And then I’d tried to run away.
I groaned as I pushed my hand through my hair before dragging it down my face, as if that would erase the last 20 minutes from the history books. What kind of guy does that?
Me, apparently.
The sound of a horn blaring behind me caused me to jump. I dropped my hand to the wheel and glanced up to see that the light had turned green. I raised my right hand in apology as I pressed on the gas and drove forward.
I wasn’t sure where I was going. I’d originally gone to Godwin’s to get some snacks, but after my encounter with Ella, I’d dropped my basket on the nearest empty shelf and hightailed it out of there. I didn’t want to go back to my apartment—too many Ella memories there—and I was worried that if I went anywhere else in town, I’d run into her.
So, I settled on Powta. It was a small town, but it was a good twenty minutes from Harmony. And it would put Harmony Island Bridge between Ella and me. There, I’d gather my thoughts and figure out what the heck I was going to do moving forward.
Just as I crossed the city border, I took a left and pulled into a gas station, parking in the farthest spot. I turned off the truck’s engine and pulled the keys from the ignition. My stomach grumbled, so I opened the driver’s door and climbed out. The gas station was quiet when I pulled open the front door and glanced around. Besides the grey-haired woman who was eyeing me from behind the counter, the only other person in there was an older man in a trucker’s hat who was snoring loudly in the back corner booth.
“Afternoon,” I said as I nodded toward the cashier.
She returned the gesture but didn’t say anything.
I perused the shelves of chips and candy until I settled on a bag of Funyuns and a Snickers bar. After I grabbed two bottles of root beer, I made my way to the counter and placed the items in front of—my gaze drifted down to the faded name tag clipped to her washed-out blue t-shirt—Tabitha.
“This all?” she asked, exposing the fact that she was missing a front tooth.
I glanced around at the items on the counter next to the register before I confirmed, “This is it.”
“Great,” she said as she started to scan the items.
I pulled out my wallet and waited for her to announce the total. I tapped my credit card on the card reader affixed to the counter while she bagged the items and then ripped off the receipt and handed them both to me. I took the items, thanked her, and pushed through the door to walk back to my truck.
Once inside, I pushed the driver’s seat back and reclined it before I pulled open the bag of Funyuns and popped one in my mouth. I relaxed back, taking in a deep breath as I laid my head on the headrest behind me.
What had I been thinking? Why did I say those words to Ella? Was I an idiot? Did I really think confessing my feelings was going to solve my problems?
I had been an emotional wreck when I read Ella’s article. The rational part of my brain knew that the words on the page weren’t about me—they were about the corruption in the Proctor family—but they felt like daggers digging into my soul.
Iwas the one who told Ella to trust Marcus.Iwas the one who pushed aside her worries because I was focused on my own gain.Iwas the idiot who allowed that asshole to use me.
Her article was like a magnifying glass on my mistakes, and it hurt. Especially since all I wanted to do was to prove that I could take care of her. That I was more than just her friend. But then I went ahead and did the opposite.
I was such an idiot. Ella would be better off if she just forgot about me.
My phone rang, and I startled, shifting in my seat so I could pick up the call. I already knew who it was from the ringtone,Mom. I swiped the call button and switched it to speakerphone.
“Hey, ma,” I said as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I hadn’t told my mom how things were going here in Harmony. I was already dealing with disappointment from Ella, no need to add any more logs to that fire.
“Hey, sweetie.” Her voice was soft and reverent. I recognized that voice. Something wasn’t right.
I sat up straighter in my seat. “What’s wrong?”
She sniffled. “I really didn’t want to call you to tell you this, but…” Her voice broke as her words stopped.
“Mom, you’re worrying me.” The urge to protect her raced through my body. Ever since Dad died, it had been just the two of us. I swore that I would do anything to take care of her. If she was in trouble, I would leave right now to fix it.
“I just got off the phone with George.”
My body froze at the mention of Dad’s best friend. They had been friends since childhood. When I was six, we moved to Chicago to live near George and his family. He was like an uncle to me. I dated his daughter in high school, but we broke up after graduation. A year after Dad died, George moved his family to New York City, where he ran to be the mayor of the city and won.
It had been a while since I’d last talked to him. I kept tabs on him and his family from the news.
“And?” I asked, wondering why a conversation with George would leave Mom sniffling.
