by Claire Adams
I’d been working toward getting a controlling interest in an electronics company over there for two goddamn years. It would be huge for me, and almost worth relocating to the area to oversee things.
“Very well. They are close to accepting the offer. Looking for a reason to leave already?” Preston teased me.
I shrugged. I was still thinking about Rebecca, and her face flashed through my mind.
“I will do what I have to,” I said. “There are a lot of people vying for this company. If I get it, I’ll be ahead of all of them. Are the women hot over there?” That was more of a quip since I’d been thinking a lot about Rebecca.
“You’ll get the fairest of them all,” Preston assured me with a grin.
I laughed. He’d be coming along with me, and he did just fine with the ladies, especially with his accent. My own mother was in love with it and teased Dad about ditching him for Preston. I also knew the staff liked his observant whiskey eyes and dark, messy hair. They always claimed he was the direct opposite of me, and we were Yin and Yang or some such shit. I didn’t usually try to make out what women were trying to say because I didn’t have to. My fortune spoke volumes, and I knew how to play the game with them.
I thought about my family again and glanced at him. “Is the press still on the Bahamas story?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. I’d let it leak that I was going to a very private resort for some peace and quiet, choosing not to drop the name. There were several of them over there.
“They are, but there are questions about why Mia is still in New York. Everyone wants to know why she isn’t with you since you made up recently.” His expression was grim.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Mia started that rumor herself after trashing me to the media for the last couple of months, claiming how I mistreated her. So far, she hadn’t filed any criminal charges against me, but she smeared my name around the city. I was glad that Mom took my advice about staying off Google when it came to me.
“Why the fuck would she want my name attached to her after the shit she said?” I asked in an even tone. I closed my eyes.
“She’s vindictive,” Preston said. “You left her first, or so she says.” Preston checked his phone. “She’s claiming you’re in therapy in the Bahamas. She is trying to sound like the supportive, yet jilted, ex-lover.”
“She’s a bitch. Why did I ever date her to begin with?” I remembered the night we met at a club. It was a mutual friend’s birthday. I ended up buying Mia a drink and going home with her that night. Her fame and well-practiced charm won me over, and the sex was incredible in the beginning.
It didn’t last, and everything crashed around me.
I thought back to high school and the easy times with Rebecca. We were always laughing back then. We knew every inch of this small town and spent hours together, just talking and laughing at the simplest things. More than that, she encouraged all my dreams because of the simple fact they were things that I wanted.
Me.
Rebecca was never about herself. She had her goals, and she reached them, to the best of my knowledge. Back when we were together, she just went about her life quietly and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I knew there were times I was a shit boyfriend and that I let her fade into the background. Of course, I knew that.
Rebecca just did her thing when our lives got caught up in other stuff. She had her friends, her family, and she was very well-liked.
“Just take this time and figure it all out,” Preston suggested. “Maybe think about a few changes?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Changes?”
“Let’s start with no more women like Mia,” he said, lightening his tone. I nodded in agreement. “Do what you do best. Business.”
“Yeah, that is what I do best,” I agreed. I played through the month here in my mind. “I think we’ll both be busy for the next few weeks. There is so much going on, and Mom will want you at all of it. You’re like a pet or something.” My nose wrinkled at the idea, and I laughed. “I hope you like parties and parades. This is small town America, Preston. I wish they’d agreed to New York again this year. I really do.”
“I like it. Everything here is so accessible as opposed to New York. Every person I’ve met since I landed has been so warm. They’re only nice to me in the city because I am your assistant.” That was a harsh truth. “I got a car upgrade because she liked my accent, and they promised me the best room that they had for my stay.”
I thought about both as I looked around the room that had two king sized beds. This was top notch for a single guy? “That isn’t saying too much, Preston.”
“You need to see things as they are, my friend.” Preston leaned back. “This reminds me of some of the smaller places back home in some ways. Everyone knows everybody, which everyone says is a bad thing. Look closely at that though. I see it more as people caring for others without a second thought because they’re all family, in the end.”
I nodded. That was true. Every kid in town was treated the same, as if each parent adopted all the other kids. I could go to any friend’s house, and Mom knew them. There was some network between parents that made it possible to handle anything that came up with a phone call.
The kids in New York had nannies. I saw it everywhere I went. My mom noticed as well and wasn’t shy in expressing her disappointment in the entire system. What parent had children only to send them off with a slightly older child the entire day? She thought the kids must be closer to the nannies than their own family. From what I knew about my friends with kids, this was certainly the case.
“When you live here, the gossip gets out of control,” I said, trying to focus on the bad aspects of living in a small town.
“Need I remind you that you live in one of the busiest cities in the world and always seem to be in the news for one thing or another?” Preston asked. “Here, it’s people talking and no press, unless it is a crime or something along those lines. I think it comes more from a deep sense of caring than one of being malicious.”
