The Redemption(86)

Sitting down, he stretches his legs out and taps my shoes with his. “Has it really been four years?”

I take in a deep breath and slowly exhale. “It has.” Looking into his eyes to see if I still know the man before me, I ask, “Why are you here?”

“Because I miss him and I needed to make things right with him before I tried to make them right with you.”

“Looks like you get two for one today.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m tired of apologies. I’m just tired, Dex. You know nothing goes as planned when it comes to emotions. We can’t control our feelings. We can only try to control our reactions. So as much as I want to open my arms and kiss you again,” I say, “I can’t right now.”

He pulls something from his shirt pocket. When he turns it over, he shows me. It’s the photo from his bedroom and the one I packed in his duffle before shipping it to him. “You’ve seen the photo, but I should explain.”

“Is now the time?”

“I took it from Cory’s stuff years ago. I shouldn’t have. I always felt bad for stealing it, for betraying our friendship like that, for being in love with his woman. I didn’t care when it came down to it. I couldn’t give it back. I even helped him search the hotel room for it.”

“Dex—” His name comes with a warning. He’s getting too close to territory I can’t have him enter or I’ll lose it entirely.

“I came here to return it to him. I was a shitty friend to him and he never gave up on me. You never gave up on me either, so I can at least return the damn picture.”

“The picture doesn’t matter. Your honesty does. He’d understand.”

He laughs. “He’d understand that his friend and the drummer in his band is in love with the same woman as him?”

“No,” I say with a laugh. “Maybe not, but none of that matters now. Just say your peace and don’t worry about the rest.”

“Maybe one day I’ll forgive myself and you’ll find a way to forgive me again, to see the man I was when we were together.”

“Maybe,” I say, not to be cruel, but to let him know I can see he’s not ready yet. I stand up next to him, dusting off my skirt. When I’m done, I remain there without looking at him, my arm touching his. “It all starts with seeing the errors of your way. Stop punishing yourself over the petty stuff that doesn’t matter. There’s a lot of pain that comes with life. Focus on the good you’ve been given.” With my fingers grazing over his shoulders, I walk back to the car.

“Rochelle,” he calls.

I turn around and stop, wanting to hear what he says… and maybe steal one last glance at him before leaving. “Yeah?”

“Do you think you can forgive me?”

“Try me sometime.”

With a gentle smile and a nod, he says, “Until then…”

“Until then…”





Standing there in front of the mail basket, I didn’t know what to make of the invitation in my hand. I’d read it three times already, but decided I need to read it again hoping it would clarify things for me.



Dear Ms. Floros,

You are cordially invited to the home of

Katherine Dexter Caggiano

High Tea

Friday at 3:30 p.m.



Nope, it makes no more sense to why Dex’s mother is inviting me over than it did the first three times I read it. I pull up the planner on my phone and clear it. If she’s asking me over, I feel I should go despite the absence of her son in my life.

I start to wonder if Dex will be there or does he even know I’ve been invited?

I miss him so much.





Lara stops by with lunch.

“I missed you. Stop traveling so much,” I joke. “I kid, kind of. Okay, I mean it. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too. I brought us sushi.”

“Excellent. I’m starved. Let’s eat outside.” We walk to the back patio and sit down at the table I’ve set. White wine is poured and we dig into the food and fall back into all the latest gossip. “How was New York?”

“It’s New York. It never changes, yet, it’s always changing. That makes no sense, but I’m just not a New Yorker. I need sunshine and the ocean to inspire me and my designs.”

“I’m glad you’re back. I’ve needed someone to take my mind off things.”

“So Dex hasn’t called?”

“No.” I drag my salmon roll through the wasabi, then say, “I’ve seen so much tragedy come to those who got too much in life too soon. But slowly we’re all working through it, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Dex seems to be caught in a mixture of emotions. He’s happy when he’s with me. I can tell he’s at peace. But something inside of him wants to destroy us, to destroy that peace as if he’s undeserving of it. He’s gonna have to figure this out or we’ll never be together.”

“So you’re willing to wait and see?”

“I am for him, but he doesn’t know that yet.”

“You’re a wonderful person. Better than most.” Lara holds her glass up and we toast. Though I’m not sure what we’re toasting to.