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I took one last look at him in the mirror, saw he’d come to a stop behind me, and lifted my hand to wave to him.
He smiled and waved back.
Then, I made a left-hand turn at the stop sign and slowly started to drive away. Forrest made a right-hand turn.
The tears had welled up in my eyes, and when I could no longer see the back of his truck in my mirror, I pulled over to the side and allowed the tears to finally flow.
And it was as the tears rolled down my face that I realized I knew why. I had the answer in the back of my head all along about why I couldn’t bring myself to tell Forrest the truth about how I felt or ask if he’d want me to join him in Steel Ridge.
For nearly two weeks, I got a taste of what it might feel like to have it. But I’d lived all these years feeling unloved, believing I’d never get that happy ending. So, when the opportunity arose, instead of latching on and taking it, I didn’t feel so bold.
And I didn’t go after the one thing, the one person, who actually mattered.
Forrest
“Something’s wrong.”
There was nothing quite like the sting of regret.
It had been a week. One whole week without Daisy.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since the evening after we both left the resort. I’d reached out to her when I got back to Steel Ridge, wanting to check in, see how her drive was, and make sure she’d made it home safely.
Daisy responded, letting me know she got back, but she didn’t leave the door open for much additional conversation.
Granted, I knew we both had to get back to our lives, but there was the part of me that wanted that to mean doing all that I always did while also making time to connect with her.
I didn’t know if it was possible to have it work out, but I thought if we remained in touch, at least until her birthday, I’d go and celebrate with her and see what she thought about us being separated. If she hated it as much as I already did, maybe we could have a real conversation about trying to have something more between us.
And now, one week after I’d last kissed her and held her in my arms, I believed I’d made the biggest mistake of my life when I chose to keep that information from her.
Apparently, the remorse I felt was written all over my face, considering my younger sister, Vivian, had noticed.
“What?” I asked, playing stupid.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t come right out with it.
“I thought you were going to come to dinner at Mom and Dad’s tonight and be relaxed after your trip,” my sister began. “You look anything but relaxed right now. Plus, it’s still pretty cold out here, and you’re standing outside. Is something going on at work?”
I shook my head. “No. No, it’s nothing.”
“I’m not an idiot, Forrest. I can tell there’s something wrong, and I don’t like seeing you upset, especially not after everything you did for me when my life was a mess.”
It wasn’t often Vivian brought up her past, but when she did, I knew it was an indication she was beyond concerned for me.
When I remained quiet for too long, she spoke again. “If it’s not work, it’s got to be something else. How was the trip? You said you had a good time.”
Nodding, I confirmed, “I did.”
“So, what’s going on? You’re not yourself.”
“I’m alright, Viv. And you’re right. It’s cold out here. We should head inside. I’m sure dinner is almost ready anyway.”
I attempted to urge Vivian back toward the front door, but she wouldn’t budge. “No. I’ll stand out here all night if I have to. Tell me what’s going on.”
If I knew one thing about my sister, it was that she wasn’t going to rest until she had the answers she was seeking. It was in my best interest—and hers—to give her what she wanted.
Hell, at this point, I probably needed to talk to somebody about what I’d done.
