Page 31 of One Night to Fall
“Tomorrow night.”
“That’s good, right?” I manage, my voice sounding like I’m talking underwater. “That’s what you wanted. We talked about it, so yeah, all good.”
The silence between us is deafening, my appetite evaporating as I try to keep myself steady. I can’t meet Adrian’s gaze but I canfeelit on me, the judgment and something that feels a lot like disappointment.
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Or maybe I’m just projecting.
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “Yeah, I guess it’s good.”
“And we’re still friends.”
“Sure.” Adrian doesn’t sound sure at all, and right now, neither am I. I just know I can’t stay here.
“I just remembered I have to go pick something up from my brother’s house.”
“Jesse, look?—”
“You’re a catch, Adrian,” I admit, pushing the chair back from the table without taking my eyes off him. “And maybe this guy can give you what I can’t.”
I watch Adrian’s face go from heartbroken to resigned as I sweep the rest of my takeout from the table and walk the short distance to the trash. The lines that I’d said so often, believed so deeply, now feel rehearsed.
Forced.
Fake.
But I can’t think about that now, not when Adrian is looking like all he wants in this world is for me to flip the table and tell him not to go.
“We’ll catch up and you can tell me all about it,” I choke out as my hand rests on the handle of the door. Adrian hasn’t moved, not to tell me to fuck off and not to tell me tostay.
I have my answer and now it’s time for me to go.
JESSE: Are you busy?
INDIE: I mean I have a baby so I’m technically always busy
JESSE: Too busy for me to come over?
INDIE: Never. You know that.
I stareat the screen and blink back the moisture that threatens to fall as I throw my truck in reverse. I’ve always been close with my family, but something happened when my sister-in-law landed in Wintervale.
She confided in me when things were so uncertain for her, when her life was about to change in the biggest, most beautiful way. I’d been honored to be there to support her, to love her, and to welcome her into our family.
We clicked, and now it seems I need her too.
Plus I can’t talk to Reid. Even though he said we’re fine, I can’t stop beating myself up for what happened.
Why can’t I stop fucking up?
It feels like a lifetime before I’m pulling into Indie and Beau’s driveway. My brother’s truck is here, and while he usually loves to give me a hard time, I don’t know if I can handle it today.
Stepping out onto the gravel, I walk the short distance to the door, knocking twice before pushing it open.
“Hey man,” Beau says with a nod before the corner of his mouth tips down. “You all right?”
“Hey, come here,” Indie calls, her arms open for a hug.
