3. Cole
“That didn’t take long,” I mutter under my breath, swallowing down a surge of irritation.
Sydney Peterson.
An entirely unwelcome blast from the past.
This right here… This is exactly why it’s been so long since I’ve been back. I learned a long time ago that I can’t go anywhere in Baudette—or on this island, for that matter—without running into people who remind me of a past I want no part in reminiscing over.
I huff, grabbing a baseball cap off the hook beside the doorframe. Sliding it on, I push right past her, not even bothering to pretend like I’m interested in hearing what she has to say.
“I’m here to convince you to sell,” she announces matter-of-factly, pushing her frown into an over-the-top smile. Her tone is jovial and light, as if she’s forgotten every last thing about our history together.
“I know,” is all I say, barely offering a sideways glance while barreling down the steps of the porch. I’ve already been through this with Graham. If she thinks a mere conversation is all it’ll take to get me to budge, she’s sorely mistaken.
I slip on some work gloves that I left on the railing earlier, choosing to ignore her altogether. Then I start grabbing stray branches that lay erratically among the bushes. According to my conversation with Graham, several storms have passed through here since I’ve been back.
While tossing a few sticks into a pile, I try not to outwardly cringe at the disastrous state of everything. I was shocked at the amount of work needed when I arrived on the island yesterday afternoon. Of course I expected it to need some fixing up, as I haven’t been up here to take care of it the way I should have been in quite some time, but seeing it in person like this causes a heavy layer of guilt to settle in my gut.
When my uncle first offered me the rights to his cabin, I vowed to myself that I would care for it the same way he did, out of respect for him and the solace he and this cabin once provided for me. It was the one place I could come to get away from all the heaviness going on back in the city. For a solitary reprieve with the only family member to ever mean a single thing to me.
“So should I do my song and dance now?” She cuts in with that same chipper tone, reminding me of her presence.
“Maybe list out all the reasons you should let it go? Put my negotiating skills to the test? I can be very persuasive…and stubborn,” she admits after a pause.
I roll my lips in irritation, wondering if I’m going to be dealing with her chirping in my ear the whole time I’m here. I heave another sigh, contemplating what it’ll take to get her to just leave.
“I already told Graham I’m not budging. Don’t waste your breath,” I say as politely as I can, but even I can hear the bite in my tone. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I can’t help that’s how it came out. It seems to be an automatic response she brings out of me.
“Well, why not?” she asks, a little too sternly for my liking. Even without looking her way, I can feel her watching my every move as I rip at branches.
“Not interested,” I say, keeping it short and sweet. I’ve never been known to be much of a talker in general, and I feel zero obligation to explain my reasonings—especially to her.
“But why?” she repeats. “Judging by what I see, clearly you’re not here very often, unless you enjoy living in chaos and filth…maybe that’s it. Wait, I thought you lived down in Longville?”
“I do,” I grunt, crouching to reach between two bushes. I grab a handful of debris from under the porch before straightening, glancing up at her. “Keeping tabs on me?”
For the first time since she arrived, I pause and actually hold her stare, truly taking her in. She has the same almond shape to her eyes, button nose, and familiar oblong outline to her face that I remember studying once upon a time. The roots of her hair are the same shade of brunette I remember, but the rest of her longer hair has been dyed a dirty blonde.
It doesn’t take much at first glance to see that she carries herself with the same sort of boldness she did then. A clear confidence in her stance alone. Although, underneath, I can detect the kind of weariness that comes with a few years of life experience under her belt. All of it covered in a ridiculously bright outfit that’s vaguely reminiscent of the ones she used to wear.
“Absolutely not,” she huffs in response, the faintest remnants of a blush swiping her cheeks. “Graham rambles sometimes. Trust me, you’re the last person I’ve kept tabs on.”
I force my stare away from her, wiping the sweat starting to form on my brow and feeling the same indifference toward her. I’d have to care what she thinks in order for her words to cut me. “What do you care if I sell, anyway?”
“I’m lead architect for the renovation,” she announces proudly.
Graham never mentioned that Sydney was involved at all, though I had assumed she might be. But to be honest, if I had known she’d show up on my doorstep the day after I arrived, I would have reconsidered coming up here until after the renovation was complete.
“You don’t need my land. You’ve got plenty of acreage down there,” I point out, hoping I can get to the root issue and nip this whole thing in the bud so she can leave already.
She beams as if she’s happy I made the point. She pans her open palms in front of her as if she’s envisioning something magnificent in her mind. I raise my brows impatiently at her dramatics.
“This location, right here”—she points a finger to the ground as she beams—“is where the glamping tents will go. An extension of Ruby Lodge, if you will. This is the absolute perfect setting for an even more rustic getaway for those who want to enjoy the stunning view and be one with nature in the heart of Takini Island—while still enjoying the modern amenities that come along with glamping, of course.”
