A Bridge of Her Own (11 page)

Chapter 16

After leaving San Francisco, the girls headed towards Las Vegas, Nevada. Although still physically exhausted from all the walking the day before, they got up early to beat the rush hour traffic out of San Francisco. They pulled onto the Strip in Vegas around 4pm later that day. They were staying at the old end of the strip for a ridiculous twenty-five bucks. They didn’t gamble much since they mostly came to see the lights and people watch. They
strolled the strip and had dinner at the Paris Café before going to see one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Jane’s mom had bought them the tickets for the show, and it was like nothing they had ever seen.

Over the years, PBS would televise different performances live from Las Vegas during different fundraising campaigns. Seeing it live, though, was something else all together. Lacey sat with her mouth open, and Jane kept holding her breath, not wanting to make any movement or noise and take anything away from the performance. They were the only ones left in the theater. They had not moved from their seats for a full ten minutes after the final bows saying, “oh my God” over and over again.

They ended their evening with the light show on Fremont Street. On their walk back to their hotel, Lacey vowed to someday live in Vegas. The city had found a new diehard fan. Jane thought it was a fun city, but she knew she would never want to live there. It was like sensory overload and almost made her head hurt. She almost wished she was back in Santa Cruz, feeling the sun on her back and watching surfers.

They stopped in Park City, Utah next. It was the home of the Sundance Film Festival. The festival was in January, not August, but there were still plenty of things to do there. They went and saw a movie too, just so she could honestly say she went to a screening at Sundance.

It was beautiful country as well; it was easy to see why celebrities wanted to live there. They stayed in another bed and breakfast. It wasn’t as amazing as the one in Flagstaff, but that place had set the bar pretty high. They both phoned their parents. Jane got a bit of a lecture since her folks had expected to hear from her more often. She promised to be better about it going forward. They just had been so busy. They went to take pictures of The Great Salt Lake that the city was named after, and then made their way west to Denver.

They were going to spend the day at the
Clyfford Still Museum. He had been a professor at their university. This was one of the things Jane adored about art history. How could one artist have made an impact in so many different areas? She was also a huge fan of his work.

Lacey was a good sport, even though art museums were not really her thing. She was just content to see Jane so happy. Besides, after their night in Denver, their next stop would be her house. Her parents lived in a town called Irwin that was northwest of Des Moines, Iowa. Her father was treating them to two days at the spa. After all of the driving they had been doing, Lacey could not wait for a long soak and a massage.

Lacey’s mom was now into carving. She had her father trekking through the woods around their home looking for fallen trees. Lacey shook her head at them. At least her pieces were now taking up less yard space. Some of her smaller pieces were actually quite charming, even though neither Lacey nor Jane could tell what they were.

The first day at the spa, both Lacey and Jane fell asleep in their mud baths. Heading to the showers to rinse off, Lacey asked Jane why they were really going to Chicago. Jane, still drowsy from her nap, shrugged and looked away quickly. Caught you, Lacey thought. She spent the rest of the day trying to talk Jane out of it even though she knew it was futile.

Jane could be so stubborn when it came to things that made absolutely no sense. Lacey wanted to shake her friend. Jane was having extreme tunnel vision, and unfortunately, the only thing at the end of it was Wyatt. Even she was unable to put into words why she even wanted to be with him at all. Lacey gave up hoping, even though it would cause Jane pain in the short term that Wyatt really was done with her.

They didn’t really speak to each other the second day in Iowa. Jane felt defensive, and Lacey felt sorry for her. By the end of that day, Lacey caved and said whatever happened she would respect her decision, even if she did not agree with it. Jane readily forgave her because she could never stay angry at Lacey for too long. Lacey’s parents planned a big dinner in their honor. They invited a bunch of Lacey’s friends from high school and their neighbors. Before the night was over, Lacey’s mother gave them each a small carving she had made.

She explained that the carvings worked both separately and together. They were, individually, each a female figure. Jane’s stood with one arm gently on her hip and the other over her heart. Lacey’s had one arm stretched out to her side and the other crossing over in front of her. The outstretched arm of Lacey’s figure fit perfectly through the nook made on the side of Jane’s figure, where her hand was placed on her hip. The other arm crossing her body rested on Jane’s figures hand covering its heart. They were beautiful both apart but even more so together. It brought Lacey to tears. She embraced her mother, realizing that while her mother did seem out of it more often than not, at the end of the day, she got her.

Seeing Lacey cry made Jane cry, and sniffling, they hugged each other, any awkwardness from earlier now completely gone. The next morning, they took their time over breakfast and saying their goodbyes to Lacey’s parents. Lacey and her mother gave each other an extra long hug.

There was a comfortable silence on their drive to Chicago. They were there by dinner time and checked into their hotel. They were staying at the Best Western downtown, which of course broke their national chain rule, but most hotels were expensive in Chicago. This was the only way they were going to afford a place overlooking Lake Michigan.

On the way to the hotel, they had a heart to heart as to what Jane’s true plan for Chicago was. She knew Wyatt would be living downtown, not far from his school. She would text him when they got to their hotel to let him know she was in town and ask him if he wanted to meet up. Hopefully, they would meet for lunch, he would admit his error in ending things, and they would be back together by dessert. Meanwhile, Lacey would go sightseeing at Navy Pier.

Everything went according to plan, and Jane met Wyatt the next day at Petterino’s. She had chosen one of his favorite dresses to wear, and Lacey had to admit she looked beautiful. He would be a fool to not see that for himself. Jane arrived at the restaurant before him and, since they had reservations, was seated first. The table had three settings. Jane tried to tell the hostess there was a mistake but stopped when she saw Wyatt arrive with a guest.

