Page 31 of Believe in Caloosa Springs

I pulled a long sleeve shirt over my head and unscrewed the small cap on the half-empty tube of cream, careful to avoid the open blister on the pad of my thumb. It was getting better, but the spots that had blistered were still tender. I’d already called off yesterday’s shift and felt bad enough about it. I just didn’t think I was going to be much use trimming the plants with swollen, painful fingers, however. I was lucky that Ty was exceedingly concerned and sweet.

As I applied a generous layer of cream across the palms of my hands and down to the tips of my fingers, two quick knocks sounded on the other side of the door before it opened and Henry came into view.

“Hey,” I said, nodding my head towards him as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked. “How are your hands?”

“Better than my pride,” I replied wryly.

Henry rolled his eyes. “I’m sure your little boyfriend will be just fine.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” I sighed. “He won’t return my texts since the other night.”

Henry didn’t immediately respond. I realized that I’d gotten my hands all greasy before getting into my coat. Darn it. Well, it was, like, a five-minute walk to the grow rooms. I’d survive without outerwear.

“Well, maybe that’s for the best,” he said finally. It actually took a moment for me to reconnect the broken thread of the conversation.

“Why would you say that?” I asked, bemused.

Henry’s gaze fell to the floor as he shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s just not… like… a goodfitfor you.”

“A good fit?” I was a little taken aback. “And what would you know about what agood fit? I think you’ve metoneperson I was romantically involved with.” Henry’s flippant remarks were making me mad. “What is your problem with him, anyway? I’ve never seen him be anything but sweet to every single person he’s come into contact with.”

“It’s easy to pretend to be a good person in front of a bunch of strangers, Porter. Come on…”

“Come onwhat? You don’t even know him. Shit, for that matter, I don’t even really know him!”I lifted my hand to run it through my hair in frustration, but managed to stop myself.

“Why are you yelling at me? I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“I’m not yelling!” I yelled. “Why are you being such a judgmental prick?”

Henry’s lips flattened down into an almost invisible line and his face went red. He looked so frustrated, I thought he might actually start crying. “I’m just trying to look out for you! We’re supposed to be in this thing together, and I feel like you’ve completely pushed me aside ever since we got here! You’re not even acting like yourself!”

I clenched my fists, making the open blisters sting as I leaned over to get into Henry’s face. “Maybe you should go home, then,”I growled through gritted teeth. Henry’s eyes went wide, and I turned and walked out the door.

I was mad enough to spit as I stomped my way across the back property towards the grow houses like a petulant toddler in the throes of a temper tantrum. I hadn't meant to unload on Henry. It wasn’t actually his fault. I could understand his concern, I guessed. He was worried about me, which was fair, but hating on Tian just because of the way he looked was infuriating. That’s the kind of shit we always talked about wanting to get away from! The judgmental, holier-than-thou attitude. Not being able to be ourselves. Not being able to bemyself.

I thought he understood that…

I walked through the doors of GROW ROOM 3 just as Mandy was giving instructions about the day's tasks to Jake and Dillon.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little pissed off with her, as well. Shesawthose flowers I handed him that night. She knew exactly what they were—that’s why she had insisted Tian take them with us. After all, she didn’t want poison oak sitting onhercountertop. She could have given us a heads-up.

“Hey, Porter,” she greeted me cheerfully as I walked in the door. “Are you feeling better?”

I ignored her question. “How’s Tian?”

Mandy grimaced slightly. “He’s getting better.”

Not being able to help myself, I replied, “Might have been able to mitigate that disaster a bit if someone with more knowledge about the local plant life had maybe mentioned something about it sooner.”

“Porter, I didn’t thin-”

“Where would you like me today, Boss?” I asked curtly, cutting off her excuse.

Mandy sighed, a pained look on her face, “I told Jake and Dillon that this room needs to be harvested over the next three days or so, and they are ready. They are starting on row one, if you want to start at row twenty-two and just work your way up to meet in the middle?”

I nodded and walked past her to the supplies cabinet. I slipped my greasy hands into a pair of latex gloves before sliding my work gloves over them. I didn’t want to rub all my cream off, and I didn’t want the inside of my good gloves dirty.

---