The Last Song

The way she said “that girl” made Ro

“Mom-”

“Stop! Don’t even try to make excuses! It was Megan’s wedding, Will, don’t you get that? Her wedding! You know how important this was to all of us. You know how hard your father and I worked to get everything ready!”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen-”

“It doesn’t matter, Will.” Ro

“You haven’t even given her a chance-”

“Judge Chambers recognized her! He told me she’s going to court later this month for felony shoplifting! So either you didn’t know and she’s been lying to you, or you did know and you’ve been lying to me!”

There was a tense silence, and despite herself, Ro

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

“Will, honey… don’t you get that she’s not good enough for you? You’ve got your whole future ahead of you, and the last thing you need in your life is someone like her. I’ve been waiting for you to figure it out on your own, but obviously you’re too emotionally involved to see the obvious. She’s not good enough for you. She’s low-class. Low! Class!”

As the voices escalated, Ro

“Are you okay?” Tom asked. He was standing in the doorway, holding his car keys.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Blakelee,” she blurted out. “I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”

“I know you didn’t,” he said. Despite his sympathetic response, she knew he had to be upset as well. How could he not be? Though no one was seriously hurt, two guests who’d been knocked over during the commotion had been taken to the hospital. He was in control of his emotions, and she was thankful for that. Had he even raised his voice, she would have burst into tears.

“Would you like me to drive you home? It’s pretty chaotic out there right now. Your dad might have trouble getting to the house.”

Ro

Tom nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I can do that.”

She didn’t throw up and didn’t cry, but she didn’t say anything in what had to be the longest car ride of her life. Nor did Tom, though that wasn’t exactly surprising.

The house was quiet when she got home; the lights were off, and both Jonah and her dad were sound asleep. From the hallway, she could hear her father breathing; it was deep and heavy, as though he’d had a long, hard day. But all she could think as she crawled into bed and began to cry was that no day could have been longer and harder than the one she’d just endured.

Her eyes were still puffy and sore as she felt someone shaking her awake. Squinting up, she saw Jonah sitting on the bed beside her.

“You’ve got to get up.”

The images from the night before and the things Susan had said came surging back, making her suddenly feel nauseated.

“I don’t want to get up.”

“You don’t have a choice. There’s someone here.”

“Will?”

“No,” he said. “Someone else.”

“Ask Dad if he can handle it,” she said, pulling the covers over her head.

“I would, except that he’s still sleeping. And besides, she asked for you.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know, but she’s waiting for you outside. And she’s hot.”

After throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt, Ro

“You look terrible,” Megan said without preamble.

She was dressed in shorts and a tank top, but Jonah was right: Up close, she was even prettier than she’d been at the wedding yesterday. She also radiated a self-confidence that made Ro

“I’m really sorry about ruining your wedding…,” Ro

Megan held up a hand. “You didn’t ruin the wedding,” she said with a wry smile. “You made the reception… memorable…”

At Megan’s comment, Ro

“Don’t cry,” Megan said gently. “I don’t blame you. If it was anyone’s fault, it was Marcus’s.”

Ro

“Yeah, I know what happened. Will and I talked after my mom was finally finished with him. I think I’m pretty clear on everything. So like I said, I don’t blame you. Marcus is insane. He always has been.”

Ro

“Umm… if you’re not here to yell at me, then why did you come?” Ro

“Partly because I talked to Will. But the main reason I came is because I want to know something. And I want you to tell me the truth.”

Ro

“I want to know if you love my brother.”

Ro

Megan had asked for the truth, and in light of the kindness she’d shown, Ro

“Yes, I do.”

“It’s not a summer fling?”

Ro

Studying her face, Megan slowly began to smile. “Okay,” she said. “I believe you.”

Ro

As Ro

“Thank you,” she murmured, unable to think of a better response.

“Don’t thank me. This isn’t about you. This is about my brother, and he’s still crazy about you,” she said with a knowing smile. “Anyway, my point is that since you’re in love with him, then you shouldn’t worry about what happened at the reception. All you did was give my mom a story she’s going to tell for the rest of her life. Believe me, she’ll get a lot of mileage out of it. In time, she’ll get over this. She always does.”

“I don’t know…”

“That’s because you don’t know her. Oh, she’s tough, don’t get me wrong. And protective. But once you get to know her, there’s no one better in the world. She’ll do anything for anyone she cares about.”

Her words echoed Will’s description, but so far, Ro

“You should talk to Will,” Megan said, lowering her sunglasses into place as she prepared to leave. “Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting you go to the house. And besides, he’s not there.”

“Where is he?”

She motioned over her shoulder, toward the pier in the distance. “He’s at the tournament. Their first game starts in forty minutes.”