Fate Interrupted

20. One Last Time

Ren

AUGUST 1998

The following months, as my senior year drew to a close, were rough. Gio and I were still together, but our relationship was strained. Well, more like weak and dying, on life support really, a shadow of what it was—going through the motions, not wanting to, or not knowing how to end it—letting it slowly die in our arms. Like putting your favorite pet to sleep.

I was headed to NY in a few days.

It was late Sunday afternoon, and I was driving back towards my dad's house from spending the weekend at my mom's. I hadn't really spoken to Gio all weekend, but I had a feeling I knew where he was. He'd taken up surfing more often, especially in the evenings after work.

I needed to see him. We only had a few days left. I kept driving with the sun in my eyes, winding west through the golden headlands and out to the coast.

I had to check a few beaches, looking out for his car. I finally found it at Doran Beach. I pulled up beside it. I crested the dune from the parking lot and looked down onto the wide beach.

The sun was aiming to go down soon, sending glittering rays of sunlight over the water. I saw one black dot out in the water and two more on a log, surfboards in the sand. I slid down the dune on my butt, dusted off my cut-off jean shorts and black hoodie, and made my way toward them.

I found Eddie and Charlie on the log, half-stripped out of their wetsuits, drying off and smoking a joint.

"Heeey, Girly," Eddie drawled, combing the wet brown curls of his hair. "Looking for G?"

"Who else?" I shrugged.

"She's looking for me, dude," Charlie grinned, his playful brown eyes twinkling over his freckled, upturned nose, blowing out the smoke from the joint and passing it back to Eddie.

"Of course, Charlie," I smiled, rolling my eyes. "You are my secret informer now."

That had been a little inside joke between us lately. Charlie used to have the biggest crush on me, but we had become good friends since Gio and I got together, and lately, we'd been talking even more to gain insight into where Gio was or what he felt since he had started pulling away. It never stopped Charlie from flirting a little, but Gio and I were used to it by now.

"You know it," he said, scooting over on the log to make room for me.

"I'm gonna head," Eddie said, holding in his toke and passing the joint back to Charlie. "Later, guys," he said on his exhale. He grabbed his board and headed back over the hill.

"Gio, coming back in soon?" I asked Charlie.

"Hard to tell," he said, taking a last puff and snuffing it out on the log. "He's been staying out there a long time recently. It's been therapeutic for him. Helps him stay in the moment, yanoe."

"Yeah..."

"He's been having a pretty rough week. Not sleeping much."

"I kinda felt that," I murmured.

"Yeah, I know, you know. Still not having second thoughts?"

"No, I mean, yeah." I heaved a big sigh. "But it's all arranged. I gotta try it out." I paused, "Charlie?"

Yeah,"

"Will he be okay?" I said, tears starting to form in my eyes.

"I hope so," Charlie said, giving me a commiserate one-armed hug. We sat there for a minute in silence, watching the black dot that was Gio out on the waves.