“Karly, I need you to get Eric. I just… I need to talk to him.”
I feel a ping of sadness as she rambles, “Hanna….”
“Don’t ask,” She sighs, “Just send him to my room.”
She’s frantic, and it’s now that I realize her cold feet were actually frozen. She was going to call the wedding off anyway.
“Hanna!” I cut her off, “Eric left.”
I hear her gasp before the phone cuts off, and everyone stares at each other with unsure looks when I get to the bridal suite. We all silence and ignore the elephant in the room until Hanna returns. She barges in like she’s on a mission, cramming her stuff into her purse.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
Hanna’s mom finally speaks up for the first time, probably ever. “I think we all know where she’s going.”
Blakely and Lexie, Hanna’s other friends, share a glance, and a small smile spreads across Blakely’s face. It’s obvious that she’d be happy about this. Jameson, Ellie’s father, is her brother-in-law. I roll my eyes, unable to hide my aggravation.
Jameson fucked up for years. Who was there to pick up his slack? Eric. Every single time.
“First, I’m going to find Eric,” Hanna acknowledges, mashing around on her phone. While I stare a burning hole into her back.
God, I love her, but right now, I think she’s being extremely stupid. Especially since I was there when everything went down with Jameson. Every fight, every tear, every ultrasound. She has this amazing, brilliant, beautiful man ready to marry her, and yet she’s still stuck in the past with a man that is going to do nothing but disappoint her.
“He’s not answering,” She sighs.
It’s like a switch inside me flips, and I can’t stand here and watch it anymore. I storm out of the room, slamming the door behind me and letting Hanna know I think she’s making a terrible mistake. The urge to find Jameson and bust his lip or hit him with my car is strong, but for some reason, the little voice inside my head is telling me to find Eric instead. He must be devastated.
I dial his number and no answer. I text, with zero response. I realize then that it must be awful because Eric is the guy you can always count on to answer the phone. The guy who is there when his friends need him.
But who is there for him?
I sit in my car and contemplate my next move. He wouldn’t go home. He wouldn’t go anywhere he’d usually go at the risk of being found. So he must be somewhere no one would think to look, but where? I stare into the parking lot, trying to replay every conversation we’ve ever had because we were friends. Eric and I are friends. We’ve always been friends. Hell, he’s even bailed me out of a few shitty situations. He didn’t even think twice about doing it either because he’s just a good guy. Then it hits me. The one place Eric would never willingly go.
The beach.
He hates the beach. He’d never go with Hanna and Ellie. He literally said it was like hell for him. The sand, the tourists, the damn birds. I pull my car into drive and head out of the parking lot if he’s not there hiding. I don’t know where he’d be. I guess my next option would be to check every bar within a fifty-mile radius cause that is precisely where I’d be.
Getting fucking trashed.
I don’t see Eric’s vehicle when I pull into the public beach access parking lot. That kinda makes me think it’s probably a bust. A stupid idea because I don’t really know him.
Not like Hanna does.
I step out of the car, and the breeze takes my dress and instantly blows it around. My hair is luckily pinned up, so it isn’t going too wild. The pier is in the distance, and I make my way onto the sand, but the beach is packed. Which isn’t unusual for a Saturday in the summer. With my sandals in my hand, I walk along the sand, dodging a few stray frisbees and kids. After walking for what seems like miles, the hustle and bustle calm, and I spot him. Ass in the sand, gaze pointed down. His skin glows against the sun that is finally starting to set.
I drop my shoes to the sand, causing his eyes to turn, “What do you want, Jolene?”
I can’t help but roll my eyes at the nickname. The same one he’s called me since the day we met. Blame my auburn hair and green eyes for that one.
“Just checking on my friend.”
He sighs, “Well, aren’t you in the wrong place?”
I know he means I should be with Hanna, and he’s probably right, but something is telling me I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I can’t explain it.
“I don’t think I am,” I whisper. “Are you okay?”
He laughs, “No.”