Page 16 of The Fence Between Us

Was he being a coward? One hundred percent yes. He didn’t doubt that. Still, he had never been cagey with his brothers before, and he wasn’t necessarily interested in starting now. “I’ve known Skye since we were children. She was my next-door neighbor.”

His sudden announcement hung in the air as silence fell. The twins gave Rabble their full attention and respect as he outlined the basics of his time with Skye. He didn’t get into too many details about his father, mother, or childhood, only that Skye had been an anchor in his otherwise stormy life.

“She was my sanity for the longest time, the only part of my life that made sense after my mom died.”

Silence.

Rabble tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “But her dad is—well, he’s a jackass. When she broke their house rules to stay with me, they forbade her from seeing me again, even though we lived next door to each other and went to the same school. They finished convincing her she wasn’t worth anything unless she was perfect, and I made promises I didn’t keep…especially when she needed me most.” The disgust was evident in his voice, and admitting his failure aloud made his stomach churn.

He glanced unseeingly at the reports in front of him. Instead, he saw her standing behind the school building, the early morning light painting the sky in purples and pinks while he promised they’d go somewhere far enough away to leave behind the pain and anger of Shiloh Hills. She’d been so radiant, so hopeful, looking at him with eyes full of trust despite the trouble he’d managed to get into in the last few years.

“That was then,” Dash said quietly, his deep voice rumbling, filling the space.

Rabble’s gaze snapped to him; he didn’t speak often, so Rabble listened when he did.

“This is now.” Dash shrugged.

Confusion rippled through Rabble. “So?”

Uncharacteristically serious, Declan answered for his brother. “I think what he’s trying to say is that you were both still kids then. You aren’t kids anymore, so what’s stopping you now?”

Dash cocked his head to the side incredulously. “That’s exactly what I just said.”

The twins left Rabble sitting at the dining table, warring with himself. On one hand, he wanted to go after Skye, wanted to chase the dreams they’d had when they were those lovesickkids. On the other hand, how could he face her, knowing how fantastically he had let her down, and ask for a chance this late in the game? He hadn’t been a major part of her life since they were eighteen, and a lot of time and history had passed since then. Their lives had diverged, and their experiences had shaped them, molded them, into different people.

And yet, even though Rabble considered himself a fairly smart person, he felt like the biggest idiot in the world. In some ways, he was still that eighteen-year-old kid who knew nothing of the world or himself.

With his mind spinning, Rabble quite literally felt dizzy. What in the world was he doing? Eight years. Eight damn years. Wasted.

Think, he chastised himself, forcing back the self-loathing to focus on his current problem.

He was a planner; that was what he did for work every day. He solved problems and developed solutions that benefited every party involved. Applying the same process to himself should come naturally, right?

Something that felt oddly like hope flickered in his chest.

Yet each time he thought about talking to Skye, about bringing up the past and the promises he broke, something inside him shrank away from the pain he knew it would inflict on both of them.

Mind occupied, Rabble left his truck keys in his room and hurried down the stairs. He pushed through the screen door at the back of the bed and breakfast and soon found himself on the sidewalk. With his hands stuffed into his pockets, he lumbered toward the warehouse where he planned to meet Skye again. By the time he reached the building, he needed his thoughts organized, or he would quickly put his foot in his mouth. That was inevitable.

As he neared the warehouse, he’d worked up a decent sweat. He hadn’t considered the heat, the distance, or the fact that jeans were not the best choice of clothing for a long summer walk. At least the multiple garage doors were wide open, letting sunlight and a summer breeze stream in. The massive space was busier with more parade trailers parked inside and outside on the grass and gravel. Townsfolk milled about, chatting and trading equipment; the sound of power tools and sporadic laughter built into a cacophony of noise that drowned out all thought and reason.

Damn.The loud banging and constant hammering made him wince.

He glanced around, seeking Declan and Dash, each working on their respective floats. They’d moved their trailers outside, as far onto the grass and away from the loudest sounds in the warehouse. Rabble once again had to acknowledge how smart his partners were. The freedom and fresh air they gained from their distance to the building was well worth the lack of electricity that far out.

His eyes scanned the back wall where Elyza’s trailer was truly stuck in the warehouse. Trapped. His heart hammered in his ears, and he swallowed thickly. Stealing himself, Rabble made his way through the tangle of air hoses for a variety of compressors running power tools, around trailers and large props for the parade, and through the crowds of people moving about their projects. The noises bounced around the echoey space and made him jumpy.

Spotting Skye took longer than he liked. With a paintbrush in hand, she sat atop a turned-over bucket at the back of their trailer and traced tiny, delicate lace patterns on the posts he’d put together yesterday. He paused and watched as she focused on her task. A cute little crease dipped between her brows as they furrowed slightly in concentration, and she silently mouthed thewords to whatever song blasted from a large speaker across the room. The care she gave each detail was remarkable.Shewas remarkable.

As he got closer, Rabble made enough noise so she could hear him over the din. Grimacing, he thought of the times someone had come up behind him without warning. Those memories were not some of his more pleasant ones.

Skye turned and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“What? No, why would anything be wrong?” he stammered.

“You’re frowning, again.” She gave him a pointed look, daring him to argue with her use of the wordagain.

Instead, he gave her a strained smile and opted for honesty. “The noise. I wanted to make sure you heard me coming so I didn’t sneak up on you. Not so good when it happens to me.” He grimaced, hating how vulnerable the admission made him feel, how exposed and weak.

---