The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara
Sixty-Seven
I would lie if I said I didn’t spend the next couple of hours watching Celine and Aaron, hoping he’d make a move, praying she’d say yes. I almost forgot my own complications for those two hours. I focused less on Ethan reading my book or why he hadn’t suggested we spend another day together, or why when I look at him, I can’t stop looking at him.
Instead, I took out the notebook, and wrote down Aaron and Celine’s story, this time not only based on my imagination but what was right in front of my eyes. I like these new stories, much more than my old ones. I don’t want to say the literary agents were right, but I will admit they’re far more realistic. Not less hopelessly romantic, though.
When Aaron left the money on the table and walked away without coming in, my heart sank. Looking at Celine and seeing the same disappointed reaction on her face made things worse. I gave her hope and it backfired. I wanted to go after him but didn’t know what else to say; instead, I just stood there, watching him leave.
About half an hour later, before we start dinner service, Ethan leaves to meet someone.
“I’ll see you ladies later,” he says from the door and waves smilingly.
“What’s he so happy about?” asks Celine and I hear the hurt in her voice.
I made a mistake and I’m so sorry about it. I got overconfident after my success with Brienne and Alan. I had good intentions but didn’t know anything about these two. Only what Ethan told me.
It’s early in the evening when a man walks in with a large bouquet of red roses.
“Celine Delphy?” he asks, looking between Celine and me.
“That’s me,” she says.
“Can you please sign here?” he says and gives her a pad.
I swear I’m more excited even than she is, and I want to snatch that card out of her hand and read it. Could it be that Aaron listened to me? Is it possible it worked after all?
She reads the card, and her face turns pink. Then red. Is she happy or mad? I can’t tell.
“Where are they from?”
“Aaron,” she says.
“They’re beautiful,” I say.
“He’s never sent me flowers before.”
“Ever?”
She shakes her head and when I look at her, I see she has tears in her eyes.
“Celine, don’t be sad. This is something to be happy about,” I say.
“Now? After all these years?” she says and shows me the card.
This might surprise you. The out-of-the-blue flowers, the out-of-the-blue apologies. Except they’re not out-of-the-blue. I have been thinking about it… about you for a long time. I never stopped. I feel that more than anything, what I want you to know is that what I said that last night we were together is still true. And it always will be. Aaron
“What is he referring to? What did he say that last night?” I ask.
Celine wipes a tear with the back of her hand. “That he never stopped loving me.”
She’s now full-blown crying, so I take her in the back, away from prying eyes.
“It’s my fault. I don’t even know why he’s apologizing. He did nothing wrong.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
She blows her nose, and I think she’ll stop crying, but the tears keep on coming.
“I was the one who broke off our relationship when he left for college. I told him I wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. He insisted and insisted, until he forced me to say—”
She sits down and holds her head in her hands.
“What?”
“I told him that I didn’t love him, and I didn’t want to be with him. I thought he was going to find someone else in college, leave me and I’d have my heart broken, so I did it first.”
“Oh, Celine.”
“It was stupid, I know. And then I went on and did something even stupider. I married a man who never loved me and who I thought I was in love with, when in fact, all I was trying to do was forget Aaron. Look where that got me,” she says with tears in her eyes.
“You were young; we all make mistakes when we’re young. Some of us still do.”
She attempts a smile.
“He obviously still loves you,” I say. “And you love him too.”
“I—”
“Don’t even try it with me,” I say.
“What do you think I should do? Should I message him?”
“What is your heart telling you?”
She hugs me and there’s a smile on her face that makes me think she’s made a decision and I couldn’t be happier if this was my own love story.