Page 21 of The Truths We Find

Sam keeps his gaze on me. “I don’t like that he’s here, D. What’s he even doing here anyway? I thought he was a repair guy back in Pennsylvania.”

“That’s what I thought! I don’t even know how he got this job. Apparently, he was some hotshot producer in New York. I’m just as confused as you. Trust me.”

“You didn’t bother asking him?”

“Of course I did. But he won’t tell me anything.”

The truth is, after our lunch, I looked Gavin up online to see what I could find out, and surprisingly, it was pretty vague. Basically, he started as an intern at his New York station and kept moving up the ranks. It seems like they really loved him over there.

Of course they did.

I found a few social media pages of his former colleagues with photos from a going-away party for him, but since I blocked him all those years ago, I can’t see his actual pages. I could unblock him. I’m really tempted to. But I know if Sam sees he’ll flip out, and I don’t feel like dealing with that headache right now.

“The fact is,” I continue, “this is where we’re at, and I either quit my job, or I find a way to deal with it.”

“Well…” Sam trails off.

“No! We’ve talked about this. I’m not leaving my job. I love what I do too much.”

“But you know I can support us both. And with Gavin in the picture, maybe this is your sign⁠—”

“Ugh.” I cut him off. “If one more person brings up signs and fate to me.”

I take a large sip from my glass. The wine is already starting to go to my head, which is the only reason I can stand this conversation for as long as I have.

“What does that mean?”

“Just forget it. I’m not quitting. He’s not chasing me out of my station. It’ll be fine.”

Sam takes my hand, his fingers tightening slightly as his brown eyes lock onto mine, intense enough to make my stomach knot. It’s the look he gets when he’s bracing himself.

“Has he tried anything since he got here?”

My mind drifts back to that moment in Gavin’s office. Our lips so close I could feel the heat of his breath. The almost electric pull between us. The thrill it sent through my body. The odd ache of sadness when we finally pulled away.

“Of course not,” I force out. “Strictly professional. Gavin and I were over a long time ago.”

A smile creeps onto Sam’s lips. “I trust you.” But the moment the words leave his mouth, his expression changes. His eyes harden, and a seriousness settles over him.

“What’s going on?” I scan his face. “You seem so different all of a sudden.”

“You know how I’ve been doing a lot of extra training these past few months?”

I nod.

“Well, there’s a reason. I didn’t know how to tell you, but now I’m sorta out of time.”

“Sam…” There’s a shake to my voice. “What’s going on?”

“My unit’s deploying…” He pauses before letting out a large breath. “Next week.”

It’s like all the air has been sucked from my lungs.

“What?” I force out.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

I feel the tears build behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. “How long have you known about this?”