Page 16 of Cade

The phone rang, pulling me from my misery. I didn’t even have to look to know who was calling, as the Darth Vader march sounded in the cavernous room.

I answered regrettably, clearly not in the mood to deal with anything but my own wallowing.

“What?” I growled, my tone much harsher than I truly meant it to be.

“Please, tell me you’ve left the hotel already,” my mother said dryly.

“I’m leaving in five minutes, mother,” I huffed whilst straightening my suit, running a hand through my hair to even it out.

The sunlight filtered in through the window, lighting up the room in its sweet, golden glow. Though despite all its golden rays, I couldn’t help but feel gloomy in comparison.

Shitty way to start the day, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Where are you staying?” she pressed.

“It doesn’t matter. This damn town is tinier than shit. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, tops.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” she huffed.

“If you must know, I’m staying at the Palisades.”

“That’s at least a twenty-five minute drive, Weston!”

I waved my hand at the air as I took my time grabbing my wallet, sliding it into my pants.

“It’s going to be a thirty minute drive if you don’t get off this phone with me and let me call an Uber.”

“Do take this seriously, dear. This event is important to the company,” she said with a sigh.

And the guilt trip starts. Barely been here twenty-four hours, that’s got to be a record.

“It’s important you understand we do more than just sell products, honey. Our strength is with this community.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to put a damper on the company,” I drawled sarcastically.

“It is important to your father, too. And me,” she said quietly.

“Uh huh, of course,” I responded, hurrying to put an end to the conversation before it became the one I always dreaded hearing.

Because no matter how many times I told my parents, it never seemed to sink in.

I didn’t want to run Rhodes Enterprises. The very idea of being cooped up in board meetings and overseeing spreadsheets sounded like the opposite of living to me.

It wasn’t like I’d never worked before. In fact, up until a year ago I would have rather loved to stay at my job at the Men’s Warehouse, even though it wasn’t my family’s idea of a genuine job. It was just shitty timing. We’d all been downright shocked when the place closed, or ‘relocated’, and I hadn’t been asked to move with the staff I’d grown close to.

Ever since I’d been in limbo, trying to find something, anything—or someone—to pull me out of the stasis my life had become. It seemed almost as if there was nothing truly constant in my life except the inevitable change I did not seek, and a future I didn’t ask for.

“Weston—”

“Leaving now, mother. See you soon,” I said, not bothering to wait for her to chime in and say her goodbyes before hanging up on her as I walked out the door of the lonely, silent room, and into the overwhelmingly beige hallway of the Palisades, dreading the stupid fundraiser I’d been tasked with.

CHAPTER 11

Weston

The sun was at its peak as I strolled through the blocked off streets of town. Jasper Springs itself wasn’t a large town, but the Main Street stretch alongside Charleston Street was big enough to make even the occasional passerby wonder if Jasper Springs was larger than it looked.

There were several tents strewn along the streets, everything from vegan food trucks and popsicle stands, to a multitude of small businesses like Taylor Made Bouquets and Penn’s Bakery, the bakery my mother loves, as well as the local community staples such as the Jasper Springs Volunteer Fire Co. and the Jasper Springs Pet Hospital.

---