Chapter 17

The air left her body, and she tried her best to inhale as she watched Wyatt approach the table holding the hand of a gut-wrenchingly beautiful girl. He was holding her hand. Jane could not believe what she was seeing. They had only been on a break. He was supposed to have seen Jane and want to be with her. Instead, he was pulling the chair out for another girl.

Wyatt introduced Blythe Carlisle, his girlfriend, to Jane. It took every ounce of strength for Jane not to burst into tears on the spot. When she saw Wyatt observing her for this very response, her will hardened. She suddenly behaved as she had at every mixer her mother had ever thrown. She was the epitome of grace. She regaled them with stories of her trip with Lacey, looking Wyatt directly in the eyes.

She wanted more than anything else to show him she was not broken. At one point, when Blythe rose to go to the ladies’ room, Wyatt had the nerve to ask Jane if she wanted to fuck. Blythe had errands to run after lunch, and he could do her in his car for old time’s sake, if she wanted. She almost left right then, but Blythe was already returning, so she stayed put.

When their meal was done, Wyatt even invited her to go out with them that evening. She waved him off, explaining she and Lacey already had plans and that she had only left lunch free to see him. She reveled in how taken aback that comment caught him. She smiled sweetly, kissing Blythe on both cheeks and only waving at Wyatt when he had clearly opened his arms for an embrace before she left. She felt a final victory in that.

She walked away in tears, vowing not to look back. Jane sent Lacey an S.O.S text and headed straight back to their hotel. Lacey met her there about thirty minutes later. Jane was a mess. She sat on the floor, in her pretty dress, shaking with tears. Her mascara, which claimed to be waterproof, ran in faint lines down her cheeks.

“What happened?” Lacey exclaimed, rushing to her.

When Jane spoke, she sucked in a breath after each word. “He…brought….his…new….girlfriend…..and when ….she was …..in the …..bathroom …..he asked…. me if I …wanted to …do it,” she sobbed.

Lacey rubbed her back and let her cry it out. When Jane was calmer, she wiped the makeup off her face and brushed and braided her hair. Lacey ran a bath for Jane. Clearly, her
friend need a long, hot soak. Lacey even sprang for room service and ordered Jane’s favorite, a deep Belgian style waffle topped with powdered sugar and strawberries and with cantaloupe on the side. Jane had no appetite but, seeing how much Lacey shelled out for the food, ate it all. Her mind was racing. She was so depressed and angry at the same time.

Wyatt had ambushed her. He should have told her he was 1) bringing someone and 2) that someone was his new girlfriend. At the very least, she was proud of herself that she had been able to hold it together. For that part alone, she had no regret. Jane went to sleep before Lacey and sniffled every so often. Each time she did, Lacey would look over at her to see if she was still asleep. The next morning, when Lacey awoke, Jane was sitting on the edge of her bed just looking at her. It was kind of creepy but forgivable.

“Lace,” she began. “What am I going to do?”

Lacey sat up and asked "Today? Or like for life?”

Jane shrugged in response.

Lacey smiled. “We’re young babe. You don’t have to know."

“I just don’t understand why he doesn’t love me anymore.” Jane sighed. She looked up her, eyes brimming with tears. “I still love him so much it hurts."

What Lacey wanted to say was, “How, how
,  how can you love that asshole?” But that would not have gone over well so, biting her lip, she said,“Shh, shh. It will be okay, sweetie."

They had been on the road for over three weeks and had planned to go to New York and then New England next. Lacey made an executive decision that they were instead going to
Dollywood. They would stop in Nashville on the way down, and then go on to Dollywood. She was certain this would cheer Jane up better than anything else.

Not up for arguing, Jane agreed to the schedule change. Someday, she would make it to the Brandywine River Museum, but her heart just wasn’t in it right now. She truly just wanted to go straight home but didn’t want to break the news to her mother either. Lacey drove the whole way this leg.

Jane sat silently in the passenger seat, staring out the side window at the passing landscape. From time to time, she would sniffle, but otherwise, she just seemed vacant. Lacey would grab her knee and shake it while checking on her.

Jane would look over at her and give a very weak half smile and shrug then, as if looking at Lacey were too much, she would deeply inhale and shudder out her breath. She refused food the two times they stopped for gas or bathroom breaks. She felt as though if she even tried to eat something she would be sick.

She could not get the image of Wyatt and that girl out of her mind. It made her feel inferior. That girl was so beautiful, and she seemed so polished during lunch. Wyatt had even held her hand on top of the table while they waited for their order. He had never done that with Jane. What was wrong with her, she wondered. Why couldn’t she be what he wanted?

Lacey was able to get them a room at the Hotel Preston, which was easy to get to near the airport. They stopped by the Parthenon on the way to
Dollywood. Jane barely glanced at it, so they did not linger. Once at Dollywood, Lacey dragged Jane onto every rollercoaster. By the end of the day and after a funnel cake, Jane was full of adrenaline and not as mopey.

Lacey had gotten them a room at the Roaring Fork. Jane lay down the moment they were in the room.

"Feel like talking?" Lacey asked gently.

Jane shook her head.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. Then maybe we can watch a movie." Lacey said, heading for the bathroom.

Jane laid there listening to the sound of the running water. What had gone wrong, she thought to herself. It was foreign territory for her, the feeling of being in limbo or something even worse than limbo, a seemingly endless plain of unknown. Her insecurities took hold and began chewing away at the careful exterior she had built up around herself in her belief that this break up was temporary.

Her chest felt tight, and she sat up in an effort to take deeper breaths. Lacey, done with her shower, walked back into the main room already dressed for bed, towel drying her hair. The sound of Jane’s labored breathing had been drowned out by the fan in the bathroom.

"Babe," Lacey boomed as she crossed the room and began rubbing Jane on the back. "Here," she said, pulling Jane's knees up. "Put your head between your knees.
Alright, deep breaths."