He had a point and a strong one at that. It just used to get under my skin how much Rebecca would get hurt over one of my idiot friends talking about some girl who made a comment about me. She didn’t make it obvious, but those beautiful eyes of hers were a dead giveaway.
There was also all the talk among the women about how I was sure to propose to Rebecca once we graduated. That was never meant to be since we had different dreams. I think that hurt us both a little, though. I just didn’t see it when I was younger. I was too busy looking toward the future to be aware of the present.
“I’m going to soak all this up during my visit and take some of it back to New York with me,” Preston said, bringing me back to reality. “I think you might want to consider that as well.”
“I have to get back to the house. Mom wants to take us to breakfast tomorrow, though. Eight or so?” I wanted to laugh at Texas time. Most everyone here ran late. Usually because they got to talking to someone.
“I’ll be ready,” Preston said with a smile.
“You’ll regret not having a hotel with a gym within a week,” I said as I rose to my feet. “We’re making cookies tonight, like when I was a kid, and you’ll get some. The portions here are fucking ridiculous, too.”
“I can go for a nice run around town. I am sure there is a good place to get some tea in the morning.” Preston spoke in a positive tone that made me want to punch him for a fleeting second, but I settled for an eye roll.
“I will see you tomorrow morning. Text me if anything comes up. I do mean anything.” I shot him a serious look before I headed back to the parking lot. I needed to distract myself with work while I was here. That was my life now; my focus.
Chapter Six
Rebecca
It was so dark and overcast. The weather the newscaster mentioned was on the way. I shivered in the nearly nonexistent heat that this car provided me. I just wanted to be home where I could build a fire.
I noticed the car dr
ove unevenly just as it began to rain, and dread filled my body. “No, no, no.” I pulled over on the muddy shoulder and pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt. Then I stepped out to assess the situation. My rear driver side tire was flat, and from what I could see, it was a lost cause to patch anything. Terry at the tire shop warned me about this, but I could be so stubborn.
I’d have to get the spare on and go for a new tire with my tail between my legs. The rain was freezing by now, and all I had was this thin sweatshirt. I was just walking to the trunk when a fancy car pulled up behind me. I narrowed my eyes to see through the heavy drops that soaked me.
“Need some help?” A man hopped out, and I recognized Austin a beat before he realized who I was. “Rebecca?”
“Yep. It’s me. I think I need to get my spare on. This tire is dead.”
He walked over to look. “You should have had that replaced a long time ago. See that tread?” I raised an eyebrow at his judgmental gaze. “Is everything in the trunk? I’ll take care of this for you.”
“You know how to do that?” My voice was hard, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “When is the last time you did anything like this? Don’t you have a staff for that now?”
“I’ve changed plenty of tires in my life. I haven’t forgotten how, Rebecca.” Austin sounded resigned as he walked over to his car. He reached inside to the back seat and handed me a massive umbrella. “I see you don’t prepare yourself for weather. Some things never change.”
“I was rushing home from the salon to try to beat the rain.” I looked at the handle and figured out how to open it just before he was reaching forward to help me. “Got it.”
The dark, heavy material seemed to surround me. I looked down to see nearly my entire body protected from the rain. This was nothing like the collection of Dollar General umbrellas piled up at home, instead of in my car where they should be. I watched as Austin slipped a raincoat over his own body, even though he was soaked. He pushed the hood over his head and made his way to my car, giving me flashes of the old Austin for a brief moment.
He got the jack and secured it under the old car before cranking it up to lift it. “This is a different car than high school, isn’t it?” he asked.
I had to lean forward to hear him. “Mom gave me hers before they moved. Tilly died a few years ago.” He turned to look at me. “I loved that car.”
“It made me worry when you’d drive home at night,” he mumbled. A faint smile crossed my face. “I know you think I’m a different person than the guy that left town eleven years ago, Rebecca.”
“Of course, you are. You’re a billionaire now, Austin. You don’t know what it’s like to live a normal life anymore.”
He shook his head in the dim light from the little hint of sun that peeked through the clouds. I glanced around to see if I could find a rainbow, but the sun was setting and too dark.
Austin looked like any other man, hunched over, cussing at my tire in the wet weather. He looked like the Austin that I was once in love with.
I pushed the thought from my mind and stepped forward to try and shield him from the rain. It came down in sheets now. Austin glanced up, and I reached out for the flashlight that he had under one arm. “Can I help at all?”
Austin jammed the flashlight towards me, and I took it, aiming it at the lug nuts that he tried to tighten. I sensed the tension in the air as he worked, feeling his anger in waves. I could always sense Austin’s emotions before and that hadn’t changed. I suspected he put on a cool front for people but still had the endless thoughts working away at him deep inside. He jerked the tool, and he stood up. Austin put everything back in the trunk, including the dead tire, before turning towards me with a dark look in his eyes.
Austin wiped his hands on the gray slacks he wore and jerked the umbrella out of my hands, holding it above me. We were both protected, but I was cold and scared of whatever he was feeling inside.
