Garrett. I pursed my lips; hopefully she wasn't telling horror stories of our youth. That was the only bad thing about knowing my best friend since I was seven; she knew every embarrassing story from elementary through high school.
"Okay, first of all," Mandy said. "Holy hottie! You didn't tell me he was that good looking."
"Yes, I did," I said, rolling my eyes.
Her bright blue eyes looked up, and she scrunched her face. "Oh, maybe you did, but I didn't believe you!"
"Garrett is a handsome fella, and I know about handsome fellas â I see one in the mirror every morning," Dad chimed in from behind the fridge door.
We laughed.
"Seriously though, he is really into you. Are you interested in him?" Mandy asked.
I tapped my foot. "I thought you came in to check on your potatoes, not grill me."
"The potatoes were done ten minutes ago; they are staying warm in the oven. I just wanted to talk about your man!" she said bumping me with her hip.
"You're the devil," I laughed.
"I prefer mad genius," she said.
"I'll keep that in mind," I assured.
****
Garrett and I sat in the double rocking chair that was usually reserved for my mother and father, who seemed over eager to relinquish it. Dinner was amazing; my memory didn't do justice to my dad's grilling skills. Garrett seemed to enjoy the food, for how much of it he put away. I had never seen someone eat so much food, but then again I'd never been with a man so big. His appetite didn't affect his small waistline. I didn't know if it was because of all of the exercise he got in the Army or just good genes.
I turned my attention to the fire pit; the coals were losing their glow. Soon their heat would be gone. One of the coals had already turned completely black, and it stood out against all of the others that still had orange and red pulsing through them. It was so dull and lifeless in comparison, and I wondered if that was what I had turned myself into following around Phillip for all those years. He had done nothing for so long, and as much as I wanted to move forward, I couldn't, not with him. Stagnant water killed the body and a stagnant life killed the soul. My life could move on now, and I wanted it to. I stole a glance at Garrett and wondered if he would be part of it.
"Looks like my fire's dying; why don't you come and grab some firewood with me, Garrett?" my dad asked.
"Yes, sir," Garrett replied. He gave my hand a squeeze and reluctantly let it go.
Garrett followed my dad to the back of the property where the wood pile was stacked, disappearing behind the trees.
Skylar slid into Garrett's emptied seat and draped an arm over me. "I like him," she said matter of factly.
"Really?" I asked. Skylar was hard to impress, especially if one happened to be male. She had known too many jerks to trust a man right off the bat.
"Yeah, I think he's special. I wish you could see the way he looks at you. It's a nice change," she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked looking over my shoulder to make sure they were still out of ear shot.
"Garrett looks at you like you're the most amazing thing he's ever seenâ"
"You're crazy." Why would anyone look at me like that?
She glared at me. "No, I'm not. He holds your hand and looks down at it like he thinks it's a privilege that you would let him hold it. Phil always acted like you were just an accessory â and like you should feel privileged to be that accessory," Skylar said, gritting her teeth. She'd never liked Phil.
"I felt like that at the end. It just took me too long to see it," I whispered.
"It happens to most of us. You remember Jerry." Her teeth snapped at the name.
Yes, I remembered him; he had treated her like garbage â but Phil wasn't that bad; he had never cheated on me.
"Well, you shouldn't feel stupid for falling for the wrong guy. I fell for Jerry. I fell hard, and if you think I wasn't just as heartbroken, then you're insane. But, if you let that mistake define the rest of your lifeâ¦if you let
"Okay, first of all," Mandy said. "Holy hottie! You didn't tell me he was that good looking."
"Yes, I did," I said, rolling my eyes.
Her bright blue eyes looked up, and she scrunched her face. "Oh, maybe you did, but I didn't believe you!"
"Garrett is a handsome fella, and I know about handsome fellas â I see one in the mirror every morning," Dad chimed in from behind the fridge door.
We laughed.
"Seriously though, he is really into you. Are you interested in him?" Mandy asked.
I tapped my foot. "I thought you came in to check on your potatoes, not grill me."
"The potatoes were done ten minutes ago; they are staying warm in the oven. I just wanted to talk about your man!" she said bumping me with her hip.
"You're the devil," I laughed.
"I prefer mad genius," she said.
"I'll keep that in mind," I assured.
****
Garrett and I sat in the double rocking chair that was usually reserved for my mother and father, who seemed over eager to relinquish it. Dinner was amazing; my memory didn't do justice to my dad's grilling skills. Garrett seemed to enjoy the food, for how much of it he put away. I had never seen someone eat so much food, but then again I'd never been with a man so big. His appetite didn't affect his small waistline. I didn't know if it was because of all of the exercise he got in the Army or just good genes.
I turned my attention to the fire pit; the coals were losing their glow. Soon their heat would be gone. One of the coals had already turned completely black, and it stood out against all of the others that still had orange and red pulsing through them. It was so dull and lifeless in comparison, and I wondered if that was what I had turned myself into following around Phillip for all those years. He had done nothing for so long, and as much as I wanted to move forward, I couldn't, not with him. Stagnant water killed the body and a stagnant life killed the soul. My life could move on now, and I wanted it to. I stole a glance at Garrett and wondered if he would be part of it.
"Looks like my fire's dying; why don't you come and grab some firewood with me, Garrett?" my dad asked.
"Yes, sir," Garrett replied. He gave my hand a squeeze and reluctantly let it go.
Garrett followed my dad to the back of the property where the wood pile was stacked, disappearing behind the trees.
Skylar slid into Garrett's emptied seat and draped an arm over me. "I like him," she said matter of factly.
"Really?" I asked. Skylar was hard to impress, especially if one happened to be male. She had known too many jerks to trust a man right off the bat.
"Yeah, I think he's special. I wish you could see the way he looks at you. It's a nice change," she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked looking over my shoulder to make sure they were still out of ear shot.
"Garrett looks at you like you're the most amazing thing he's ever seenâ"
"You're crazy." Why would anyone look at me like that?
She glared at me. "No, I'm not. He holds your hand and looks down at it like he thinks it's a privilege that you would let him hold it. Phil always acted like you were just an accessory â and like you should feel privileged to be that accessory," Skylar said, gritting her teeth. She'd never liked Phil.
"I felt like that at the end. It just took me too long to see it," I whispered.
"It happens to most of us. You remember Jerry." Her teeth snapped at the name.
Yes, I remembered him; he had treated her like garbage â but Phil wasn't that bad; he had never cheated on me.
"Well, you shouldn't feel stupid for falling for the wrong guy. I fell for Jerry. I fell hard, and if you think I wasn't just as heartbroken, then you're insane. But, if you let that mistake define the rest of your lifeâ¦if you let
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