Every part of himdrops.Face, shoulders, hands.
‘Cherry,please—’
‘Oh my God …’ I can’t believe the first time I tell him I’m in love with him is with tears streaking my face and my heart cracking like someone’s taken a hammer to glass.
‘You know what?’ Sniffing, I straighten up and wipeaway my tears. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t look at this place, knowing the love that was nurtured and bloomed and allowed to flourish here was all for nothing. ‘You’re right. I should go home. I don’t want to talk about this anymore, either. We should both take some … space.’
Not waiting for a reply, I grab my panties and stuff them in my bag that I left beside the couch earlier, then I haul it onto my shoulder.
Quietly, Duke says, ‘Let me get my keys.’
Still not fighting. Still doesn’t love me.
I pace right up to him, where he’s blocking the door, but keep my eyes trained on his chest, knowing that if I meet his eyes now – the ones I’ve dreamt about being able to gaze into for so many years – I’ll crumble. ‘No, thank you. I’ll walk alone.’
Duke doesn’t budge. ‘Cherry, it’s the middle of the night, there’s no way I’m letting you walk home alone.’
I can’t stop my eyes from rolling, but I know he won’t let this go. If I leave without him, he’ll probably just follow me anyway.
‘Fine.’ I move around him and open the door. Over my shoulder I say, ‘You can call me a cab. Luke should’ve dropped the others off by now. But you’re not coming with me.’
‘Are you serious?’
I think I make myself, and my whole feelings for how this night has ended, clear with my final word. ‘Deadly.’
31
Duke
Exhaustion lies heavy on my shoulders from another sleepless night. Sunlight rains down on the ranch ahead as I climb out of my truck and shield my eyes from the brightness. The serene golden fields and landscape surrounding me contrasts so starkly with the storm clouds darkening my mind, a contradiction that leaves an uncomfortable sensation settling in my chest as I trudge up the steps to the main house at Sunset Ranch.
Not even hours riding my motorcycle or trying to paint out my emotions can pull me from this pit I’ve let myself fall into. My place is so scattered with drawings and paintings of Cherry now that the thought of spending any more time there feels unbearable. Having lunch with my grandmother also didn’t help as much as I expected given that my supposedmoping aroundwas much too irritating for her, except for when it meant I wasn’t paying enough attention during Scrabble and she won by a mile.
So here I am, knocking on the front door of Willow Ridge’s resident positivity and wellness influencer, with the hopes she might help. I’m grateful to see Wyatt’s truck already gone, no doubt somewhere else on the ranch where he’s already working. I knock on the door several times, anxiously walking about the porch until the door swings open.
Rory’s eyes flash at me with surprise. She’s still in her pyjamas, waves twisted into a bun, and a smoothie in her hand. ‘Hey! Well, isn’t this a nice surprise!’
‘Hey … Um, Wyatt’s not in, right?’ I check into the house behind her.
‘Uh, no, he’s working out on the ranch. We didn’t get a lot done yesterday after Friday night – as you can imagine – so he’s gotta make up for it today.’ Rory chuckles, but quickly angles her head at my evident lack of returned laughter. ‘Everything okay?’
I worry my lip. ‘You remember that time you came into my bar after you and Wyatt had that argument?’
‘Of course. I meant what I said the other night – we probably owe half of the reason we’re still together to you.’ Her smile plays out again, but it’s short-lived. ‘Oh, why don’t we go sit round the back. The swing’s great for DMCs.’
I raise a brow as I follow her, but she elaborates before I can ask, ‘Deep and meaningful conversations. Does no one know about DMCs anymore?’
I shake my head at Rory as we head to the back deck, settling ourselves on the swing. The comfort of the pillows and blanket do little to soothe me. Especially when I notice movement in the distance that looks anawful lot like two girls on horses, trotting along the dirt road bisecting the ranch.
Rory chimes in, ‘Oh, yeah, Cherry’s having one of her lessons with Fliss. She’s amazing at it, you know? Like she was born to be on the back of a horse.’
I just nod, mesmerised by how natural she looks, even from a distance. Despite being far away, I swear I can feel the joy radiating off her. The kind of joyIwas making her feel only a few days ago. It makes my confession barrel out of me. ‘I’m so fucking in love with her, Rory.’
‘Oh, shit.’ She props her smoothie on the floor. ‘I didn’t realise your feelings for her had got so strong.’ Rory sighs, then throws her arm around my shoulders. ‘I’m sorry, Duke, it must be tough having to be around her so much when you feel that way.’
Right, because Rory has no idea what’s been going on for the last couple of months. She figured out weirdly quickly that I liked Cherry, and even if I denied it, I think Rory’s always had a way of reading me. I might have let her in on the little secret that I was helping Cherry with a few things this summer, being as vague as possible when I asked for a favour at the fair so I could get Cherry on the Ferris wheel alone, but that’s the last she would’ve heard.
‘Yeah, it was … until we kissed.’
