50. Chapter 50
Chapter 50
The Truth Comes Out
Violet got home, showered, and took the two-kilometer scenic walk to the local farmers market. It had become her usual on a Saturday. There was nothing better than fresh little strawberries from the market, and she always loved to check out all the vendors’ wares. She rushed through today, though, wanting to get back so she'd have plenty of time to get ready to meet up with Lachlan.
She walked back in her front door shortly before five p.m. and felt a familiar tinge of disappointment that Lachlan hadn't messaged her at all yet. Refusing to get in her head about it, she texted him.
Violet: Thinking about you. Let me know what time you're planning for dinner. Hope you've had a good day. 3
She looked at her message and hit send before she could change her mind. Her phone dinged in her hand, and her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't Lachlan, though. It was Fiona asking her about her night. Violet hadn't mentioned her plans to go see Lachlan and confront him, so she assumed it was just a generic, “Hey how was your Friday.” Part of her wanted to gush about how epic her night was, but it all still felt so tentative and surreal. It was like she didn't want to jinx it, so she typed back a non-descript response.
Violet: G ood and yours?
The truth was she hadn't stopped thinking about last night and this morning. She had no idea sex could be like that, but it was so much more. She felt so cherished and safe somehow when she was with Lachlan. When they were together, it couldn't be more perfect. She sighed. It was the in-between that left her confused.
As amazing as last night was, she still wished they had talked more. Violet picked up one of the romance books Lachlan had bought for her. She was halfway through the second book. She still loved that he'd thought to get her a book. Definitely a top-notch gift in her eyes. And he'd chosen surprisingly well. She hadn't read any of Eliza Rockwood's books, but after plowing through the first one Lachlan bought, she'd already gone online to order more.
She'd finished the second book from Lachlan and was just finishing another of the Hideaway Valley series she'd ordered when her doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock, it was seven forty-five p.m. Lachlan . She almost tripped jumping up from her navy wingback chair. She flung open the door, her heart delighting that it was Lachlan. Maybe he’d meant a late dinner.
Indeed, late dinner, but not with Lachlan. Fiona stood on the other side of her door, hands full with takeout food bags, and Violet's stomach growled on cue. Apparently, she didn’t do a good job of disguising her disappointment that it wasn't Lachlan.
“Expecting someone else?” Fiona said, holding up the bags. “I brought sustenance.”
Violet felt her eyes sting with tears.
“Oh. Oh, Vi, what is it?” Fiona put the bags of food down on the little bench at the front door and wrapped Violet in a warm embrace, and that's when the floodgates opened.
Violet sobbed on her shoulder. “
What happened?” Fiona said gently, pulling back to look at Violet.
When Violet finally caught her breath, she whispered, “It’s a long story.”
She watched numbly as Fiona filled up two plates with some unidentified vegan food she'd picked up from a fancy new takeout place in town. Then she poured two large glasses of white wine, filling them to the brim. She handed Violet a glass and carefully clanked her glass.
Violet took a large gulp of the wine and then topped up her glass before accepting the plate of food Fiona handed her, and the two sat at the tiny bistro table near the back door. Violet fiddled with some beige ball-looking thing with her fork.
"Eat. It's good. And then I want ye to start from the beginning, tell me everything.
Violet didn't feel like eating. But Fiona could be a mother hen, so Violet did as she was told. The food was better than she thought it would be. When she finally set her fork down, Fiona was looking at her expectantly, cradling her glass of wine. Violet knew she needed to get it off her chest. Violet hesitated, though, knowing that Fiona also worked for Lachlan. Even now, she didn't want this to bite Lachlan in the ass. Even if he did deserve it. Ugh.
"You have to keep this between us, though, okay? No telling Andy or Drew." Violet still suspected that the Drew Fiona met the night of the gala was Lachlan's brother, and she certainly didn't want to cause more family drama with any of this getting back to Lachlan.
"I willnae say anything. Ye huv my word on it.”
Violet took another good gulp of wine and opened up about what had happened the night of the gala.
Fiona stared in disbelief. “Right there in the barrel room? Where they were doing the tours?” Her eyebrows nearly rose to her hairline.
Violet nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed by the confession.
“Blimey!”
Violet told her about Lachlan staying the night with her when she was sick and how he took care of her, bringing her smut books and drugs and making her grapefruit juice and broth—which was so delicious, considering it was just clear broth.
“Och, he’s got it bad for ye, Violet.”
“No, that’s just it. I don’t think he actually does.”
“What? Of course, he does. No man does all this for a little piece of action.”
“There’s more.” Violet laid her elbow on the table and held her forehead in her hand.
Violet continued to tell Fiona how he’d gone MIA right after.
"Och, right. Come to think of it, I didnae see him at the sanctuary either. Maybe he had to go on another business trip?" she offered.
Violet had wondered that herself, but it didn't explain why he hadn't called her or messaged her at least. "Right, but why didn't he message me?”
Fiona shook her head. "Maybe he was doing that three-day rule thing guys do, ye ken?”
Violet didn't buy it. Especially not when she'd messaged him. He could have at least messaged something back. She was annoyed all over again that she hadn't gotten around to getting any answers last night.
