Crescent City Summer

Chapter 20: Alone in Atlanta

Gabby landed in Atlanta to find that the plane taking her to Charleston couldn't fly due to mechanical issues. No other aircraft were available. She was grounded until the following day. The airline gave her a hotel room in the city to apologize for the inconvenience.

She pulled out her phone and was so glad to have service again. She checked her text messages. She had only received a few. One was from her mom, who was checking in, one from Kacie, and the other from Layla-no text from Desmond. Her heart sank.

Although he had sent her a text, it failed to go through; he didn't know it, neither did she. As far as he was concerned, she hadn't seen it or didn't want to respond. She thought he hadn't tried to text her at all. Leaving the airport and heading to the hotel, she texted Layla and Kacie in a group text.

"Hey, y'all. I made it to Atlanta. The bad news is I am grounded until tomorrow—plane issues. I am staying in a hotel until tomorrow morning. I miss y'all."

Kacie and Layla were with Jefferson and Collin when the text came through.

"Gabby made it to Atlanta. But she can't fly out until tomorrow. Oh, poor Gab." Kacie said in a sad tone.

"At least she is safe." Collin pointed out.

"Yeah, she's going to be fine. Funny though, she didn't mention Desmond." Layla said curiously.

"Yeah, I figured she would. Didn't he text her to find out how she was? I thought he said he had." Kacie said.

"Yeah, he did say that. I wonder what is up with that?" Layla responded.

"Maybe one of us should call or text him. He shouldn't be alone right now." Jefferson offered.

Desmond was at his house. He didn't feel like being around his family; he had nothing against them. He needed to figure out a few things. How would he move forward from here? As he sorted out his feelings for Gabby, he couldn't deny the hole that remained in his heart with her departure. He knew that she should have seen his text by now. It was a hard blow not hearing anything from her—silence-loud silence. The night was quiet and a welcome reprieve from the storm that had hammered the city for two days. He sat upstairs in his room, in a large oversized chair, staring out the window. The crescent moon hung high and bright. He opened the window to feel the gentle breeze filling the room. The heat reminded him of the nights he spent with Gabby. He remembered her being in that very room, sitting in that same chair. He imagined her being there now, easing the hurt in his heart. He had all but forgotten about the Bourbon. He knew that wasn't the answer and wasn't about returning to that deep hole. He thought of his grandfather, and no matter how bad things looked right now, he wouldn't seep back into that trap and become the man he left behind.

Midnight came and went, and he couldn't shut his eyes. He pulled out his phone, and the only comfort he could find was scrolling through the photos of him and Gabby. Against everything inside of him, he jumped on her socials and took a trip once again back into her life. This time he noticed things he hadn't before. Her life was like a movie being played out in photos and videos. He smiled, cried, and longed for her to be there. He stumbled on an album she had saved called "Lake Shady Cove." He hadn't seen this before. He missed it somehow. He opened the album to see years of photos compiled there. This had to be a place she often visited as a child through an adult. The images included her as a kid jumping off a dock and smiling for the camera. There were photos of Gabby, Kacie, and Layla as young girls and teenagers, and he came across one of Gabby and Shane posing while sitting on the dock. His heart sank deep. Their smiling faces were during a happier time. For whatever reason, she didn't delete that photo. He skipped over those pictures and viewed pictures of the large house on the water. Desmond thought it was beautiful. The lake was large, and the mountains behind it were tall. He looked up the lake online, and his eyes grew wide. He suddenly had a brilliant, risky idea. For the first time, he was able to smile.

Kacie and Layla were fast asleep in their hotel room when their phones dinged simultaneously. Kacie woke to the sound, but Layla didn't. Kacie looked at her phone with sleepy eyes to see it was Desmond.

"Morning. Sorry to text so early. Can you meet me at my house this afternoon? Two o'clock? Jefferson and Collin know the address."

As soon as she read the text, Jefferson texted her.

"What in the world is going on?"

"I don't know. It must be important." She responded.

Layla stirred and began speaking with a groggy tone.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Check your phone," Kacie said.

Layla picked up her phone to read the text.

"What is going on with that man?" She asked as she sat her phone down on the bed.

"I guess we will find out soon enough." Kacie laughed.

Gabby slept better than she thought she would have. She called the airport to find that her flight would be delayed until later this afternoon. The hurricane that had passed over New Orleans still left remnants of heavy thunderstorms from South Carolina to Pennsylvania. They told her to call the airport that afternoon to get an update. She was alone in Atlanta and wished to see Kacie and Layla. She thought of Desmond and wondered what he was doing or thinking.

"Hey, y'all. I am still in Atlanta until possibly this evening. Along with plane issues, there is bad weather that is canceling flights. I'm fine, though." She texted.

She paused and continued to text.

"Has anyone heard from Desmond?" She added.

Kacie was putting on makeup when the text came in.

"Hey! Sorry to hear you are having trouble gettin' home. You will be in the air and homebound before ya know it." Kacie was hesitant to respond to her question about Desmond. She was curious to know if she was supposed to. Something inside told her to keep quiet, although she knew Gabby would be interested in why she didn't tell her what was happening with him.

"I will keep y'all posted," Gabby added again and closed her phone. She didn't know the city, so she decided it would be best to not leave. She watched movies on T.V., ordered room service, and took a small nap.