AllFreeNovel
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He sighs. “Just think about it.”
“There is nothing to think about because I’m not looking for a job. I just wanted to share what I found.”
“Then be sure to mention it at the next board meeting. I’m sure Mr. Wheeler will be open to suggestions if this month’s report is even more grim than the last.”
“Rowan…” I warn. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself given my lack of experience and the gigantic expectations associated with my last name.
“If you don’t want to join a team that can make a difference, then at least bring it up to the person who can.” He hangs up before giving me a chance to say anything else.
“Asshole.”
Turns out I don’t have to seek Lana out. She comes knocking on my bedroom door with a baby monitor in her hand and a closed-off expression on her face.
“Want to go on a little walk by the lake?” she asks in a soft voice like she hasn’t spent the better part of today avoiding me.
My heart beats harder against my chest. “Sure. Let me grab a pair of sneakers.”
Once I have my shoes tied, I follow Lana out of the house and into the summer night. For the first couple of minutes, neither of us says anything. Crickets fill the silence as we walk toward the dock behind the guesthouse. It’s a much smaller version of the one by the main house, mainly meant for a single boat and a couple of chairs at the end.
Both of us take a seat at the end of the dock. Lana shakes off her flip-flops and swings her legs over the edge so the tips of her toes can graze the water.
“So…” I start because she clearly won’t.
Her eyes flicker from the lake to my face. “What do you have planned after we sell the house?”
The air in my lungs stalls. “What?”
“Do you think you’ll go back to Chicago?”
“Would it matter to you if I go?”
She stares at her toes tracing the water. “It shouldn’t.”
My eyes narrow. “That’s not a real answer.”
Her eyes roll. “Neither is answering my question with another question.”
My lips curve into a small smile. “True. To be honest, I’m not sure what I have planned after selling the house. I didn’t really think that far ahead.”
“Of course you didn’t. It must be nice to not have a job or any responsibilities outside of living in the moment.”
My smile drops. “It’s kind of lonely.”
She snorts. “What? How is that even possible? You have a bajillion friends.”
“Ihada bajillion friends. Turns out a lot of them were either too toxic to be around or too fed up with my shitty coping mechanisms.”
Her brows scrunch together like she can’t fathom what I’m telling her. “Iris—”
“Is busy starting her life with my brother.”
“So? That doesn’t mean she can’t spend time with you.”
“She does, but we can’t hang out nearly as much as we used to. And that’s fine. I understand things are different now.”
Her head tilts. “Different how?”
I look up at the starlit sky to avoid her perceptive stare. “I don’t expect her to stop living her life just because I don’t have one.”
