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“You don’t always have to be such a dick, man. You have friends here whether you realize it or not.”
He thought we were friends? He was my competition. My adversary. Not my friend.
“Listen,” he continued even though I hadn’t said anything, “you weren’t at the docks this morning. Liam called you a fucking murderer. And when Ava finally came back to the restaurant last night, she was crying.”
That got my attention.
My eyes swung to his. “She was crying?”
“She pulled it together pretty quick, but, yeah, she was crying. I just came by to make sure you hadn’t bailed on her without at least saying good-bye.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said and felt my resolve kick into high gear.
The realization shocked me. After everything that had gone down last night, I still didn’t want to leave Port Rufton. Not for good anyway.
This was my home now.
“Super.”
I reached for the hat on my head and pulled it off. “I don’t get you.”
Rory laughed. “How so?”
“You want Ava, but you’re here, telling me not to leave her. What’s your angle?”
“I care about her. But for whatever reason, she cares about you more.”
My competitive side liked hearing that a whole lot. But there was more to it than that. Something warm and foreign coursed through my body when I thought about Ava actually choosing me. I realized I liked the idea. It was what I wanted. Even if I didn’t deserve it.
“Try not to screw it up,” he said with a grin before adding, “and in case you’re wondering, which I know you are, Liam left town already. And Ava definitely noticed your absence this morning. I’d make it right before you give that poor girl a heart attack. You have her number, yeah?”
I wasn’t even sure how it had happened at the time, but I did have her phone number.
“Yeah.”
“Use it,” he directed before turning to leave, his mission accomplished. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket and held up a ball of paper. “Here’s a list of things she loves. I’m sure you can figure out what to do with it.”
He tossed it in my direction, and I caught it easily before unfolding it, seeing a few different items written down.
“Hey, Rory,” I said, and he faced me. “Thank you. I do appreciate this.” I held the paper in the air.
It was all I could give him right now, and for some reason, I felt like he accepted it without judgment.
Maybe he wouldn’t be such a bad friend after all. Who the hell would have thought?
TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER
AVA
I’d beenoffall day. Elise had called and texted multiple times. She’d been doing it since last night actually, and I’d basically been ignoring her, trying to placate her with one-worded answers. She was eventually going to show up at my place if I kept putting her off, but I was too busy freaking out to talk.
When Tony hadn’t been at the docks this morning, I had gotten nervous that he might have left. I was pretty certain he didn’t fish because he had to even though I had no idea if that was true or not. But still, a part of me had assumed he didn’t even need the money at all. Which only made me more unsettled. There was nothing and no one tying him here to Port Rufton, no matter how much I wished that weren’t true.
Can’t I be the reason he stays?
I had known that I’d make myself sick with worry if I didn’t at least go check on his house. So, when I walked far enough up the road to where I could see his truck and noticed that nothing was packed in the back of it, my fear had settled slightly.
Tony was still here.
