Chapter 14
Merri
I'm sitting in Heather's office at the Pelican Point Library, ugly-crying into a tissue with Cookie snuggled against one leg and Admiral on the other, both offering comfort.
"I'm such an idiot," I say for what must be the tenth time. "A complete and total idiot."
"You're not an idiot," Heather says firmly, pushing a fresh box of tissues across her desk. "Tell me exactly what happened."
I blow my nose, trying to compose myself enough to speak coherently. "The interview. I admitted that I'm in love with Wyatt. Like a complete fool."
Heather's eyes widen. "You told them you're in love with him?"
"Yes! I sat there in front of cameras and lights and confessed that I've had a crush on him since we were kids and that I think I'm in love with him." My voice cracks. "And apparently, they’ve already posted a clip of it online. My brother sent me the link."
"Merri, that's not horrible! That's actually really sweet and brave."
"It's horrible because I overheard Wyatt's interview." The tears start fresh again. "I was working in the cold storage room, and I heard every word."
Heather leans forward. "What did he say?"
"He told Rachel there's nothing between us.
That we're only pretending to be close because of the competition.
That once it's over, everything will go back to normal.
" I wipe my eyes angrily. "And when she asked how he feels about me, he said I'm just Danny's little sister.
Nothing more. Those were his exact words: 'Nothing more. '"
"Oh, Merri." Heather comes around the desk and pulls me into a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"I confronted him after the crew left. He tried to claim he only said all that to protect me from the attention. Can you believe that? Protect me by humiliating me?"
Heather eases back, her expression thoughtful. She’s quiet for a moment, then holds her hands in the air. "Okay, I'm going to play devil's advocate for a second."
"Heather—"
"Just hear me out. That actually sounds exactly like something Wyatt would do. He probably had no idea what you said in your interview and thought you would want to keep your relationship private so you wouldn't have to deal with the scrutiny."
"That doesn't make it okay!"
"No, it doesn't. It was absolutely shitty. But Merri, I've seen the way he looks at you. I was at that town hall meeting. I've seen you two together. That man is crazy about you."
"Then why would he say those things?"
"Because men are idiots?" Heather offers. "Especially when they're trying to be protective. They make stupid decisions thinking they're helping when they're actually making everything worse."
My phone buzzes on Heather's desk. Wyatt's name flashes on the screen, again. It's the seventh time he's called in the past two hours.
I send it to voicemail.
"You haven't talked to him since the confrontation?" Heather asks.
"No. I can't. Every time I think about what he said..." My throat tightens. "I let him in, Heather. I told him things I've never told anyone."
"And you slept with him."
"Yes. And the whole time, I kept telling myself to be careful, to protect my heart, because what if this didn't last? What if it was just the competition bringing us together? And then he confirmed my worst fears on camera for the entire world to see."
Heather squeezes my hand. "That's it. We're doing girls' night at Jumping Jacks. I'll text Julie. You go home, take a shower, put on something comfortable, and I’ll pick you up at six thirty."
"Heather, I don't think—"
"No arguments. You're not sitting home alone crying over Wyatt Dalton. We're going to drink fruity cocktails, eat fried food, and remind you that you are amazing with or without him."
Despite everything, I manage a small smile. "Okay."
"Good. Now go. Admiral looks like he could use a walk anyway."
Two hours later, I'm at a high-top table at Jumping Jacks with Heather and Julie, nursing a pina colada and watching the waves roll onto the beach. The bar is busy but not packed, filled mostly with locals enjoying the warm evening and live music from the acoustic guitarist in the corner.
"So let me get this straight," Julie says after I've retold the whole story. "You admitted you're in love with him on camera, and then he turned around and said you're nothing to him?"
"Basically."
"What an asshole."
"Right?" I take a long sip of my drink. "After the interview, I went back to the brewery, grabbed Admiral, and left through the back entrance so I wouldn't have to see him."
"How many times has he called?" Heather asks.
I check my phone. "Ten times. And he's left eight voicemails."
"Have you listened to any of them?"
"No. I can't…" I trail off, feeling the tears threatening again.
Julie reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "You know what? Wyatt Dalton is a big jerk. Even if he thought he was protecting you, he handled it completely wrong. You have every right to be hurt and angry."
"Thank you."
"But," Heather adds gently, "eventually you're going to have to talk to him. You two run businesses next door to each other and have a competition entry together. You can't avoid him forever."
"I can try."
"Merri—"
"I know, I know. But not today, okay? I need time to process this. To figure out what I want to say."
My phone buzzes again. Wyatt. I send it to voicemail and turn the phone facedown on the table.
"He's persistent," Julie observes.
"He's desperate," Heather corrects. "That's not the behavior of a man who thinks you're 'just Danny's little sister.' That's a man who knows he screwed up and is trying to fix it."
"Well, he can't fix it with phone calls." I finish my pina colada and signal the waitress for another. "He confirmed every fear I had about us. That it wasn't real and once the competition was over, he'd realize he doesn't actually want to be with me."
"Do you really believe that?" Julie asks softly.
I think about the past few weeks. The way Wyatt looked at me during the blind tasting. The way he kissed me in the cold storage room like he'd been waiting his whole life to do it. The way he held me in his bed, his arms wrapped around me like I was precious.
The way he told a reporter I was nothing to him.
I rub the heel of my hand against my breastbone. The ache doesn't ease. "I don't know what to believe anymore," I admit.
We sit in silence for a moment, the sound of waves and guitar music filling the space between us.
"You know what you need?" Heather says finally. "You need to focus on you and the brewery. Show Wyatt that you're perfectly fine without him."
"I am perfectly fine without him."
"Then prove it."
Julie raises her glass. "To Merri Gallagher, a brilliant brewer, successful business owner, and a woman who doesn't need a man to define her worth."
"Here, here!" Heather clinks her glass against Julie's.
I raise my own, managing a genuine smile. "To being perfectly fine."
We drink to that, and for a little while, I almost believe it.
The girls drop me off at my house around ten, both of them hugging me tight and making me promise to call if I need anything. I unlock my front door, Admiral shuffles over to greet me, and I'm immediately struck by how quiet my house is.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I don't need to check to know it's Wyatt.
I pull it out anyway. Fourteen missed calls. Eleven voicemails.
Against my better judgment, I open my text messages. There are dozens from him:
Merri, please call me back.
I'm so sorry. I can explain.
Please let me talk to you.
I didn't mean any of what I said in that interview.
You're not just Danny's little sister. You're everything to me.
The most recent one, sent five minutes ago:
Please, Merri. I'm begging you.
I stare at the screen, my vision blurring with fresh tears, not knowing what to believe. Weary to the bone, I turn off my phone and plug it into the charger.
Admiral follows me to my bedroom, and I change into pajamas and climb into bed. He jumps up beside me, something I don't usually allow, but tonight I need the comfort, and rests his head on my stomach.
"What am I going to do, Admiral?" I whisper, scratching behind his ears. "How am I supposed to work next door to him? How am I supposed to see him every day?"
Admiral huffs, which I choose to interpret as sympathy.
"And what about the competition? Our beer is amazing. We deserve to win. But can I stand next to him at the showcase and pretend everything is fine? Can I smile for cameras and act like my heart isn't broken?"
I close my eyes, exhaustion washing over me.
Tomorrow, I'll figure out how to move forward. How to protect what's left of my heart while still fulfilling our commitment to the competition. Then I’ll be strong.
But tonight, I let myself cry into Admiral's fur and wonder if Wyatt Dalton was ever really mine to lose in the first place.