Page 94 of Wicked Player
Chapter Thirty-One
Colton grabs the net, and we both scurry to help Christian out.
“It’s a big one,” Colton says, and I catch sight of it, flailing and twisting in the water, fighting for its life. I always hate this part, but it’s the circle of life I suppose. I stand back, and let Colton take over. He lets Christian reel in the fish, probably knowing they could very well lose it. And when they finally catch him in the net, we all cheer.
What follows is a sad scene. At first, it’s all great as I whip out my phone and snap a photo. The thing is huge, and I’ve never seen Christian look so proud of himself.
But then Colton grabs one of his gadgets and bonks the fish, killing him instantly. Christian observes, wide-eyed, and when he finally realizes the fish is dead, his face falls. When I see his sad face, I bounce out of my seat and go cuddle him. “It’s okay. He was super big, which means he was old and had a good long life.”
“Oh, shit,” Colton says. “Sorry… um… bad word. I didn’t know,” he blabbers on. “You guys don’t keep the fish?”
“Never,” I clarify. I suppose I should have told him that before. It’s really all my fault. “Always catch and release. I should have told you.”
He throws the fish in a bin. “That one right there is good eating though, Christian. He’ll make a very good meal.”
Unfortunately, this does not appease Christian at all.
“Okay, well that was my bad,” Colton says. “I promise all the other ones are going back in the lake, no matter how big they are.” I can tell it pains him to utter those words, and I appreciate him for it.
“He promises,” I tell Christian. “You want to keep fishing?”
Christian nods slowly, still staring at the floor. “Can I eat the fish too?”
Colton lights up. “Sure, sounds like a plan. The way I make it is delicious. It tastes like lobster.”
Oh, great… another date.
We’re back in our respective positions not long after. Christian insists on having the bow to himself because he thinks we’ll steal his fish if we’re too close. So far, he’s the only one who has caught a fish, so maybe he’s on to something.
“Oh, I completely forgot to tell you,” I say to Colton. “Your old piano teacher is my next door neighbor. She and I are really close friends.”
He reels in again. His lure is full of weeds. “No way.”
“Yep, she lives right next door.”
He untangles the weed. “How old is she now? She must be about eighty now.”
I nod. “Eighty-six, and in super good shape.”
“That’s great,” he says and his smiles fades. I suddenly remember their connection, and I half regret bringing her up. “Did she mention me?”
I smile. “She only had nice things to say about you in case you’re wondering.”
He casts again. His line always lands farther than mine, and it irks me. “Nice to know there’s someone on the planet who holds me in high-esteem.”
“Sounds like she was crazy about you.”
He stares off into the distance, and as I study his profile, I can see he’s sad.
“That was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever had to do, saying goodbye to Mrs. Green. But I just couldn’t do it. Every time I played, I remembered that night… I thought of my mother. I thought of my father, no longer the man he was,” he tells me. “I didn’t play for years.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say. Not very original, but there’s not much else to say.
Silence surround us yet again. I have a knack for turning moments awkward, and I wish I could figure out how to stop doing that. “Well, you’re playing again now,” I offer, remembering the evenings at his place and the beautiful songs he played.
“Only these past few years,” he tells me, “and only to entertain my guests.”
“Yes… your guests,” I can’t help but say.
