“You can take all the flowers you want,” she says and gives him a small smile.
I walk back to the pickup, ready to move to open the door for her, but she beats me to it and hops right in. There’s nothing left to do but follow Earl out to the highway.
She sits on the far side of the seat like last night and looks out the window, and I want to reach out and take her hand. Touch her. Anything. Then I realize who the flowers came from.
“Those were from Kevin, weren’t they?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Brynlee says, never looking at me.
“It does because I know you talked to him today.”
Turning, I glance over to see her staring with narrowed eyes. “How? Oh… My phone was on the counter. That’s what you meant when you muttered under your breath.”
“Remember how I said he doesn’t seem to be on the same page as you—”
“No, you don’t get to be angry when you went throughmyphone. You don’t trust me, and I obviously can’t do anything to change that. I’m not sure what I did to lose the trust I think we had, but it’s clear it doesn’t exist now. Maybe I was stupid to think it ever did to begin with.”
I hate how she stays on her side of the cab with her arms folded under her chest, and she turns away from me to look at the fields again. Resting my hand in the middle of the seat between us, I hold out hope she’ll see it and meet me halfway. I hear her sniffle and see her discreetly wipe her eye in the reflection of the window. It’s hard to believe we’re not past trying to meet halfway.
“Was it a good conversation?” I ask and mentally kick myself as the words tumble out.
I’ve already made her cry, so I’m on track to completely ruin any chance I have of making her see I’m not a complete asshole.
“He wants me to go back. I said no. He disagreed. I said I didn’t care, and then I blocked him. If I’d grabbed my phone, I could show you he’s blocked since I know you don’t trust what I say. Maybe I should just leave it with you whenever we’re around each other, and that way you can go through it to make sure I’ve been a good girl. Assuming we spend any time together beyond tonight.”
There’s a harshness to her tone that surprises me, even if it’s not unwarranted. There’s no way for me to explain why I feel the way I do, because no matter how many times I say that I know she’s marrying this guy, she denies it.
But then why did she block him?
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
I glance over at her, willing her to look at me as I say, “I don’t know. Everythin’?”
“I learned a long time ago that blanket apologies aren’t sincere. You’re one of the sincerest people I know, so please don’t insult us both.”
“Brynlee—”
“I told you I love you last night, and you told me you don’t think I know what love is. You didn’t say it back, and you basically said you don’t believe me,” she says when I shift into park, and she jumps out before I have the chance to react.
Oh my God. She told me she loves me, and I didn’t say it back. She thinks I don’t love her. Worse than that, I told her I don’t believe her.
Do I?
Climbing out, I walk up to the door and grab the handle before she can, opening it for her to walk through first.
“Hey!” Carter calls out, waving at us.
Brynlee’s back straightens, and she plasters on a smile that looks all too familiar now, but at least she lets me take her hand as we walk over to the table. “Hi.”
“Is everythin’ okay?” Darla asks, glancing between us even though I’m the one who gets the glare.
“I don’t feel very well.”
“We could have planned another night if you don’t feel up to it.”
Smiling, she shakes her head and sits. “I’ll be fine. I’m feeling better than earlier today.”
