’t see with this many people around. I pulled out my phone and started to type up a text.

“I’m here. Where are you?” I wrote. I pressed send. I held my breath and looked around. Still no sight on her. I cursed myself under my breath. Damn it. Where are you?

My phone pinged in my hand. I didn’t know who it was when I looked down. Oh look, it’s Heather.

“Look up,” the text said. I raised my head. Heather was standing inches away from me. I lowered my phone.

“Oh,” I said.

We sat near the waves moments later. Heather looked like she had been crying. I held up my phone.

“What were you trying to tell me on the phone?” I asked. More tears welled up in her eyes. I braced myself for the dam to break. I’m not good at this, but I still had to be there for her.

“He’s gone!” she whimpered. “My boyfriend dumped me. He’s been cheating on me!” I sat back, looking stunned.

“What happened?” I asked. I didn’t mean for that to come out that way.

“Some girl called my house asking for him,” Heather whimpered. “I asked who it was. She refused to tell me and hung up.”

“That doesn’t seem nice,” I said. “Did you talk to him?”

“Yes,” she said. I just had to know more. Sure, it was bad of me. Maybe it was because I thought that I still had a chance. I shouldn’t have been thinking like that. But I just couldn’t help it. I had to know everything.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“He tried to change the subject,” Heather said, sniffling. “We got into a huge fight. And then… And then…” She got lost in sobbing again. I put the pieces together in my head of what happened.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. She leaned her head on my chest and cried. I just froze. I was never good at comforting people. That goes double for girls. Though, it did feel kind of nice.

“So… what are you going to do?” I asked. I didn’t look down at her as I spoke. Um… Uh… Well…

“Nathan,” she said. I looked down at her.

“Hm?” I asked. Heather still had tears in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

“Yes?” I asked. Heather didn’t speak. My eyes shifted away from her for a second. The waves in background filled the silence. I pressed my lips together.

“What do you want to do right now?” I asked. Heather trembled when I asked her that. There was a pause for a moment. How long were we going to stay out here? I looked around at the beach. More people were starting to come now. Families with their kids, it looks like. That’s right, it’s summer now.

I was pulled back to earth when Heather grabbed onto my shirt. I looked down to see a desperate look in her eyes.

“Hm? Did you want something?” I asked. Then without warning, she leaned up and kissed me on the lips. No warning. It just happened. I didn’t even get time to react. I didn’t push her off. I didn’t stop her. I just sat there and let it happen. To be honest, it felt… rather nice.

It ended just as suddenly as it started.

I opened my eyes as Heather pulled away. She looked away from me, blushing.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said. I shook my head.

“No,” I said. Heather looked up at me so confused.

“No?” she asked. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking straight. In fact, part of me hoped that we caught get together at the right time. Heather leapt up to her feet.

“I have to go. This was a mistake,” she said. I watched as she ran away on the beach. The only thing I did was give her a little wave.

“Bye,” I mumbled. My heart did little flutters in my chest. Maybe there was hope yet? I would like to think so. However, reality came back as soon as my phone rang—again.