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“No,” she said. She took my hand and looked me square in the eyes. Her breath caught. “Thank you.”
I understood. There was a lot of weight in thatthank you. There were the nights she was up all night crying after Dad died and the nights she panicked at the thought of raising six teenagers on her own. There were the breakdowns. The times she got controlling for no reason except wanting to be heard. The fights we’d had. The sacrifices I’d made because she asked me.
“You’re welcome,” I told her.
I gave her a hug before getting back in my truck.
I drovedown Main Street and made the turn onto Fowler, about to pull up in front of my new place. The sun had set hours ago and it had been a long day of helping Max move. I had plenty of my own boxes to unpack and work to do. But I wasn’t ready to go home yet. I wasn’t ready to be alone and in my own head.
I was dying to text Cindy and invite her over, but I had burned that bridge. I’d tried to apologize for that text that ruined our date, but she wasn’t taking my calls. She was probably trying to figure out the fastest way to leave Blue Creek, and I couldn’t blame her. I asked her out only to tell her that I thought it was a mistake. I knew about her feelings for me and I’d humiliated her. I did exactly what she was afraid I’d do.
At first, I thought I didn’t deserve her because my life was a mess.
But now I knew thatIwas the mess.
I slowed in front of the building, about to turn into the parking garage, but the thought of being alone didn’t feel right. I texted my brothers.
Luke: Hey, where are you guys?
Luke: Want to do something tonight?
Elias: We’re at Rook’s.
Carter: Yeah, come down.
Elias: It’s Maya and Steph’s bachelorette party.
Carter: Exactly. Get your boring ass down here.
Elias: Not a great idea.
Carter: Yeah, I guess shit’s kind of winding down.
Elias: Also… Cindy’s here.
Carter: Oh, yeah.
Carter: Maybe not then.
Carter: Not sure she really wants to see you.
Luke: Fuck you.
Carter: I’m just saying. It’s all lovey-dovey over here and you kind of suck.
Luke: And I’m just saying fuck you.
Carter: Best if you don’t come down here.
Carter: Cindy’s giving a speech about love and shit.
Carter: If you come down here, the wedding will go to hell.
Luke: How drunk is he on a scale from 1-10?
Elias: 15.
Luke: I guess you’re driving everybody home then, Elias?
