Page 59 of The Leaving Road

“You still haven’t earned that right.” I shot him a wink, opened the door, and hopped out before he could protest. The sound of his laugh trailed behind me, and I couldn’t help my own smile.

I tried really hard to bring out some of the rage and anger I had felt toward Sloan on the drive home, and if I were being honest with myself,I didn’t feel any.

There were layers of scar tissue over my heart that still held a dull throbbing ache, but I thought more of that had to do with losing my mom and never making things right with my dad when I had the chance than it had to do with Sloan.

In fact, part of me couldn’t help but blame myself for the way things went down. What if I had demanded answers? What if I had stuck around for a conversation,what then?The truth was, I’d never know, and I could either wallow in the past or move forward.

I was moving forward.

I was choosing to move forward.

I was choosing to get to know who Sloan was now.

I wasn’t an idiot, like Rome, trust couldn’t be built in a day, but itcould be built.

Trust could be built.

With that thought, a sense of peace spread through me, and I knew I was making the right decision,despitewhat anyone else would think about it.

Walking through my front door, I heard Lexie and Jace’s laughter from the kitchen and followed it, trying my best not to show my shock at their closeness. He had her halfway caged up against the kitchen counter and was looking at her with such a look ofadoration, I felt my heart melt at the sight of it.

“Am I interrupting?”

Lexie jumped five feet in the air and turned to look at me, darting around Jace before she came face to face with me.

“You don’t call, you don’t text. I worry, you know.” The apparent happiness that was plastered on her face a few seconds ago had morphed into concern.

“I know, Lex, I’m sorry. Things got…crazy last night,” I whispered, and tossed a look over at Jace, silently letting her know that I didn’t want to have that conversation with him around.

Thankfully, Jace also caught the hint,

“No need to say more, Magnolia. You two gossip, I’ll step outside and start getting some measurements for the deck…”

Squeezing my shoulders as he passed by let me know he wasn’t offended at all. I gave him a quick smile, hoping he knew it wasn’t about him, I just wanted to have a conversation with my best friend.

Lex glanced at the clock. “You better start at thebeginningand leavenothingout.”

She sat across from me, her head firmly planted between her hands, giving me her undivided attention. I went over everything—everything she missed, every detail, every conversation, right down to my inner monologue on the way home about Rome and trust.

Once I finished, I had to ask, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

She scoffed at me. “Magnolia, you are theleaststupid person I know.”

“Do you think I’m making the wrong choice?”

“I think onlyyoucan answer that, babe.”

“Some help would be nice,” I groaned.

“I think the best things in life areworthfighting for.” She gave me an all-knowing smile, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes trailed Jace through the window to the deck, but I did somehow miss that someone else appeared to have joined Jace out on the deck.

Sloan.

Flip. Flip. Flip.

Giggling, Lex grabbed her cell phone and strolled outside to meet the boys.

The afternoon passed by in quick succession, and honestly, it was one of the best afternoons I remember having. There were jokes, teasing, lunch—which almost broke out in a food fight—and my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. A small voice in the back of my head kept whispering,This is what life is all about. This is what some people spend their entire lives looking for. This kind of friendship, this kind of…

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