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“I’ve got some things I need to take care of,” he says, his voice flat.
“Right… well, I’ll see you later?” I ask, hating how small and timid my voice sounds.
“Yeah,” he says, forcing a smile.
I want to say something, to hug him, and tell him that Mitch’s words don’t matter, that he’s so much more than what that jerk thinks, but Wade just stares forward, his face stoic.
I climb out of the truck and close the door. He pulls away, and I watch him go, my heart sinking with every foot that he puts between us.
I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong, that this isn’t just about Mitch and his stupid comments, but what can I do?
The irony isn’t lost on me. I spent days trying to avoid Wade and my feelings for him, and now all I want to do is hold him close and confess that I love him.
With a heavy sigh, I turn and head back to the building site. I’ve got a meeting with the owners this afternoon, and I need to be on my game, but as I make my way through the now familiar building, my thoughts keep drifting back to Wade and the look on his face when Mitch walked away.
When the Montgomery’s walk in, I manage to push thoughts of Wade aside and stay professional. It’s all the proof that I needed that I can be successful at my job and still be with Wade. I hate that I fought my feelings for so long. I hate that I tried to put so much distance between us.
The meeting with the owners goes well, better than I expected, actually. They love the changes I’ve made to the design, and we go over the final details to make sure everything is perfect. It should be a moment of triumph for me, a chance to celebrate the culmination of weeks of hard work.
But all I can think about is Wade.
By the time I leave the site, the sun is beginning to set, casting a warm, golden light over the town. I pull out my phone and send Wade a quick text, asking if he wants to grab dinner. When I don’t get a response right away, I tell myself he’s just busy, and that he’ll call me back as soon as he can, but as theminutes tick by with no word from him, that knot of worry in my stomach tightens.
I try to focus on something else, anything else, but it’s no use. My mind keeps replaying the events of the afternoon, the way Wade shut down after Mitch’s cruel words. I want to be there for him, to help him through whatever he’s dealing with, but he’s not letting me in. And that scares me more than I want to admit.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I decide to text Lena and Arlowe, asking if they want to hang out. Maybe being around my friends will help take my mind off things. They both respond almost immediately, agreeing to meet up at Lena’s place.
When I arrive, the lights are already on, and I can hear music playing from inside. I knock once before letting myself in, greeted by the familiar warmth of Lena’s cozy living room. Lena and Arlowe are sitting on the couch, a bottle of wine already open on the coffee table.
“Hey, you,” Lena says with a smile as she gets up to hug me. “You look like you could use a drink.”
I laugh, but it’s forced. “You have no idea.”
Arlowe pours me a glass of wine, her eyes sharp with concern. “What’s going on? You look stressed.”
I hesitate, not sure how much I want to share, but this is Lena and Arlowe. They’ve been with me through everything. If there’s anyone I can talk to about this, it’s them.
“It’s Wade,” I admit, sinking into the couch beside them. “We were having lunch today, and this guy from high school showed up. He said some really nasty things, and I could tell it got to Wade. He’s been quiet ever since, and now he’s not answering my calls or texts.”
Lena frowns, pouring more wine into my glass. “That’s not like him.”
“I know,” I say, taking a sip and feeling the warmth of the wine spread through me. “And I don’t know what to do. I hate seeing him like this, but he won’t talk to me.”
Arlowe leans back, crossing her legs under her. “Maybe he just needs some time to process. It sounds like that guy really messed with his head. Give him a little space, and he’ll come around.”
“Yeah, but what if he doesn’t?” I ask, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “What if this is the beginning of the end, and I’m just sitting here, waiting for it to happen?”
Lena shakes her head, her expression firm. “Don’t think like that. Wade cares about you. Anyone can see that. He just… he’s dealing with something, and it might take him a little while to figure out how to talk about it. But he will. You just have to be patient.”
I nod, trying to take comfort in her words, but it’s hard. The fear that I’m losing him, that this relationship is slipping through my fingers, is like a weight pressing down on my chest. I want to believe that everything will be okay, but the longer he stays silent, the more that doubt creeps in.
“Did you tell him how you felt?” Lena asks, and I shake my head.
I take a big drink of my wine and wonder if things would be different if I had. Maybe he would know how I felt, and we would be together right now. Maybe he would have been able to brush off Mitch’s cruel words because he would know that no one really saw him like that. He would know that he was good and that he belonged, and that I loved him.
We spend the rest of the evening talking about anything but Wade—work, the latest gossip around town, and plans for the weekend. It’s a distraction, and for a little while, it works, but as the night goes on, I can’t help but keep checking my phone, hoping for some sign that he’s okay, that he’s thinking about me.
But there’s nothing.
