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I could let him go. That seemed like the logical thing to do. Wish him a genuinehave fun at Aubrey’sand let both of us get back to what we were doing. “I do want to know. It’s why I asked.”
“Do you keep pushing your friends away so you can ignore your commitment issues?”
I stared at him in disbelief. “What are you, my therapist?”
“Your friend.”
I was starting to wonder. “Aubrey hit on me, and I was honest about how I felt. Is that my fault? Did you see that coming?”
“No.”
“And she refuses to talk to me now. I tried to apologize.”
Adam shrugged. “Try harder.”
Frustration seared through me and I swallowed a growl. “What the fuck do you expect me to do?”
“Maybe admit that Br—ey, Aubrey’s friendship is important, and do more than toss out a couple of obligatory words to make things right.”
And of course this wasn’t really about Aubrey. I clenched my jaw. “Just fucking go.”
I clenched and unclenched my fist several times as Adam walked out the front door.
It didn’t matter. There was work to do. The place needed to be straightened, so I could bring up a few show pieces from the basement. The delicate glass collectables in the front window needed to be dusted, I had to catch up on some inventory—
And why the fuck was this place so cluttered?
The thought caught me off-guard and my brain stumbled.
There was an order to the chaos, and it was mine. I’d never had an issue with it before. In a way, it reminded me of Adam—eclectic, diverse, and all over the place.
I clenched my fist harder, until my nails dug into my palm, and forced myself to take several deep breaths through my nose.
TheAddams Familytheme filled the shop, indicating someone had arrived, and I pasted on a pleasant smile.
Until Travis came into view.
“We’re closed.” I couldn’t find a thread of pleasantness for him.
“With any luck, permanently soon.”
This time I didn’t try to fight my growl. “What can I do for you?”
His smile was too bright and friendly. “I’m working my way down the street this morning to remind everyone of the upcoming deadline for the next step in meeting the new building requirements. I notice no one has started yet.No one. And I find that disconcerting given the clause that requires you to sell if you can’t comply with the rules.”
“I’m sure everyone is working hard on next steps.” I might be in a pissy mood, but that didn’t mean I’d sell out my neighbors.
“Are you sure? Because I hear rumors of a basement remodel, and it seems like that time would’ve been better spent on bringing your shops up to the new code.”
“Have you ever run an antique shop before, Travis?”
He scoffed. “No.”
“A hardware store? A tea shop? A clothing boutique?”
Travis raised his brows. “Your point is?”
“I don’t tell you how to be an asshole, you don’t get to dictate how we upgrade our buildings.”
