Chapter 22 #3
I drop my shoulders, my chin tucking toward the ground, and I make my way over to him, dragging my feet the whole way. I shove my hands into the pockets of my shorts and feel myself sway back and forth anxiously.
“So…” he starts, but then the silence drags on. I realize he’s waiting for me to explain myself. Younger me would have huffed out a frustrated exhale and ran off into my room. Grown-up me knows that the quickest way to get through this is by ripping the Band-Aid off.
“I’m sorry,” I finally say. “I’ve kept my pain locked away for so long that I finally snapped. I know it wasn’t fair to Dad. I shouldn’t have run off or ignored your phone calls. I just needed some space, to clear my head and all.”
Ashton looks away, his jaw flexing. There is a piece of him that understands the pain I’ve dealt with. Dad left him too. The difference between us is that Ashton went looking for him as soon as he was twenty. I didn’t. He was able to hear Dad’s explanations and had time to forgive and to heal.
I didn’t give us the chance to do that, but neither did Dad. I’m thankful we’ve finally found our way to the end of this crossroads.
“He wrote me a letter.” My voice cracking brings his attention back to me. “I’m working on forgiving him.”
The breath he was holding whooshes out slowly, making his body deflate like a balloon.
He pushes a hand through his curls before he steps forward and wraps me in a hug.
The knot that formed in my throat slowly unravels, letting air fill my lungs.
Ashton and I stand there, hugging each other, him rubbing my back in comforting circles, as I cry softly into his t-shirt.
When I look up at him, he grins down at me.
“I’m proud of you.”
My brows furrow together in confusion. “For what, exactly?”
“For everything. Except not returning my calls and texts. Please don’t do that again.” He moves away from our embrace and places a large hand on my shoulder. “Also, when were you going to tell me you kissed my best friend?”
My eyes grow wide, and heat rushes into my cheeks. How does he know that? Did Zane tell him? Or did he use his big-brother super powers to sniff it out without either of us having to say a word?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.
He arches a brow and crosses his arms again. “Oh, don’t do that. You’re a terrible liar. Your blush gives you away. It’s like a flashing neon sign that says I don’t want to tell you about it.”
“I didn’t—”
“You kissed Zane.” He points an accusatory finger at me, a smirk tugging at his mouth.
I groan, dragging my hands down my face. “You’re impossible.”
“No,” he says proudly. “I’m observant. And also extremely invested in this development.”
I peek at him through my fingers. “Wait, so you’re not mad?”
He scoffs. “At first I was a little upset. You’re my little sister.
I wasn’t exactly thrilled about my best friend looking at you that way.
” A grin tugs at his mouth. “But after watching the two of you together, I realized I couldn’t have picked a better guy for you if I’d tried.
Honestly, I was starting to think I’d have to lock the both of you in a room together and let nature take its course. ”
“Ashton!” I swat at his arm, mortified and laughing all at once.
He chuckles and ruffles my hair. “Relax. Zane’s a good guy, and if I was to pick someone who I knew would treat you right, it’d be him.”
Since Ashton didn’t approve of Derek, having his blessing means the world to me. A smile blooms across my face, but as quickly as it comes, it falls away.
“I’m not sure how things could work between us. I’m leaving for college soon.”
“Y’all will figure something out. Just promise me one thing,” he adds, stepping back and angling toward the cabin.
“What?”
“That you won’t break his heart. He’s been through enough as it is.” His expression softens. “And if he breaks yours, I’ll handle it.”
I bump my shoulder into his as we head inside. “Deal.”
The last thing I want to do is hurt Zane. Every day that passes brings me one step closer to packing my things and driving three hours back home. Except...what if I came back? The thought settles into the corners of my heart.
Getting my degree still matters to me. I only have one year left before I can graduate, and after everything that happened with Derek, I refuse to walk away from it again.
I already put my future on hold once because I believed love meant sacrificing pieces of myself. I won’t make that mistake twice.
But what if I don’t have to? My classes are only temporary, but Covewood doesn’t have to be.
I can picture myself finishing college, then coming back here afterwards to open the little shop I’ve always dreamed of.
A place where shelves are lined with handcrafted soaps, herbal teas, tinctures, and natural products made from the very plants I’ve spent years learning to grow.
A place where people will leave feeling cared for.
The idea of putting down roots in Covewood feels like a possibility that I desperately want in my life.