Chapter 27
Two days later, Isla sat across from Olivia and Harper at Aunt Greta’s. The diner, like McConnell’s Pub, had backup generators and was serving a limited menu. The power still hadn’t been restored to Main Street, but the electric company had been working on the poles all day, so the town was hopeful they’d be up and running soon.
Isla was grateful to have a place to escape to after yesterday’s encounter with Nolan. She couldn’t stay in the house, knowing he was right next door. Just thinking about bumping into him in the yard made her stomach hurt.
When she’d looked down at that ring, she didn’t even think it could have possibly been for her. She just assumed after three years he’d moved on. That there was someone else in his life. How the hell was she supposed to know that he’d held onto a ring that was meant for her for all this time?
“Why does he still have it?” Isla asked.
It was the million-dollar question. She hoped Olivia and Harper would be able to answer it, but they had the same question she did when she told them about it. There was no answer in sight.
But the question remained: Why the hell did he still have the damn ring?
Olivia took a sip of her lemon water. “It obviously means something to him, or he would have pawned it by now.”
It was a nice thought, but Isla wasn’t so sure. “And what exactly does it mean? That the girl he loved betrayed him and publicly humiliated him? How the girl he wanted to marry didn’t trust him, even though he never did a single thing to betray her trust.” She’d been horrible to him. He worked his ass off to buy her the ring, and she accused him of cheating on her. How could he even look at her still? How could he have brought her to his bed and made sweet love to her?
“Or how he’s still in love with you,” Olivia said.
Isla went to argue, but the words stuttered on her tongue. She’d held out hope for three years that he’d come back and she’d all about lost it before he’d shown up again. She always assumed after everything she put him through, he hated her, or at the very least didn’t love her anymore. But maybe Olivia was right. Why else would he have held onto the ring?
She didn’t want to get her hopes up. “Or he spent a lot of money on the ring and couldn’t get what he paid for it.”
Harper put her mug down and shot Isla a look. “I highly doubt that. If you ask me, Liv is onto something.”
“Do you not remember the fallout?” Isla couldn’t forget it, though she had desperately tried. The total betrayal in his voice, the pain and heartache that followed. The look of utter disgust as she begged for his forgiveness. It hadn’t been pretty, and now knowing he’d planned to propose to her, it somehow made it worse.
“Everyone remembers,” Harper said. “But everyone also remembers how good you two were together.”
“When I wasn’t being a paranoid, insecure nut job.”
Olivia forked a piece of pancake. “Nobody’s perfect.”
“Nolan was pretty damn close.” Isla dropped her head on the table with a thud. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Put your big girl panties on and deal with it,” Harper said.
Isla lifted her head to shoot a glare in Harper’s direction. “You’ve always been terrible at giving advice. Olivia, any suggestions?”
“Sorry, I’m with Harper on this one.” Isla went to argue, but Olivia held her hand up. “Hear me out. You and Nolan broke up because you didn’t trust him, and instead of talking with him, you took the extreme route and tried to catch him cheating when he wasn’t.”
“I know, must we rehash it?”
“Yes. Those who don’t learn from the past are bound to repeat it.”
Harper picked up her mug and held it by her lips. “She’s busting out quotes, you know this is about to get good.”
“All I’m saying is you did the exact same thing as last time. You assumed, when you should have just talked to him. I’d be mad if I were him, too.”
“Point taken, but how the hell was I supposed to know the ring was for me?” It had been three years!
“Like I said, you could have talked to him, asked him, before jumping to your own conclusions. You accused him of cheating again. Not on you, but with you. Not that it matters. You still accused him of something he wasn’t doing.”
“I’m an asshole,” Isla said.
Harper held her hands up. “You’re going to get no arguments from me on that one.”
Olivia tossed a packet of sugar at Harper’s head. “You’re not an asshole, you just need to stop jumping to conclusions, but more than anything, you need to stop letting your insecurities get the better of you.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Yes, you can,” Harper said. “You’re a freaking catch and if you just realized that, realized how amazing you are, and how lucky Nolan is to have you too, you might finally be able to be happy.” She slumped in her seat as if her words took everything out of her.
“Wow, Harp. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“I have my moments.” She pointed at her before lifting her tea. “Now don’t waste the moment. Take my words to heart.”
“I will, but as for Nolan and I… it’s too late. I got my second chance, and I blew it. I doubt he’ll ever forgive me. I know I wouldn’t.”
The door opened, and Milo came into the diner. He spotted them immediately and plopped in the spot next to Harper. “What’d I miss?”
Harper kissed his cheek. “Nolan and Isla drama.”
“The good stuff.” Milo picked up a piece of Harper’s bacon and took a bite. “Have you talked to him at all?”
Isla shook her head. “Not since I accused him of being in love with someone else.”
“Yeah, not your greatest moment.” He tapped the table with his fingertips. “But you should know, Nolan was offered his old job back with a lot more perks this time.”
Everything inside Isla deflated, and a pit landed hard in her stomach. “Is he taking it?” she asked, scared to know the answer.
“He asked for time to think about it. Honestly, he’d be nuts not to. It’s everything he’s ever wanted and then some.”
“Oh.” Isla tried not to let the utter disappointment seep into the one word, but her tone was unmistakable.
Even if she apologized to Nolan, why would he stay?
Harper elbowed Milo in the gut. “Milo!”
“What? It is. I’m just being honest.”
Harper shook her head and took a sip of her tea. “Unbelievable.”
“You should talk to him,” Milo said.
“I’m probably the last person he wants to talk to.” She’d once again betrayed his trust. How many chances was he supposed to give her?
“You won’t know unless you try, and I really think you should try.”
“Maybe.”
The conversation steered toward Harper’s studio, and Isla was happy to have the attention off of her. She listened to her friends and added to the conversation every now and again, but her mind was once again stuck on Nolan and the absolute mess she’d made.