19. Sydney
Chapter nineteen
Sydney
I walked to the truck for strawberries, whistling as I went. Something about life here was just so… pleasant. Pleasant enough to make me want to whistle, apparently. I could also still feel the tingle on my lips where we kissed. I didn’t know what made me kiss him out of the blue in public, but it just felt right.
There was still no telling what any of this meant. Brooks hadn’t brought it up, and I had no plan to either. I wouldn’t even know what to say.
I’d thought about telling him about Preston, but how was I supposed to do that when I didn’t have a way to fix it? Every night I lay awake trying to figure out how I could, but I always turned up empty. I needed to sort it out soon, though. I couldn’t keep playing pretend like this; it was weighing too heavily on me.
As I rounded the truck, I jumped when I saw Bridget leaning against the side, smoking the small electric stick in her hand. She gave me a glance before shooting a long exhale to the sky that smelled like weed.
“Oh, sorry, you scared me,” I said, hoping to sound semi-normal.
“Don’t worry. I know I have that effect on people.”
My eyes blew wide. “No. I just meant I didn’t expect anyone to be here. I don’t think you’re scary. You’re not scary.” I was babbling, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
She let out a small laugh that matched Brooks’s almost to a T. “I’m just fucking with you. Want a hit?” She offered me the small pen.
“I’m fine, thanks.” Though I enjoyed getting high just as much as the next person, I wasn’t very high-functioning when I did smoke, so it wasn’t the best idea.
She took another drag. “Suit yourself. So what’s up with you and my brother?”
“I… Uh…” The question took me off guard. I didn’t even know the answer to that myself, much less how to verbalize it.
“Yeah, I figured. I can tell what he sees in you, though. We’ve always had the same taste.”
She looked right at me, and my mind went blank. I wasn’t shocked into silence often. In Stonebridge, lots of people were crass and direct—it’s how I had grown up. But it seemed a couple of weeks here had me losing my edge.
“Brooks has just never shown interest in… Well, anyone, seriously. My advice? Don’t fuck it up. I may be biased, but he’s the best.”
She walked away then, leaving me stunned. Bridget was really different from anyone I’d met here, which I guess made sense.
I needed to go get the strawberries, so I went to the back and grabbed one of the crates. There was something I quite enjoyed about all this—working alongside everyone and talking to customers was actually pretty exciting. I even snapped a few photos with my phone. It wasn’t the same, but I was sure I could fix them up after.
It made me wonder if Hoffman Farm needed new stuff for their website. There were only a few photos on there, and they all looked like they’d been snapped by a local paper. Maybe Brooks, or whoever updated the site, would appreciate these.
As I walked back, I paused when I noticed Brooks talking to someone. He wasn’t his normal, relaxed self. His hands were gripping the table, and he was standing straight, his entire body looking tense.
I walked closer and froze when I saw who he was talking to. Behind Brooks was Preston Fairfield. The man blackmailing me. And down went the crate.
What the fuck is he doing here?
Brooks turned around, and I tried to compose myself. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled as I started picking up the spilled packages.
Brooks turned back to Preston and said something I couldn’t hear. My blood was pumping through my ears. Why the fuck was he still here? His wife and job were back in the city, and he never seemed one for country life.
Though I hadn’t known Preston well in college, everyone knew the hyper-rich Fairfield, who treated everyone like a tool for his personal use.
Including me now, apparently.
I didn’t think doing that test for him would cause so much trouble. Because of his reputation, I had even charged double, and my friend told me he hadn’t even blinked. But of course that would come back to haunt me, and I was now facing a broken heart and a ruined career. It was all just too much. I could feel myself hyperventilating, and my palms were sweating.
“Hey,” Brooks said, setting his hand on my shoulder. I jumped, almost knocking us both from our squatting position. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I snapped too quickly. I was the farthest thing from it. “I think I just need some water. I’ll be back.”
I stood and all but ran out the back of the stall toward the alley. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. There was no use freaking out. And how would I explain it to Brooks if I did? No, I just needed to relax.
After I managed to pull it together, I stepped back out. I’d just tell Brooks I got overly hot and needed a minute.
“Looks like you’re doing a bit more than your job,” the voice that haunted my nightmares said from behind me.
I turned and there stood Preston. God, he was just so painfully… average.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied and tried to keep walking, but he grabbed my arm, holding me in place.
“I hope you haven’t forgotten our little deal,” he said. “Or are you not concerned about everything you’ve worked for going down the drain?”
I snapped my arm away from him. “I know what I’m doing.” That couldn’t have been further from the truth, but I didn’t want him to know I was having second thoughts. “It will be done.”
He put his hand back in his pocket. “See that it is.”
“Babe?” a voice I recognized called.
I turned around to see the girl from the game store standing there. Gwen, her name was. Who was she talking to?
“Don’t forget,” Preston said once more before walking toward her. He grabbed her arm in an aggressive way and leaned into her ear, surely scolding her.
Babe? Preston had a wife, and it sure wasn’t her. What the hell?
I shook the interaction off and headed back to the stand. My head was a mess, but I owed it to Brooks to keep it together.
When I returned, he immediately took me in his arms. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? If you’re not used to it, these events can be a lot.”
“Yeah. I think you’re right; I’m just not used to it.”
He kissed me on my forehead in his sweet way. “It’ll be over soon, and we’ll head on home.”
“That would be nice.”
I relaxed into him with a new thought in mind. I was going to get Brooks out of this, even if I wasn’t able to save myself.
When we got back that night, I finished up my report. I technically had a few samples to take, but what I collected should be enough. Once I was finished, I asked Brooks if I could take his truck to town. He handed over the keys willingly, not asking any questions, and I was off to the post.
I pulled out in front of Griffin Post, printed all the pages of the report, wrapped up the samples, and overnight-shipped everything. The cost was enormous, which I expected, but it was worth it.
I had another week to set things right, and I would do it.