My top lip curls in confusion at whatever she just described. I try to picture it in my head, but I draw a blank.
“I have no idea what you just said,” I mutter, crossing to the other side of the stairs to grab the rake leaning against the porch railing. “But again, I’m not budging on this. You’ll just have to rework your plans.”
Her shoulders drop at the same time her face does, and she crosses her arms in a huff. “We’ll have to see about that. I’m not convinced you even want to keep this cabin. You know how small this island is, right? I could come here every day and wear you down if I wanted to.”
The threat makes my stomach swirl with irritation. I don’t doubt her for a second.
“Are you done here? You got your answer. Go on back to wherever you came from.” It comes out gruffly and with a bit more bite than I would normally speak to another human, but I’m finding it hard to feel bad about that at the moment.
“You don’t have to be rude,” she mutters after a moment of silence.
She stomps down the stairs in a huff. “Look, I know we’ve had our differences in the past—if that’s what you want to call it—but we’re both adults now. Don’t you think we’re perfectly capable of acting like it?”
I barely have a chance to open my mouth before she continues.
“You know, if anything, I’m the one who should be mad. In fact, I am mad.”
She points her finger in my direction, a snarkiness to her tone. “You’re the one who’s being a jerk. With your attitude and your ‘you can leave now.’” She says the last part in what I’m assuming is an imitation of me.
“But you don’t see me pouting about it, do you?” she continues. “I’m perfectly happy to cast my dislike for you—and trust me, it’s definitely there—aside for the greater good of this island.”
I let her finish her soap box speech without interrupting, instead contemplating what I could say that she wouldn’t use against me down the road.
Our gazes stay locked on each other like laser beams until, suddenly, her brows fly up, and a gasp escapes her mouth. “Oh, I know exactly why you’re mad!”
She throws her arms up in disbelief. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. You’re mad about that stupid rumor, aren’t you?”
All I can do is shake my head, my shoulders deflating with exhaustion at the mention of the rumor. I don’t have nearly enough energy to rehash this right now.
“That has to be it…why else would you be all…” She waves her hand in front of my face, her eyes scrutinizing me. “Like this.”
“I’d appreciate your finger being at least a foot away from my face, please,” I bite out through partially clenched teeth.
To her credit, she snaps her finger back but keeps her gaze steady on me. She places her hands on her hips and clears her throat.
“Listen, I’m emotionally mature enough to apologize for my actions back then,” she says.
“Oh, here we go.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut.
“I did not think that me fabricating a teensy-weensy little lie would spread like it did. I truly didn’t.” She places a hand on her chest to show sincerity, but I’m not buying it.
“Sure, you did,” I huff, moving around her, remembering the rippling fallout of her so-called ‘teensy-weensy little lie.’
I grab the rake leaning against the railing, shake my head, and can’t help grumbling to myself, “What kind of person tells the whole entire school that a student left due to a serious, unrelenting case of…what was it? Measles?”
“Chicken pox,” she cuts in flatly, ignoring the fact that I wasn’t speaking to her directly.
My head shakes at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, reminding me yet again of the root of my dislike for her.
“To be fair, I only told one person,” she says. “And I had my reasons, obviously. It snowballed from there, and I just apologized for that.”
She lifts a shoulder in a shrug, as if my forgiveness should be a no-brainer, but I pin her with a glare.
“Are you aware that an entire year after I left town, I ran into Mrs. Flitterman down in Longville? She had the nerve to ask how my skin transplant went,” I say flatly.
She bites her bottom lip, pushing them together as if to prevent a laugh from escaping, further proving her insincerity.
“Mm-hmm,” I continue. “Imagine my surprise when she filled me in on the complete gossip frenzy that was happening back home at my expense.”
“So…I take it you’re still mad?” She cringes.
“Yup,” I quip. Now, I’m not childish enough to hold onto a grudge over something as juvenile as a rumor, especially one that happened several years ago when I had much bigger things going on at the time—like simply surviving.
However, her actions definitely wiped away any lingering trace of guilt I felt for the way things went down between us. That rumor followed me around for years. Anyone who stoops low enough to gossip like that isn’t someone I’m interested in associating myself with.
End of story.
With a sigh, she shrugs her shoulders. “Alright. Well, I can see I’m not making any progress here today. Enjoy the rest of your time here, Cole. I’ll be back. It’s only a matter of time before you buckle under the pressure.”
“Over my dead body,” I mumble as she turns on her heels, offering a flippant wave. I watch out of the corner of my eye as she walks away, mumbling something to the effect of having that arranged. With a shake of my head, I try to clear the negative energy her little visit created.
I make it my mission to finish the work around here as fast as I can so I don’t have to subject myself to too many of these encounters. I scoop up the large pile of branches and walk them over to the woods behind the cabin, not bothering to look back as I hear the ATV start up and drive away.