15. Henry
FIFTEEN
HENRY
“I’m sorry.”
He says the words again, and I feel them settle over my soul. He’s apologizing for not choosing me, for leaving me, for telling me he’s falling for me, making me love him, and then walking away.
I want to rage, to shout and yell and cry, but what would be the point? No one has ever picked me. It was stupid for me to assume that Anders would. Maybe his pursuit of me was because I was a virgin. Maybe it was because I was a challenge, or an anomaly, or maybe he’s just an asshole.
It doesn’t really matter what the reason is. If it’s done, then it’s done, and nothing I can do will change that.
Lifting my hand, I touch him, placing my palm over his forearm and slowly pulling his fingers from my throat.
I don’t want him to touch me there now. Before his hold was safety, but he’s ruined that.
It takes him a moment, but eventually he allows me to pull his hand free, and the moment his fingers aren’t on me, I stand up and take a step back, forcing distance between us.
Taking another step, then another, I unlock the door that leads onto the street and push it wide, clicking it so it stays open, and cool air quickly fills the room. “I have lots of work to get done. I should…” I point to the desk and the chair he’s still sitting in.
His lips purse like he wants to argue, but instead he nods, exhaling before he pushes to his feet and moves to the door that leads into the workshop. Unlocking it, he holds it open while he stares at me from across the room.
We must look ridiculous, me standing in the open door to the street and him in the door to the shop, as far away from each other as we can get, strangers once again, even after everything we shared last night.
“Goodbye, Anders.”
His sharp inhale is audible, and I see fire flare in his eyes. I wait for him to speak, to say goodbye, to hammer the final nail into the coffin of whatever it was that was happening between us, but it never comes, and instead he turns and leaves.
Hate-fueled tears fall the moment the door he walked through swings closed. He didn’t do it. He didn’t say goodbye. He should have. We both know this is over, but he didn’t say it, and a stupid, hopeful part of me flares to life, singing about love and happy ever after.
But my life has never been a fairy tale.
Closing my eyes, I allow several more tears to fall, then I suck in a reaffirming breath, wipe away the proof of my hopeless devastation and get back to work. I’ve been broken over and over before, but I’ve never been truly shattered, and he won’t be the thing that destroys me.
It takes me a while, but eventually I find some inner calm, right until Bay Barnett pushes open the office door and takes a seat in front of my desk.
“Hey, Henry,” Bay says, leaning forward in the chair, his expression serious.
“Hi, Bay.”
Scrubbing his face with his hand, Bay studies me. “Henry, you know we think a lot of you, right? I’m not sure if you know, but Penn and I used to have apartments above the garage.”
My vision starts to go dark as I silently scream. “Oh my god, he’s going to fire me.” Inside my head. I should have been expecting it, but not today, not after Anders walked away.
“We want to offer you the apartment above the garage.”
Blinking, I stare at Bay, wishing I’d been listening to him instead of having an internal breakdown.
“I’m sorry, what?” I say, sounding like an idiot.
“We want you to take the permanent job, Henry. I know you live in Bozeman and that the commute is a lot, so Penn and I talked about it, and we’d like to offer you the empty apartment above the garage.
Lots of companies offer signing bonuses to graduates, so we thought that as an incentive to join us as a permanent member of the team, we’d gift you six months’ rent-free accommodation.
After that, if you want to stay in the apartment, you’ll start paying rent. ”
He keeps talking, and I hear him speaking and understand the words he’s saying, but they don’t make any sense.
“You want to give me an apartment rent-free for six months so that I’ll take the job working here full-time?” I repeat back to him.
Smiling at me amusedly, he nods. “Yes. We know that you’re overqualified for the job here.
We know you could find a better job elsewhere that was more challenging or with more long-term career prospects.
Now, I can’t make this place anything more than a small-town garage.
I can’t make it a job that you can rise up the ranks in, but what I can offer is somewhere safe to live, a community that is friendly and welcoming.
And friendship and even family if you want it.
You’re one of us, Henry, and we’d love for you to take the job, move to town, and become part of the family we’re creating here. ”
My mouth opens, then snaps shut.
“I know it’s a lot. But think about it.” Pushing out of the chair, he turns and walks away, leaving me overwhelmed and confused for the second time today.
