“Dare, that’s what. When did he get so talkative?”
Her father chuckled. “It’s been a while since you’ve spent time with him. He’s been putting that education of his to good use for a while now and helping a lot of people. I take it he finally got your attention?”
“You could say that. We spent the day at Cliffside, and, Dad, he got me to go on the rides.”
His face brightened. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“I know, right? Freaking Dare.”
“How’d he get you to go?”
“That’s just it. I have no idea. One minute my guard was up and I was badass Billie, taking care of myself, and the next minute Dare was standing in my house telling me to get in his truck. And I went.”
“Sounds like he got sick of you snubbing him, but you’re a strong girl, Billie. Some part of you must have wanted to go.”
“I did. I’ve missed him.”
“He’s a good man, sweetheart. He’s stuck by you through thick and thin, and I’m not just talking about these last several years. I’m surprised it took him this long. He has never liked to let you stew. I don’t know if you remember this or not, but when you were eight, you got a bee in your bonnet and told him you didn’t want to be his friend anymore because he called you a stupid girl.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“Maybe because it didn’t last long. That night he stole his daddy’s ATV and drove over here. He used a pocketknife to rip a hole in your window screen and climbed into your bedroom. That boy woke you up and said he wasn’t leaving until you were his friend again.”
She laughed. “Wait, I do remember that, but I didn’t remember why he’d done it. He brought a backpack filled with Oreos, barbecue chips, and Capri Suns, right?” Daredevil snacks. Her favorite snack was Oreos, Dare’s was barbecue chips, and Eddie’s was Capri Suns. They’d lived on them, and their parents had always kept all three on hand.
“Sure did, and his favorite cowboy hat that you stole every chance you got. He said he’d give it to you if you’d be his friend again, even apologized for saying you were stupid.”
“I remember that apology. He said he was sorry he called me stupid but that I’d always be a girl and there was nothing I could do about it.” She smiled. “He was such a weirdo.”
“Maybe so, but when you cut him and everyone off, that weirdo showed up every day, week after week, month after month, begging us to talk to you and convince you to talk to him. He said he’d do whatever it took. He’d work at the bar for free for the rest of his life if we could get you to talk to him. And you know Dare. I’m sure he’d have done it, too.”
“Mom told me he came by, but she never told me he offered to work for free.”
“I’m pretty sure he’d do anything to have you by his side. I still don’t know how or why you broke that bond, but I figured that was your business, and you’d let me know if you ever wanted to talk about it.”
Her chest ached at how many times her father had tried to get her to open up, but she’d been too broken. Or maybe too brokenhearted. “I hated keeping my distance from him, but I was afraid not to.” She traced the letters on her soda can.
“What were you afraid of?”
Tears burned her eyes, and she didn’t know where they came from. She took a drink, willing them away, and forced the difficult words from her lungs. “The truth coming out.”
“Truth?” His brows slanted.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Dad. I broke up with Eddie the day he died, and I did it because I had feelings for Dare. I didn’t tell Eddie that. I just said I didn’t love him the way I should in order to marry him. I tried to give the ring back, but he wouldn’t take it, and he said…” She swiped at the tears that had broken free, trying to keep any more from falling. “‘It’s Dare, isn’t it? It’s always been Dare.’ That’s why he took off on the bike instead of just filming us like he’d planned. He was so angry, and then he was gone, and I never got to explain or say I was sorry. Dare and I got together after the park, and now I feel so guilty about being with him, I don’t know what to do.”
Her father stood and wrapped his arms around her, and in the safety of his arms, she gave in to the tears and the heartache that felt like it was lodged in her bones.
“Let it out, baby. It’s okay.”
“I’m awful, aren’t I?”
“No, sweetheart.”
She nodded against his chest. “Yes, I am.”
He took her by the shoulders, his eyes as serious as she’d ever seen them. “Why on earth would you think that? Do you know how many people are married to spouses they don’t love? If you’d married Eddie, that would have given me pause. But to be honest, Billie, I didn’t expect you to accept his proposal, and neither did he.” He handed her a napkin to wipe her eyes, and they sat back down.
“You knew he was going to propose?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “What did you mean he didn’t think I’d accept? And if you didn’t think I’d accept, why’d you let him ask?”
“I didn’t think he’d go through with it. I thought he’d man up and end things with you.”
“Man up and end things? Was he unhappy?” How could he have been unhappy and she not know?
“No, he wasn’t unhappy. He was confused. He came to see me a few days before he proposed. His love for you was big, baby, and he knew you loved him, so don’t ever question that. But he also knew it wasn’t as fiercely as he loved you. I suggested you two take a break, but he said he couldn’t walk away from you. He needed to know where you stood. Didn’t you guys ever talk about this?”
Her stomach clenched. “You know I’m not much of a talker. He’d ask me if I was happy, and I said I was, because it was true. It’s hard to explain. I loved him, and I was happy with him, but something was always missing. I should have told him that, but I couldn’t.”
“It sounds like you both had your secrets. He had an inkling that things weren’t right, and you had secret feelings for Dare.”
“But why propose? Why not just ask me straight up if I loved him the way he loved me?”
“I suspect it was for the same reason you didn’t just come out and tell him that you had feelings for Dare. The three of you were a love triangle waiting to happen. I can’t tell you how many of our conversations with Dare’s and Eddie’s parents circled that topic over the years.”
“Great,” she said sarcastically.
“Honey, young love is never easy. Eddie had already bought the ring and made his decision. He just wanted my blessing. He said if you turned him down, he’d be devastated, but he’d be able to walk away. So I have to ask, Billie. Why did you accept in the first place?”
“I don’t know. I loved him so much, and he tried so hard to be a great boyfriend. And he succeeded. He was a great boyfriend. I wanted to love him like he loved me, but it just never happened, and then he was down on one knee, holding an engagement ring that he’d chosen just for me, and he was safe.”