Part 15
After lunch, Howie and Nick decided to do some snorkeling so while Nick helped Becca straighten up, Howie went to see if Sarah wanted to go too. Sarah was already back in her chair where she had been laying out earlier and getting ready to put suntan oil on. Howie straddled the chair and sat down behind her. He reached around to get the bottle of oil from her and began to rub it on for her.
"Wanna do some snorkeling with us, Angel?"
"Not really," said Sarah rather flatly.
Howie noted the tone of her voice and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Sarah leaned back against Howie and said softly, "Bec mentioned him earlier."
"Cut it loose, Sarah," said Howie firmly.
"I’m trying, ‘D’."
Nick and Becca came up from below and Nick said, "Let’s go, ‘D’."
Howie gave Sarah a kiss on the neck and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Sarah watched the two men grab their stuff and then dive into the water as she lay back in the chair.
Becca sat in the shade having already turned a nice shade of pink. She too watched the guys as they moved through the water. They were playing around making the girls laugh with their antics.
Becca shook her head. "Boys! Will they EVER grow up?"
"No, and I don’t want them to…least ways, not ‘D’," said Sarah as she winked at Howie.
"You two seem so much…I don’t know, stronger. I take it Russell has left you alone."
"That’s twice you’ve mentioned him. Is there any particular reason you want to piss me off today?" hissed Sarah.
Apologetically, Becca said, "No…I’m just worried about you."
"You should have thought about that when you took off," sneered Sarah immediately regretting her tone with Becca when she saw the look of hurt on her face.
Nick and Howie had been beside the boat and heard the exchange. They looked at each other and immediately rejoined the girls.
Sarah said coolly, "Russell disappeared just before the Super Bowl and he won’t be back."
Nick asked, "What’s to say he won’t resurface? I mean, he resurfaced after a year of being divorced."
Becca shook her head at Nick’s question seeing how it irritated Howie and Sarah. She said softly, "Nick, let it drop."
Howie was now sitting with Sarah, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "One thing before letting it drop. Russell is out of our lives for good. Don’t ask how I can be so sure just take my word for it and let it go."
Sarah said quietly, "I’m going for a swim."
All three watched as Sarah got up, moved to the back of the boat, and dove into the water. Howie shook his head watching her and wishing now he’d found another way to distract her.
Becca said, "Howie, I’m SO sorry. I never meant to upset her."
Watching Sarah move gracefully through the water, he said, "It’s okay, Bec. You were gone and wanted to be sure your best friend was okay. It’s still hard to talk about but Sarah’s found healthy ways to deal with her feelings now, like swimming."
"Will it help if you join her?" asked Nick.
"Sometimes. Depends on what upsets her. Look, when she does get back,
her mood should be better. Don’t try to apologize or even bring it up. Sarah
knows you were just concerned."
"But-"
"I’m serious, Nick. Let it go."
Becca watched her best friend making her way through the water and thought how much Sarah had changed in the four months she’d been gone. There was an inner strength that had only been a seed when Sarah had been with Russell and now it had blossomed with Howie. But there was something else that Becca couldn’t quite put her finger on. There was something between Howie and Sarah that had made the love stronger and the bond unbreakable.
Sarah was nearing the boat when Howie dove in to join her. With both of them in the water, Becca said, "Nick, while I was gone, what happened with Howie and Sarah?"
"Nothing really. Just before we left for Philly, Sarah checked into the treatment facility for thirty days. Why do you ask?"
"There’s something between them…something’s happened to pull them together."
"Well, I mean, Bec. They’ve been through quite a lot in the last year.
It would stand to reason…"
"No, Nick. Something’s happened, something to do with Russell. I got this same feeling from them the night Russell attacked Sarah at the youth center."