Page 40 of Unbearable

With every movement, I adjusted the neckline and smoothed out any stray wrinkles, striving for perfection in my appearance as if it were a shield against the uncertainty of the evening. I couldn’t figure out if it was the fact that it was a date with Henry that was making me nervous, or if it was because I agreed to a date in general.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the footsteps approaching from behind. When I turned, I saw Trent standing in the doorway, his arms draped over the top of the frame, accentuating his well-defined muscles. His expression was inscrutable as he leaned effortlessly against the door.

“Hey,” he greeted me, his voice low, tinged with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “You headed out?”

I offered him a tight-lipped smile. The tension between us was palpable, charged, as if the air itself crackled with the weight of our unspoken truths.

“Yeah, with Henry,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. Turning back to the mirror, I felt an urge to escape the suffocating confines of the room.

He cleared his throat. “Don’t forget our roommate rules.”

I scoffed, annoyed that he would even mention it. He knew I wouldn’t be bringing anyone back here, let alone his friend.

Gathering my purse, I made my way toward the door, a pang of regret tugging at my heart. As I brushed past him, he grabbed my elbow, halting me in my tracks. I turned back, peering up into his intense green eyes.

“What?” I asked, my voice sharp.

His eyes raked over my face as his thumb brushed alongside my skin, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. We stood there, locked in an unblinking stare.

After a moment, he composed himself, bit his bottom lip, and nodded. “Just… have a good time tonight. Henry’s a nice guy,” he said, his voice strained as he released his grip.

What the hell just happened?

My friendship with Trent, once a sanctuary, now felt like a web of conflicting emotions threatening to consume me whole. With one last glance over my shoulder, I stepped out into the hallway, my mind reeling.

The soft glow of candlelight bathed the elegant interior of The Cove, Woodstone Fall’s finest restaurant. Warm flickers of light danced across the room, creating a serene ambiance. Across the table, Henry’s eyes sparkled as he recounted his latest arrest at the station.

“We were sitting on Main Street, drinking a coffee, when Mrs. Williams sped through town at over sixty miles per hour in a thirty. I had to jump into the car so fast, I spilled my coffee!”

“Wow, can’t say I’m surprised. Mrs. Williams has always had a lead foot.” My smile faded as he continued his story.

I really tried to listen intently. I really did. And it was even nice to converse with someone that wasn’t family, Trent, or Noah, especially since I hadn’t been in the office lately for daily interaction. Henry took a sip of his wine.

“What about you, Dotty? Any fun escapades of your own?”

“Just fixing up the cabin. It’s been a lot of work and a lot of fun, honestly. Though nothing noteworthy, at least nothing as exciting as your story. Although we did replace the roof last week, and I had to convince my brothers that drinking while thirty feet off the ground wasn’t a great idea.” Henry grinned, but there was something unsettling about it, a shadow that flitted across his face.

“Sounds like the James brothers, that’s for sure. Always a wild bunch.”

“That we are.” My smile was genuine, but a small, nagging feeling of discomfort began to creep in. As the evening wore on, our conversation flowed, but I found myself growing increasingly restless. We talked about everything from my job in Seattle to his complaints about trying to keep up with mowing the grass at their family’sranch that now sat unused. We even discussed his brother Chris's busy work schedule as a local auto mechanic.

The conversation was never strained, but it felt like nothing more than a friendly chat. Yet, there were moments when Henry’s gaze lingered a bit too long, or his laugh seemed a touch too forced.

He excused himself to go to the restroom, and I was grateful for the break in conversation.

Henry was a good man—kind and attentive in all the ways that mattered. He had a good career, a good head on his shoulders, and there was no denying he was attractive.

But something was missing.

I couldn’t see him in my life as anything more than a friend. Still, there was an inexplicable unease that I couldn’t shake off. My phone buzzed inside my purse, and I reached to check it. The anxiety of the evening hadn’t subsided, and I needed the distraction.

Unknown Number

Stop ignoring my notes.

Confusion spread through me. It wasn’t the first time I’d received a text from a blocked number. Nine out of ten times, it was a scam, but this felt different. The feeling in my gut was hard to ignore.

I told myself I was being ridiculous, and that it was most likely a wrong number. I was probably overreacting.

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