Chapter 6
After he left the diner, Cole drove his rental car around town, wandering aimlessly. His thoughts were clouded, and all he could think about was what an ass he'd been. He'd been a fool to think that Amanda would want to talk to him, would want anything to do with him. She had been right about his reputation. Most of the girls he'd slept with, he didn't even remember their names, or anything about them. Why would Amanda think that it would be any different with her?
He drove around for a while, looking at the old, familiar sights of the town he'd grown up in. He drove past the IHOP where he'd worked as a busboy one summer in high school, and past the school's football field where he'd attracted the attention of recruiters and made a name for himself. Those days were long since past, however, and he knew this town was no longer a part of his life.
After driving in circles for a while, he found himself not far from the diner where Amanda worked. He thought about going back inside to apologize to her, to try to explain himself. But he couldn't think what to say.
He was about to drive on past the place and head home, when he spotted Amanda walking down the street. He slowed down as he approached her, wondering why she'd be walking home in the middle of the night. He had assumed she had a car; it hadn't occurred to him until he saw her walking that her restaurant job probably didn't pay her enough to afford one.
He pulled alongside the curb next to her and rolled down the window. “Hey, Amanda.”
She looked at him, an irritated scowl on her face. “Go away, Cole.”
“Amanda, don't be like that. Come on, let me give you a ride.”
“I'm fine,” she said. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself. “Why don't you just head along home? I'm sure the big welcoming party must still be going. You guys used to party all night, didn't you?”
“I'm not in college anymore,” Cole said. Sure, he and his friends used to stay up until all hours of the night, drinking and partying. But being in a professional football team was different. He had to keep himself fit, and early morning training sessions weren't easy to keep up with when you were hung over.
“Come on,” he said, “it's freezing out there. And it looks like it's going to rain.” He peered through the windshield up and the cloudy night sky. There wasn't a single star in sight.
Amanda stopped walking and looked up at the sky. Cole stopped the car right next to her. He leaned across and opened the door for her. “Please?” he said. “I owe you at least a ride home.”
Amanda looked down the street, then let out a long, frustrated sigh. She got in and pulled the door closed, then crossed her arms and turned away from him. “I live on Chestnut Lane,” she said.
Cole started driving, heading in that direction. He remembered it being in the poorer neighborhood. When they got into the right area, he saw that a lot of the houses were rundown, with peeling paint and the shutters hanging off the front of some houses. At one point they passed a couple of guys standing on a street corner, hunched over and talking quietly to each other. They shot suspicious glares at the car as they drove past, then went back to whatever illicit business they were up to in the middle of the night.
Amanda was quiet for most of the drive. She stared out the window, not even looking at Cole. He kept glancing her way, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was blank.
They pulled into her apartment complex. The buildings were badly in need of repair, and the lawn out front was patchy and filled with weeds. Cole looked through the window at the building, trying to find the right apartment, but half the numbers had fallen off the doors.
“Right here's fine,” Amanda said, her voice a bare whisper.
Cole stopped the car and sat there, watching Amanda. It had started to rain, and the only sounds were the rumbling of the engine, the light splattering of raindrops on the car, and the squeak of the windshield wipers.
Amanda reached for the door handle. Cole reached over and took her other hand. “Hey.”
She froze, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. “I need to go upstairs,” she said. “I have to pick up my son.”
He let go of her hand. He'd forgotten that she had a kid. He wondered what the situation was with the kid's father, if he was still around. “Can I come up, and we can talk?” he asked. “Just talk.”
“We don't have anything to talk about.” She got out and slammed the door shut. He watched her walk through the rain and into the apartment. He sat there staring at the building until he saw a light on the third floor turn on. He gazed up at the window, hoping to catch another glimpse of her. But a minute later the light turned out.
Cole sighed and shifted the car into gear. He'd been a fool to think he could become a part of her life again. He drove home through the rain, trying to banished thoughts of Amanda from his mind. But seeing her again, after so many years, had stirred something up inside of him. He couldn't stop thinking about her, no matter how hard he tried.