AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His hair’s astray, made messier by his hands absentmindedly running through it. Unlike every other instance I’ve seen him, he doesn’t appear perfectly polished and untouchable. He’s standing with his shoulders slightly slouched as if he’s carrying the weight of the world on them.
Lord knows I’ve been doing the same since the moment we hardly said goodbye.
It’s a bittersweet feeling—having your wish finally come true. I’ve hoped for days that he’d come groveling back into my life, telling me he’s sorry. Telling me how he’s made a mistake and wishes things could go back to how they were. But now that he’s here, standing just a few feet away from me, I don’t know how to feel.
It’s hardly comforting to know that that feeling remains—his ability to wash any and all rationality from my mind with just a simple look.
“I..” He’s the one stumbling over his words now, unable to look away from me either. He seems like he has something that he wants to say, taking a step in my direction before pausing back on his heels. Finally, after a brief moment, he opts for a simple “Sure.”
He starts to walk towards the table as I tear my gaze away and hyper fixate on the glass in front of me. Thankfully, the only other vacant chair is a few seats down from my own.
All the while, I can hear my cousins’ hushed giggles, undoubtedly accompanied by a few stares of Warren up and down as he takes a seat—rewarding them with an icy glare from me.
“Benji!” Mom calls over to one of the serving staff. “Please get Warren a plate.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Warren interjects, swallowing deeply. “I’m not here for dinner.”
Mom and Dad exchange a confused glance towards one another before briefly shifting their gaze in my direction, considering Warren refuses to break eye contact.
“Well, I’m assuming then you’re here to speak about the new owner?” Dad leans back in his chair expectantly.
Warren’s demanding gaze continues to pierce into me—he’s always had such an intensity in his eyes, but I don’t think it’s ever been stronger than now. It’s as if we’re speaking to one another without having to say anything at all.
Though, I imagine we’re having two very different conversations.
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” he reveals assuredly.
I gulp down a sip of my drink, trying desperately to hide the heat rising to my face behind the glass. Does he know I haven’t told them yet?
Now, the rest of the room is exchanging confused glances, murmuring to one another. “You realize we don’t own the team anymore, right, son?” Dad questions, the topic piquing his interest. “Our family has washed our hands clean with Crawfield.”
Finally, Warren pulls his gaze away from mine, looking at my dad with a raise of his eyebrows. “Noteveryonein the family has.”
I shoot up out of my seat in an attempt to distract away from Warren’s untimely reveal—so abruptly that I almost knock my chair over in the process, prompting Benji to race over and steady it.
“You alright there, Delaney?” Dad furrows a concerned brow.
“Yeah.” I twiddle with my thumbs awkwardly. “I just…I just realized I wasn’t finished saying what I was thankful for.”
“What a little klutz.” My cousins snicker under their breath, and now, it’s Warren shooting them an icy stare, instantly quieting them down. I brush their comment off with a shake of my head before clearing my throat and continuing my speech.
“This year, I’m most thankful for one thing.” I scan the room, my heart pounding in my throat as I glaze past Warren. “Crawley.”
A silence falls amongst the space, as not one person is receptive to my words—besides Warren, whose face drops ever so slightly.
“Crawley?” Mom repeats in disbelief. “Seriously? You dragged yourself through three months there, Delaney, andthat’swhat you’re most thankful for?”
I fold my arms across my chest. “And those three months have been the most transformative time in my life,” I throw back at her, trying everything in my power to muster up the courage to stand up for myself. I’ve been ridiculed long enough.
“At first, I didn’t think Crawley would be the place for me,” I admit. “The second I arrived, doubt started to creep in. I thought I’d made a mistake…but that wasn’t true at all.”
I allow a quick glance down at my hands before I look Warren directly in the eyes, preparing to speak my own truth. Somehow, even amidst all the uncertainty between us—he makes me feel assured. Understood.
“Crawley changed me. And in those three months, I learned so many things. Sure, it wasn’t all sunshineand rainbows. I mean, some days were literally nothing but rain.” I let out a half-smile, one that’s reflected on Warren’s face as I’m sure we’re both recalling the same thing—that rainy day in London. The day I knew that Crawley wasn’t the only thing I’d fallen in love with.
“Some days, it was really hard. Sometimes, I practically had to drag myself out of bed to keep going, but do you know why I loved it?”
The question is rhetorical, considering hardly anybody in my family seems to be following along with my rant anyway.
