AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No. No more breaks. It’s over.”
8
CLAY
Fall always seems to come and go quickly in the mountains. We wait patiently for that peak weekend of color, and I’m so happy for Ash and Avery because they got it, but then immediately afterward, the rains take off all the leaves, and what’s left behind is slop. Damp slop. I find it ironic because this is how my mood lately feels too, which makes me irritated.
I spent most of this past year working on myself, and I know I’ve had growth, but then one weekend near her and I feel shoved back into that place I was this time last year. What is it about this girl? This one girl .. . why do I let her upset me?
A bell rings over the door as I enter Bean There on Main Street and scan the cafe. Juliet and Bryce love it here, and over the last year since I bought the house, we’ve made a habit of meeting here for breakfast whenever they’re in town visiting. Sometimes they stay with me, sometimes with Ash and Avery, but most of the time they’re with my parents.
They’re already here, and there is nothing better in this world than Bryce’s expression when he sees me. He instantly dries up some of my dark depressing mood and puts a smile on my face.
“Uncle Clay!” He jumps up from his chair and runs over to me, and I scoop him up and hug him tight. This kid owns me in a way I don’t think he understands.
“While I love this greeting, you do realize you just saw me at Uncle Ash’s wedding a few weeks ago, right?” I breathe him in. He smells like baked goods and little boy.
He pulls back, his eyes twinkling, and he smushes my cheeks with sticky fingers. “I know, but I love you so much.”
My heart swells, and a chuckle is pulled from low inside me. “I love you too, buddy.”
Kids have a way of just keeping it real all the time. It’s so easy for them to speak their mind and share their feelings.
I drop him down, and he climbs into his seat as I pull mine out and sit. There’s a cup of coffee waiting for me just like I like it: black. I take a sip then lean back in my chair, letting out a deep sigh.
Juliet is staring at me in that way only a sister can, and the corners of her lips tip down at whatever she sees.
“Why do you look like this?” she asks, frowning even more.
“What do you mean?” I don’t make eye contact with her; I know exactly what she means, and this brings my fleeting irritation back.
“This.” She waves her hand in my general direction as ifthismeansall of me. “What’s wrong with you? You’re usually in a better mood than this,” Juliet says, pulling on Bryce’s chair so he’s sitting closer to the table.
She’s not wrong. I used to be happy all the time, but lately it seems I’m just not. Well, technically it’s not that I’m not happy, because I am. My family is well, my career is good, and I love my house, but I understand what she’s saying. Even I know I used to smile and laugh a whole lot more.
“N-Nothing is wrong with me. I’m in a great mood.” I reach over and fluff Bryce’s hair. He gives me a toothy grin before diving back into the donut he’s eating.
“Could have fooled me. You’ve got that broody-scowl-look thing going on,” she says, twirling her fingers in my direction again and studying my face.
“What are you talking about?” I ask while slipping out of my coat and hanging it on the back of my chair.
She leans over and pokes me right between the eyes, and I frown. “Here, your wrinkles are getting a workout today. You know this is going to give you headaches and make you age quicker if you keep it up, right?”
I shove her hand away and shoot her a look that says,Do you mind?
She immediately interprets my expression. “Actually I do. What’s going on? You’re usually nicer than this.”
“Haven’t you heard? Nice guys finish last.” I pick up the coffee and take a sip. I’m not sure why I said that, it just kind of came out, and as I swallow the words and the coffee, it burns as they go down.
Juliet tilts her head and looks at me, like really looks at me, and I hate that she knows me well enough to know exactly what has gotten me all worked up.
Why can’t I just let this go? It’s been a year.
Actually, I do know why. It’s because every time I see her, I’m dragged back to a place of longing for her that I don’t want. It pisses me off. I try not to think of her, but since the wedding, how beautiful she looked and how angry she was with me, I swear I’m reliving those moments over and over in my mind. I think of her so frequently, I’m sick of myself.
She leans back and swipes a hand over her hair, running it down the length of her ponytail. “Well from what I’ve seen and heard, you definitely aren’t finishing last. My notifications about you are still going off like crazy.”
I let out a groan, and Bryce giggles.
