Chapter 49
Grim
Drake is an asshole.
My mind is made up. He’s a total prick. He could have sent someone else to do this. He knew I would drag my ass off my sofa. He knew I wouldn’t be able to tell him to fuck off. Not when it comes to helping Falkor. I’d do just about anything for that old male.
I sigh as I pull up at Eldra’s house. Falkor didn’t end up going to a hotel.
Eldra invited him to stay until they finished fixing his house, and that day has come.
Unfortunately, his old Camry didn’t survive my dragon.
The Mainland is donating a new vehicle to him. It hasn’t arrived yet, so here I am.
Falkor walks out as soon as I get out of my SUV. He waves at me as he walks over.
I try to smile, but it reminds me of before, when I was trying to make friends, so I stop.
I’m sure it’s terrible. I don’t want to scare him.
Actually, it’ll likely make him laugh at me.
The thought makes me think of Sally, and I feel a pang.
She was off with me when I went to visit her again.
I think that she and Wren must have had a talk.
It’s clear that Sally is siding with Wren, and rightly so.
“Hi, my dear boy. It’s so very good to see you.” Falkor’s face lights up.
“You too,” I tell him. “Drake said you needed a ride back to your place.”
“Yes, they finally finished fixing the roof…and the wall and the floor and put in new windows on that whole front side. Thank goodness Eldra has an extra bedroom, or I would have been out on the street for almost three weeks. I can’t believe how much damage there was.”
“Sorry about that,” I mutter.
“Not your fault at all.”
“And the streets, Falkor? Really? I’m sure you could have stayed at one of your children’s houses.”
“Probably. But I would’ve hated to put them out. Poor dears are so busy.”
“I’m sure that would not have been the case. Family is important. Your children value you. I can tell from the way you talked about them,” I say.
“Talking about family, how is your mother?” he asks.
“Really good. She was happy to see me again. I make a point of visiting her at least once a week. I should probably go more often.” I rub my chin.
My mother is the one thing that gets me out of my house. She never fails to put a smile on my face…a real one.
“You should go more often,” he nods. “Time is fleeting, let me tell you. One blink and you’re old; you don’t recognize the face in the mirror anymore. You need to make the most of it. Never let a single minute go to waste.”
I nod.
“Do you have anything for me to carry?” I ask him. “Is your bag in the house?” I look over there and see Eldra peeking at us through the window.
I wave at her, and she waves back.
“I have a suitcase. It’s inside,” Falkor says. “Before we go in, I wanted to ask if you’ve spoken to Wren? Have you seen her at all?”
“Not since that day.” I shake my head. I really don’t want to go down this road.
“That’s a pity.” Falkor looks upset. “A great pity. You two have something special.”
“It isn’t like that between us.”
“You can say that all you want, but it doesn’t change it. You have something special. It would be a great shame to let it slip away. To turn your back on it because you’re afraid.”
“Have you been talking to Drake? Did he tell you to speak with me?”
Falkor chuckles. He shakes his head. “No, no, nothing like that. So he picked up on it, too?” His eyes twinkle. “You see? It’s very evident.”
“Look, Wren and I fooled around a bit, but—”
“Fooled around a bit?” Falkor laughs. “I’m probably going to need a new washing machine. Mine is stuck on the spin cycle.”
I choke out a laugh, my cheeks heating despite myself.
“It’s all good, son. If I were your age and single, I’d have done the same. Wren is quite something. She’s special…a keeper.”
“Yes, she is…” I start to say, and then stop myself from saying more of the same. “It’s run its course. It was never supposed to be more than…what it was.”
He makes a noise telling me that he thinks I’m full of it.
“I saw Wren yesterday. She stopped by for tea.”
“How is she?” The words are out before I can stop them.
“Quiet. Not really herself, but good.” He looks down at the floor. I can tell that he wants to tell me something, but is hesitating.
I’m tempted to push him for his bag. To get going, but I hold back.
“She’s leaving,” he tells me.
“What? Where to?” I practically snarl, taking a step toward him.
“She’s going on vacation. She’s going back to the Mainland to stay with her parents for a couple of weeks.”
“Oh.” I heave a sigh of relief, even though it’s stupid. I guess I don’t like the thought of her leaving.
“She’s taking those little dogs of hers.”
“She’s taking Peanut and Butter?” I don’t like it.
“She sure is, and you know what?” he asks.
“What?”
“I don’t think she’ll come back. I think if she goes, she’ll stay there,” Falkor tells me.
“What makes you think that?” I ask. “She likes it here.” Even as I say it, I know he’s right. She never planned to stay here. She never had a reason to.
“I just do,” he finally says. “Call it a gut feeling. I don’t want her to leave. I’ll miss her.”
“She might come and visit,” I say.
He shrugs as if to say that he doesn’t think she will.
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel about her?” he asks.
I start to deny that I feel anything for her.
Falkor shakes his head. “Don’t even go there. I’m too old and too wise. You can’t fool me.”
“Maybe because she hates me,” I settle on.
He laughs. “She doesn’t hate you, my boy. She couldn’t, even if she tried. You need to go to her. Go today. In fact, don’t worry about giving me a ride to my house. I’ll take a cab. Go and see Wren. Tell her how you feel. Beg her to stay. Whatever you do, do not let her leave.”
He touches the side of my arm.
“I don’t know… I…” I huff out a breath.
“I know it’s hard, son. It might be the hardest, most courageous thing you’ve ever done, and I happen to know how brave you are and the challenges you’ve faced.
But I also know that it will be the best thing you ever do, regardless of how things turn out.
It’ll mean putting yourself out there for rejection, which is hard…
but you’re tough. You can do it. You can handle it.
I know you can. The worst she can do is turn you down. ”
“She will turn me down,” I tell him.
He waves a hand. “Don’t do that. Don’t be defeatist. It isn’t in your nature, son.
I know you. Go and try. The worst that can happen is you fail.
It’ll hurt…sure, but at least you’ll know for sure.
At least you will have tried. Done everything in your power to win her.
Otherwise, you’ll have to live with the ‘what ifs’ for the rest of your life. You don’t want that.”
I start to say something, but he puts up a hand. “Let me finish. Make sure you go with your heart on your sleeve. If you’re very honest with her and put it all out there, you’ll be in with a chance. It needs to be all of it. Bare your soul, and I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”
My dragon stirs.
It feels so good to feel him that my eyes prick. I feel such a rush of emotion that I almost can’t breathe for a few seconds.
“Do you really think so?” I finally ask.
“I know so.” He nods.
“Okay,” I tell him. The thought of Wren leaving and never coming back is unfathomable. It’s wrong.
“Okay,” he says, smiling. “Good luck, son,” he shouts after me as I turn to leave.
I get in my car and start it up, fully intending to drive home, to ignore everything he said to me… Only I don’t. I go in the opposite direction. I’m on my way to her…to Wren.
I’m not sure what I’m going to say to her when I get there. He was right about one thing: I’m terrified.