Someone Else’s Life(24)

Serena met Annie’s eyes and shook her head slightly. “It’s . . . I can’t. Not right now. Things had been difficult for a while, ever since . . . but we were excited about the wedding. At least, I thought we were excited. I was excited. But it turned out, he wasn’t.” Serena’s eyes glazed over, as if she’d been transported back to her past. “And then something happened, and he told me he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t marry me. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us, he said. He wanted me to . . .” She broke off, and the look of pain flashed over her face again. “He said he couldn’t live with me anymore.”

“I’m so sorry.” Annie frowned. She didn’t know the whole story, but that sounded devastating to her. Just as devastating as losing her mother and Lili and her business.

“It was a weird time.” Serena sighed. “He said I was ‘acting funny.’ That one minute, I’d be the Serena he knew, and then the next, I’d be this stranger.” She looked up and met Annie’s eyes, her forehead bunched up. “I have no idea what he was talking about. He made me sound like I had a split personality or something. I don’t.” She reached a hand out to Annie. “I mean, do I seem normal to you?”

Annie nodded. “Yes. I’ve only just met you, but you seem very steady to me.”

“Right?” Serena shrugged again. “But it wasn’t just that. He’d turned into a stranger too. He wasn’t the Danny I knew when we met. I asked if there was someone else.” She fell silent.

“Was there?” Annie was almost afraid to ask. That was what usually happened, right? Someone cheated and a couple broke up?

“He never answered. Just looked at me with this mournful expression, and then he said he was sorry and left.” Serena licked her lips and then took a sip of her wine. She gave a grim smile. “That’s why I’m single now. I don’t trust men after Danny. He promised me the world, and then he left me all alone. Even knowing that I had no one. No family to turn to.”

Annie got up from the table and walked over to Serena’s side, leaning down to give her shoulders a squeeze before picking up their dirty dishes. She wanted to offer Serena some comfort, but she didn’t know how the other woman would react if Annie hugged her like she would have hugged Julia or Izzy if something had happened to them.

Serena stayed seated while Annie cleared the table, and Annie knew she was getting her emotions under control. She loaded their dishes and utensils into the tiny dishwasher, then turned to look at her friend, who now looked composed, her hands folded in her lap.

“Hey, I picked up slices of lilikoi pie from Hamura’s earlier. We can have it for dessert. Have you ever tried it?” Annie took down two glasses and got a pitcher of water from the fridge, holding it up with a question at Serena. Serena nodded, and Annie filled the glasses with ice and then water. She brought them to the table.

“Thanks. I didn’t realize how thirsty the red wine and lu rou fan made me.” Serena took a healthy swallow and then said, “I’ve never had lilikoi pie before. Is it good?”

Annie rolled her eyes. “So good. It’s really refreshing and so light. I think Hamura Saimin has the best lilikoi pie on the island. The three of us always get it after saimin when we eat there.”

“What’s saimin?” Serena looked at her with curiosity, and Annie was glad she’d distracted her.

“You’ve never been to Hamura’s?” Annie’s mouth dropped in disbelief. “It’s usually everyone’s first stop after landing at the airport. It’s like Hawaii’s version of a ramen noodle soup. The restaurant is nothing fancy. It’s counter service and no frills but such great food. I’ll take you.”

“Really?” Serena rested her chin in the palm of one hand. “Are you just saying that to be polite, or do you mean it?”

Annie was struck by the vulnerability in Serena’s voice. She’d had so many disappointments in her life—no wonder she was wary of a simple invitation. “I mean it. I promise.” She pointed at Serena before going to the fridge. She took two clear plastic clamshell containers out and popped one open, placing it in front of Serena along with a plastic fork. “Here, try it. I don’t know why, but it always tastes better to me with a plastic fork.”

Serena speared a piece and made a humming noise when she swallowed it. “It’s so light and airy, and the passionfruit filling isn’t too strong. It literally melts in my mouth.”

“Right?” Annie sat down and took a bite of her piece. “Yum. This,” she said, pointing to her slice, “is one of the best parts of Kauai.”

Serena didn’t say anything because her mouth was full, but she nodded in agreement. There was silence for the next few moments, as they both focused on the pie. When Annie was almost done with her slice, she asked, “Where are you from?”

“New York. I lived on Long Island,” Serena said.

“We’re from New York too. Another thing we have in common.” She raised her fork in a mock cheers, and Serena copied her.

Annie gestured out the window when a gust of wind howled like it wanted to tear inside the Ohana. “It doesn’t sound like it’s letting up. I haven’t seen a storm this bad in Kauai before.” She placed her fork down and stretched. “I’m going to clean this up, and then I should probably pack a bag, like Sam said.”