“What on God’s green earth? How did ye not talk about it then? That’s why ye were there!” Fiona snapped when Violet had explained she'd gone to his house for answers but ended up leaving without any.
Violet looked up at Fiona sheepishly and could pinpoint the moment when Fiona understood.
“Nooo! Ye mean to tell me ye had sex but didnae talk?”
“Ugh, I know! I don’t know how it happened.” Violet got up from the little table and flopped down on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her.
Fiona joined her. “How long were ye there fer?” she hedged.
Violet put a hand over her eyes, unable to believe her own weakness when it came to this man. “All night.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! And in a whole night, ye didn’t come up fer air then?”
“Not really. And then he had to go.”
“Well, what did he say when he left?”
“He said he wanted to take me to dinner tonight.” Violet blew out a breath, realizing that dinner was definitely not happening tonight, but it was more than that. This was Lachlan ghosting her. Again.
Fiona looked at the clock. “And ye havnae heard from him?”
Violet shook her head.
“Och, Vi, no wonder yer a wreck.”
Violet finished off her wine in her glass and got up to clear their dishes. She couldn't just sit there anymore.
“Ye need to talk to him. Actually talk. Stop having sex every time ye lay eyes on the lad.”
Violet laughed, despite feeling so sad inside. “I think I need to leave,” she said, suddenly turning to Fiona.
“Leave? Where do ye wantae go then?”
“Away from Scotland.” That was as far as her mind had gotten with the idea.
“Och, no. Dinnae say that. Ye need to talk to him. Dinnae be hasty.”
But the moment Violet had said it, she knew she needed to go. The uncertainty with Lachlan was too much to take.
“If he actually wanted me, don’t you think he would have texted or called by now? This is his pattern. He gets close, and then he ghosts me. I’m not surprised that it is almost nine p.m. and I haven’t heard from him. I knew I wouldn’t. I wanted to hope that I would, but I knew it. I can’t keep doing this. Honestly, Fiona, my time here is done. I’m packing my bags."
Fiona’s phone dinged, interrupting their conversation. Violet took the opportunity to go to the kitchen and bring back the bottle of wine. She sat back down on the couch with a full glass, putting the remainder of the bottle on the coffee table for Fiona.
“It’s Drew. He wants me to come out.” Fiona’s expression was unreadable.
“You should go. Really. I’m not much fun tonight, anyways. Go see your beau. One of us should have a good night.”
“Och, no, not my beau at all." She looked thoughtful, and Violet wondered what was on her mind. "Ye ken we didnae ever end up having sex, right? Although I will confess, he was stellar in one particular department.” She added, nodding to her crotch.
Violet laughed, nearly choking on her wine.
“But when we kissed, it was the oddest thing.” She paused, her brows knit like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “Ye ken when it's like kissing yer brother?”
Violet's brow shot up,."Not exactly."
Fiona scoffed. "I dinnae ken either Vi. Dinnae be weird. I mean, we just dinnae huv that kind of chemistry. We hit it off well enough, but more as friends. Good friends, really. Actually, he helped me in a way."
"How so?" Violet eyed her, curious as to where this was going.
"Um, after he, ye know," she nodded to her crotch again. "We ended up having a surprisingly deep conversation. And—well—I guess he encouraged me to be myself."
"Right, well that's good."
Fiona eyed her. "Yes, it is." She drew in a deep breath. "Vi, I'm gay—I like women." She said it confidently, and Violet almost sighed with relief—not because her hunch had been right, but because she was proud of her friend for embracing her truth.
"Are ye surprised?" Fiona asked.
Violet shook her head. "I kind of had a feeling that might be the case and honestly, I'm so happy for you—it must feel good to be free to be yourself.
"Och, aye, it really is." She grinned, leaning back, and taking a sip of her wine.
"I am surprised, though, that you let him…you know." Now she was the one nodding toward Fiona's crotch.
"Aye, right that. Well, to be totally honest, I closed my eyes and imagined it was someone else entirely—I'm terrible, I ken. I did confess to him after I fluffed his feathers about how talented he is with his mouth, of course."
"You told him you were imagining someone else?" Violet was floored.
"Aye, and he asked me to describe her in detail." Fiona scoffed. "He's into women almost more than I am!"
Violet laughed at the craziness of it all, grateful for the distraction from her own problems. Her happiness for Fiona lightened her heavy mood. Then Fiona's phone dinged again.
“You should go." Violet said. "Sounds like Drew might make a good wingman." She grinned and stood. "I’m going to start packing.”
"Och, stop with yer packing business. Ye cannae leave me. I willnae allow it,” Fiona stated flatly as if the alternative were absurd.
Violet couldn't help smiling. She would miss Fiona and the life she'd made here in Scotland.
“Why dinnae we both go? Drew said it's some fancy pub near in the countryside that his friend runs. Come on, it’ll be fun. We can get dressed up and just go have a fun night. I think ye need a break from all this gloom and doom.”
Violet looked up at her friend. Going out might help her to take her mind off things, and then tomorrow, she could make plans for leaving Scotland. “Maybe,” she conceded.
“Yess!”
“If I’m going out tonight, I’m doin’ it right! Let’s go find something fabulous to wear!” Violet announced, discarding their dinner plates in the kitchen sink and heading for her bedroom.