“I grew up here the same as you, Rebecca. I had single income parents who struggled to put a fucking meal on our table for me and a roof over my head. I know how you lived and are still living. Stop treating me like I don’t.”
“You’re rich now. You walked away from this town and your own parents.” I stopped myself, worried about what I would say next. I didn’t want to say it.
“I followed through with my dreams because of them, Rebecca. I’m the man I am today because Dad showed me how much hard work pays off. I did everything for them, and I’d pay them back if they’d fucking let me. I fell in love with New York, and if they weren’t so stubborn, they’d live in a mansion there near me. Mom wouldn’t have to lift a finger. But they won’t leave, Rebecca. They won’t let me pay them back.” I heard the disappointment in his voice, and he dropped his clenched fists to his sides. “I grew up struggling because they worked hard to let me focus on my goals. I am not ashamed that I made something of myself and got out of here. I’m fucking proud of my hard work, and I know that I am blessed every single day. I just wish they were there to see it, too.”
“Your mama’s life is here. Her friends and family are here. She’s not going to leave. And your dad meets his friends every morning for coffee. He has for years. Why would they leave?” He dropped his head forward and closed his eyes. “Do you remember anything about this town? Do you remember the good times with your friends? Do you ever think about summers in the creeks and getting ice cream from Ginny? Do you care about anyone in this town other than your parents? Because everyone here was your family at one point in your life. They’re all proud of you, and you haven’t been back to see anyone since you left.”
“Things change, Rebecca. People change, and they’re not always meant to stay where they were born. I’d love for my family to join me and see more of them. I really would. I won’t apologize for my wealth, though. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I worked for every penny, and I still am, unlike some of the people that I’ve met.”
My initial anger turned to sadness as I watched him. He was only here to please his parents and nothing more. Austin made it clear that he’d move them out of town if they agreed, but since they didn’t, he’d made a life for himself elsewhere.
A part of me wanted to ask if he missed me at all. I longed to know if Austin ever thought about me. I remained silent, though, since there was no reason to ask him any of this.
I knew about the beautiful women he dated there in New York, particularly the latest one. They were all over the magazines during the months they were together and even after. There was a lot of speculation if they were going to get back together, or if she could forgive him for the things that Austin supposedly did while they were together. I knew Austin. I had been his girlfriend, too, and he was a good man. He didn’t always see reality properly, but he’d always been kind. He would never hurt a woman.
I started to wonder how many of them wanted his money and not Austin. I never cared about what he was going to make once we both went to college. I just wanted to be with him.
“I have to go, Rebecca. My mom is expecting me for dinner.” Austin turned to walk away with the umbrella, closing it and sliding it into his car. He got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He pulled away from the shoulder and flew down the road.
I closed my eyes. The rain had stopped, but I was soaked now. I looked around to make sure that I didn’t need to pick anything up, feeling drained as I trudged to my car.
I turned the key and cranked my engine, flipping on the heater. There were so many other ways that I would have preferred that conversation to go. I wiped my hands on the dry towel that was in the car and sent my sister a text. I needed to talk to someone, and even though I knew what she’d tell me, it was always Kim I went running to.
She told me she had a fire going and dry clothes. I drove down the now-empty road feeling a void inside of me. I shivered. “Thank you,” I whispered as if Austin was here to hear me. I never said that and instead, gave him a lot of crap for leaving North Reed. Why did he bring
that out in me?
I made it to Kim’s and changed. I nestled in on her couch, and she handed me a glass of wine. Then, she sat beside me. I was in dry flannel pajamas with a blanket wrapped around me. I smiled at her gratefully.
“Feeling better?” she asked.
“I think so. He was just so angry.” I lifted the glass to my lips.
“Men are strange when it comes to their pride. You remember how Dad got sometimes with Mom.” She gave me a look, and I nodded.
“I do. I guess I just want to understand Austin. I don’t know what he’s holding in, and today gave me fewer answers than I had before. But he helped me, like I knew he would. Austin made sure my car was safe before he drove away.” I shrugged. “There is that.”
“He did,” Kim agreed as she dropped her head back against the comfortable cushion. “Terry is going to kill you. When are you going down there?”
“Tomorrow,” I replied. “That spare is tiny.”
She turned on one of our favorite shows. “He’s going to be so mad.”
Terry was a good friend of Dad’s and took on the job of watching over us when my parents moved. I daydreamed for a moment of living somewhere else, in some other city. Would Kim come with me, or would I have to go alone?
I thought for a moment about how Austin felt when he left. Was he scared or relieved? I suppose now I’d never know the truth about that because we ended our conversation, if you could call it that, so badly. He wasn’t here forever, and I didn’t think he’d want to see me again anytime soon.
“I think I want to go just to watch and then be around when Dad calls you, since you know Terry will let him know.”
I sighed heavily. “You’re so right, sis.” I rested my head against her shoulder. “I love you.”