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“You know who it is, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I smile, knowing that her not knowing who he’s interested in is driving her nuts.
Peyton hates to admit it, but she is just as bad as everyone else in Magnolia. She wants to know everything going on in town, thriving on the drama to keep her occupied, but she doesn’t spread it. She enjoys the show and basking in the fact she’s in the know. Yes, I know it makes absolutely no sense, but we have to find some way to entertain ourselves.
“Are you going to tell me?” she deadpans, all the warmth from a few minutes ago seeping from her voice.
“Nope,” I respond, popping the P for effect.
I meant what I told Campbell. I’m not doing a damn thing to stop them from being together, but I’m also not doing anything to help the situation either. Watching these two battle it out is going to be so much fun.
“You’re no fun,” she responds before sighing loudly. “But can I say one thing before I go back to hating his guts and burning his likeness in effigy?”
“Sure.” I chuckle, the tightness in my chest loosening slightly.
I’m not the angry eighteen-year-old girl whose heart was broken into a million pieces for the whole town to witness. I swore that I would never find myself in this situation again, chasing after a man and begging him to stay with me, but still, I’ve found myself in the same situation again. Except, this time, I poured my heart out to him and made him promise that he’d love me and never leave, but he broke his word and then left without as much as a goodbye text message.
I knew that Finn would be back in town at some point. Although his dad is doing much better, even up and walking around on his own, he has a long road ahead of him. Nolan and Shelly are doing an amazing job running Tallywackers in his absence, but at some point, Finn would have to come back to ensure things keep running smoothly.
“Did you ever tell Finn how you felt?”
“Not in any certain words, but I tried to show him.”
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
“What are you, fucking Yoda now?” I giggle softly, trying to dismiss her words, but I know she’s right.
I’ve been telling Finn from the moment I figured out who he was that there was no chance that we could be together. That, at some point, he would tire of me and go back to his life in Texas, but I never once told him how I felt.
“I’m not Yoda, but the words aren’t any less true.” Peyton sighs, pausing for a few moments to collect her thoughts. “Hear me out before you jump down my throat. Maybe he left to tie up loose ends in Texas before coming back here. To be with you.”
“It’s possible,” I respond, hope fluttering in my stomach. “But why hasn’t he called?”
“’Cause he’s a male and doesn’t think things through completely most of the time. There are several plausible reasons why he never called. I would ask if you called him, but we both know why you never picked up the phone.”
“And why is that?”
“You would say it was because of work. You’ve been working yourself to the bone. You probably figured that if you could keep your mind busy, you wouldn’t have time to think about what happened or deal with the pain of losing him,” she responds. “But my guess is the real reason you didn’t call him is because of your broken heart.”
I want to snark back at her. Tell her she’s wrong, but I can’t because she’s right.
“I can tell by your silence that I hit the nail on the head. Just let me say one more thing before I go back to planning ways to kill Finn in his sleep.”
“Always so violent. However, you said that before. This would be a bonus thing that I never agreed to.”
“So, arrest me. Can I say it or not?”
“Okay,” I choke out, barely able to form words past the emotions clogging my throat.
“If you love him, tell him. He needs to know what he’s missing out on, the woman that would have loved him until the end of time if only she’d pull her head out of her ass and stop pushing him away.”
“I did—”
“Before you tell me you didn’t push him away, let me remind you that I’m your best friend and know you better than you know yourself.”
“Okay, fine. I pushed him away, but he still should’ve at least said goodbye.”
The idea of giving voice to my feelings is terrifying. If I tell him, there’s no going back. There’s the chance that things won’t work out or that he’d resent me for allowing him to give up his dreams to come back to our hometown. But the flip side of that is hope. When I think about a future with Finn, my heart feels light, as if the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. If I can figure out a way to get my heart and mind on the same page, I’ll be headed in the right direction, although that’s a lot easier said than done.
