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He opened up the passenger door for her, and she slid in. He closed it, still feeling the eyes of everyone on his back as he walked around to the driver’s side. He was certain that no one had seen him sober outside of the mechanic shop, and even then, he was usually sipping something strong to get by. Hisdad was probably cursing under his breath, but he had no idea.
Garrett was dead sober.
If he was going to talk to Beth, he was going to feel everything there was to feel—no matter how bad it hurt. He climbed into the truck, and closed the door, catching a whiff of Beth’s lavender scent as she redid her hair. He eyed her, trying not to stare too long. There was a time in his life that stealing glances at Beth Young had been his favorite hobby, but he had no hope that it would be something that he’s have the privilege to do again.
He put the truck in reverse and backed out of the drive. “Are you hungry or anything?” He forced out the question, mostly to fill the silence. He already knew her answer.
“No.” She dug her phone out of her pocket and started texting. “I’m just telling my mom that I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Ain’t my business who you talk to.”
She glanced up then, her brows furrowed. “I was just trying not to be rude.”
“You can be rude, if you want.” Garrett navigated the long, winding road, careful not to drive too fast. There was a time he and Sam had driven like bats out of hell down the thing, fishtailing and acting young and dumb.
And they’d paid the consequences.
“I don’t want to be rude,” Beth’s words caught his attention as he turned right, heading deeper into rural back country. He needed to drive slow, because this conversation wasn’t going to be an easy one. “But I’d love to know why you suddenly want to talk to me.”
He glanced over at her, her green eyes locked onto his face, her phone in her lap. “Don’t you think it’s time to clear the air?It’s been sixteen years, Beth, and you still look at me with the same level of anger you did that night.”
“I haven’t seen you since then.”
“Because you avoided me.”
“Really?” she shot back at him, shifting her body in his direction. “Is that what you think? Ormaybe,it’s the fact that you’ve been drowning yourself in alcohol since Sam died.”
I deserved that. I deserve whatever she says to me.
He swallowed hard, and took a left, going down one of the more remote roads. “I’ve been dealing with my mistakes in a bad way, but what else am I supposed to do? This town looks at me like I’m a murderer, Beth.”
“Well, if the shoe fits?—”
“Don’t,” he snapped at her, stopping and throwing the truck in park. “You think Iwantedthat to happen, huh? You think I wanted to crash that truck and kill my best friend? Ineverwanted to hurt anybody.”
“Should’ve thought about that before?—”
“Iwasn’tdrunk!” he roared, throwing his hands in the air. He took a deep breath to calm down, trying not to lose it. “I wasn’t drunk that night, and youknowthat. Youknowhow stupid Sam got when he drank. He jerked the wheel being dumb, Beth.”
“I didn’t see it,” she said quietly, her eyes shifting to the window. “And I don’t know why we’re stuck here discussing something like it happened yesterday. The whole world has moved on. You’re married, and I’ve lived a whole other life since that night. It’s over. Done.”
“Right,” he scoffed, his chest feeling tight. “So, if it’s all done and over for you, then why won’t you come home, huh? Why can’t we be friends? Or, I don’t know,maybe just not strangers? Enemies? Whatever the heck this is.”
Beth peered out the window. “I don’t know.”
“We were fighting that night,” Garrett continued, not afraid to say what he needed. Heneededthis conversation with her. Maybe then, he could fix his life and let her go. “But I don’t remember why.”
She stared at the dash, and then looked back at him. “Why does it matter? Mom said you’re married now.”
He sighed, running his hands over his face. “I’mnotmarried anymore. Well, technically, I guess I am. I can’t get her to sign the papers. We’ve been separated for two years, Beth, and it’s not what you think it is.”
“Right, never is what I think when it comes to you,” Beth quipped. “That’s the whole problem. It’s always everyone else, and not you. It’s her, right? She’s probablycrazy?”
Garrett shook his head, not even wanting to dive into the subject of Brittany. “It’s not about her. I just wanted to clear the air between us, and I wanted to find some kind of peace with everything that happened. I can’t forgive myself, because Istillcan’t stand your absence in this place. Youlovedthis town. You loved the ranch.”
“No,” Beth said sharply. “Ilovedyou. That’s why I wanted to stay.”
Garrett couldn’t find the words as he met her eyes, rimmed with tears. He ripped his gaze away, fighting the urge to touch her, hug her—something to console her.Thiswas why it was easier to drink. He removed his hat, tossed it on the dash, and raked a hand through his dark hair.
