Page 67 of Claiming What Is Mine

Gabe’s eyes narrow. I know the look. He’s pissed. But this is the first time he’s looked at me that way in eighteen years. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life confined to the room you grew up in?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Obviously not.”

“Well. You’re tired of constantly defending every decision you make to your parents, aren’t you?”

I nod.

“And you don’t see a lot of career opportunities for yourself back there, do you?”

“Gabe, it’s…”

“Hang on now,” Gabe interrupts. “You said you wanted to understand, right?”

His words are cold, and his tone is making me angrier by the minute. I nod again.

“Well. Down here…you pick a direction and I’ll bet you anything you want, within ten miles you’ll find at least two companies hiring people like you. Or don’t work at all. That’s up to you, but at least here, you have the choice.”

Anxiety wells inside me. “What about you? Suppose we did move. What would you do for work?”

Gabe’s eyes light up. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve got that covered too. I reached out to some old business associates from my construction days down here.”

“And?”

“And…the guy who bought my old company just so happens to be looking for a foreman to head up one of his crews.”

“Gabe, Ithink we need to pump the brakes a second. You would leave your family, just like that?”

Gabe crinkles his brow. “I don’t understand, Mer. What’s the problem? Don’t you like it here?”

“Well, I mean…from what I’ve seen so far—which would mostly be this park—sure, it’s wonderful. But, you’re suggesting we upend our entire lives, yours most of all by the way, and move hundreds of miles away. Have you thought this through?”

Gabe steps back, offended by my words. “What have I not thought through? I was up all night thinking this through. Please, explain to me where exactly, I missed a step and fucked up? Have you changed your mind and decided you want to live the rest of your life in Logan county? Do you like being under the constant scrutiny of your parents? Do you have a lead on a career opportunity back there? Because that would certainly be news to me.”

My hands move to my hips. I don’t like the way he’s talking to me like…like everyone else does.

Gabe looks at his feet and exhales a deep breath through his nose. “Apparently, this was a bad idea.” His tone drops to just above a whisper. “We should start for home.” He reaches for my hand, but in my anger and confusion about what’s happening, I jerk away. I don’t intend it to come off as shitty as it does, but I’m frustrated and trying to process the magnitude of the situation.

“Fine,” he says as he turns back on the trail. “I’m leaving.”

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