Page 91 of Searching for Sadie
"Oh, I'm not one to complain. But I do sense there is something going on with you, my young Mr. Fipp."
Of course she was able to pick up on it.
"Oh, I'll figure it out."
"What seems to be the problem?" she asked, cocking her head to the side taking him in.
"I'm just worried about someone I'm growing to care a lot about. They think they have to be strong enough to face something really hard on their own. I want to be there for them, but I'm just not sure what the right thing is."
Hmmm, Bridget said, nodding, taking him in. "Does this have anything to do with the pretty little neighbor of yers?"
He gave a rough chuckle as he ran his hand through his blond hair. "Is it that obvious?"
"Oh yes, my dear, the affection the two of ye have for each other is quite obvious. Let me ask ye this, do ye want to be with her?"
"More than anything." He was surprised at the words that came out of his mouth. While they were the absolute truth, he did tend to play it a little closer to the vest with his feelings. Yetsomehow with Sadie he was always just a little out of his depth. Which oddly enough was something he really enjoyed about her.
"So then why are ye staying away?"
"I'm not staying away. It's just... well, I want to be there for her, and she told me not to. I have to respect her wishes."
"Oh yes, ye must respect her wishes to do it on her own, but..."
Mischief twinkled in her eyes, waiting for her to continue.
"Just because she may not want you WITH her, doesn't mean you can't be near her."
"What does that mean?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion.
"I don't know, you tell me." A grin of the Cheshire Cat covered her face as she grinned up at him. "Oh, Poppy, my dear," she called out to Poppy who had joined Josh in the square. "If you'll excuse me, I must speak to Poppy."
He nodded, "Yeah, I'll see ya later."
And before he knew it, she was off. As he continued the walk about to his house the words of Bridget and her mother kept replaying in his head. There seemed to be a right answer, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing he knew for certain was he was in love with Sadie. They just had make it through this weekend, then they would figure it all out. He was certain of that.
CHAPTER 34
SADIE
The next day Sadie was still only half packed. She just couldn't quite figure out what she needed. Trying to figure out what she was going to wear on camera had become a nightmare for her after the show. The night she was going to go out to dinner with her parents, that would be fine. But then the night before that she had a mixer with the cast, which she was dreading. Friday was the day they would be filming the reunion. She wasn't sure she'd dreaded anything quite this much.
Lucas had offered to go with her, and she wasn't sure why she told him not to go. She wanted him there. She wanted him there more than she cared to think about. But in the same breath he's already seen her humiliated on screen and held her while she cried because of the show. Having it happen in person again was just too much to bear. She didn't want him to see her like that. Even if she was terrified to go face her family and the show on her own, the idea of him watching it was too much.
As she sat in the window seat that overlooked her front year and her and Lucas's driveway, she couldn't help but think about how things had changed since she'd been here. She rememberedsitting in this seat crying and listening to Dolly trying to figure out her next step. Things have changed a lot since then.
When she'd gotten here, she was jobless, broken hearted, and humiliated. She didn't know what she needed. But somehow, she found exactly what she needed in Mystic Falls. She had a job at the diner, but she was also working with Liam, which is beyond a dream come true. She had a group of friends that accepted her the way she was. And she had Lucas. Just the thought of him made her smile. No one had ever made her feel the way he makes her feel.
As she thought about him and his house, she looked around this room. It was small, but the only room in this house that seems to contain any piece of who she was. Claiming more of this house seemed disrespectful to her aunt’s memory. She for whatever reason loved her pink and her flowers. How could Sadie get rid of those things she loved? But her aunt had given her this house for a reason, and it wasn't to keep it in a weird memorial.
As she was sitting thinking about all of this, George started yowling in the hallway. What has the cute little monster gotten into now? When she opened her door, she found George with his little paw under the bedroom door of her aunt's bedroom trying to open it.
"What are you up to now?" she asked as she went over and opened the door.
George instantly trotted in and hopped up on the bed before sprawling out in a warm sunbeam. The way the sunlight filtered in gave this room a warm glow. It was much bigger and sunnier than the one she was in. It even had a bathroom which as she peaked in had a new shower up in some time with a half tile wall and a rain shower head. How did she not know that was here? The big window had a bench seat as well, but it overlooked herbackyard and all the beautiful plants her aunt had spent her days taking care of.
Sadie moved over to the bed and sat down on the softest mattress she'd ever sat on. Maybe it was time to change rooms. As that thought rattled through her head an envelope on the nightstand caught her attention.
It was a pink envelope with her name on it. Her head cocked to the side as she picked it up to examine it. She thought the lawyer had given her all the paperwork there was, but as she pulled it out it was a letter to her in her aunt's old loopy cursive handwriting.