It feels like a lifetime, but it’s probably closer to an hour later when Parker bounds through the door.
“Bay says we can take a long lunch; do you want to go to the diner again?” she asks.
My thoughts turn to the brown bag lunch that Anders made for me that’s sitting in my backpack. When he gave it to me, I was beyond touched. Now the idea of even opening it makes my stomach go sour.
“Long lunch? Why?” I ask, blinking as I remember Parker is still in the room.
“Well…Danny came to visit,” she says, her expression darkening. “And Bay said he thought you had stuff to talk about, too?”
“No, I’m fine,” I rush to say, not wanting to talk about Anders and then realizing Bay meant about the job and apartment he offered me, not my disastrous almost relationship.
Shrugging, Parker says, “Well, I have stuff, and we’ve both been crazy busy the last week, so let’s do as the boss says and enjoy a little downtime.”
Nodding, I finish what I’m working on, then follow her out of the garage and down the street to the diner.
Once we’re seated at a table, I ask Parker about Danny, not ready to talk about me, Anders, or the job and apartment offer just yet.
She talks, and I ask questions while she explains the weird sexual games she and Danny have been playing.
For a moment, her situation almost feels similar to mine, but Danny is making it obvious he wants them to be together, and the only person who doesn’t seem to realize that is her.
“I spoke to Danny about you moving in with us,” she blurts suddenly.
“What?” I gasp.
Her expression softens, and she smiles warmly.
“I know we haven’t known each other long, and I know you’re absolutely capable of taking care of yourself, but I saw two drug deals and the cops arresting someone minutes from where you live when I drove you home the other day.
I almost turned back around to come and get you, I was so worried about you.
I know that rent in Rockhead Point is expensive, but I also know that you really want to take the job at the garage.
So, the perfect solution is for you to move in with Danny and me.
The house has three bedrooms, there’s plenty of space for you, and then we can ride to work and back together,” she says, getting more and more excited.
Shaking my head, I start to speak when she interrupts.
“Don’t say no. Just say you’ll think about it,” she pleads.
“This morning, Bay offered me a job again, and this time he offered me an apartment too,” I blurt.
“He did?” she gasps, her eyes wide.
“Apparently both Bay and Penn kept apartments over the garage for when they were working late or just wanted privacy. After they met their wives, they rented them out, only one of the renters moved out six months ago, and they haven’t bothered finding a new tenant.”
“That’s amazing,” she shrieks. “Can you afford the rent?”
“That’s the thing, they offered me the apartment free for the first six months, as a signing bonus.”
Grinning, Parker drums at the table excitedly. “I’m so happy for you. This is amazing. So, when do you move in?”
“I haven’t said yes yet,” I admit.
“What? Why not?”
Sighing, I shrug. “Six months of free rent is a lot of money, on top of the already crazy good salary they were offering…” I trail off, hoping she understands.
“You’re worried it feels too good to be true?” she says sympathetically.
I nod sadly. “Yes.”
“Look, I don’t know the Barnetts that well, but from what Danny’s told me and what you’ve said, I think they’re just really great people. I know there aren’t many of them in the world, but I think you’re overthinking this and assuming everyone is an asshole.”
I hear what she’s saying, but she didn’t just get dumped by a guy who said he’d fallen for her this morning, then said goodbye for good just a few hours later.
But I can’t allow my situation with Anders to impact how I feel about the Barnetts.
I’ve had more dealings with shitty people than good, and she’s right, the Barnetts really do just seem like great people.
“They’ve always been nice to me,” I admit.
“Exactly,” Parker says triumphantly.
“So, you think I should say yes?” I ask her.
“Yes,” she says excitedly.
After our food arrives, Parker asks me how much notice I have to give on my current apartment, then offers to help me move to the new place this weekend. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and by the time we walk back into the garage, I’m feeling almost hopeful.
“Well?” Bay asks the moment he sees me.
Sighing, I smile. “Thank you for the offer. I’d love to take the job and the apartment, if that’s okay.”
Rushing over to me, Bay whoops excitedly, throwing his arms around me and lifting me off the floor as he hugs me, like I just told him he won the lottery.
“Yes!” he shouts. “Missy is going to be over the moon, she’s been bugging me to talk to you about the apartment for over a week now,” he says on a laugh.