“Apparently you’ve got a secret admirer.”
She let out a gusty sigh. Dammit. She didn’t want to be right, just this once. “Who told you that?”
“Edna. Honestly, I don’t know how that woman gets any mail delivered. I swear she just speed-walks to the nearest warm body whenever she gets her hands on some juicy gossip. Mrs. Thompson stopped by while Edna was tellin’ the story, and now they’re talking about a pool as to who the possible suitor could be.”
“Oh my Lord.”
“Anyway, I just wanted to warn you about what they’re sayin’. In case you didn’t already know.”
“Thanks, Rory.”
“I thought y’all decided to keep this quiet?”
“I thought so too. Apparently Finn needs a reminder.”
Willow hung up with her sister and lifted her brow in Avery’s direction. “Still think I’m overreacting?” Without waiting for Avery to answer, Willow pressed Finn’s number on her phone and hit send.
He picked up after the second ring, a smile in his voice. “Hey, Willowtree. You get my delivery?”
She clamped her teeth together. He couldn’t evensoundremorseful? She wasn’t sure which hurt worse—the fact that he’d ignored her wishes or that he didn’t seem to care that he did. She took a deep breath, attempting to keep the emotion from her voice. “Yes, I got it, and half the town already knows about it. There’s a bet going on about who mysecret admireris. You agreed we’d keep this quiet. Youpromised.”
Clanging came through the line, the far-off noise of a saw, before it quieted, like he’d walked to another room. “Wait…are youupset?”
So much for tamping down that emotion. “Yes, Finn, I’m upset. How did you think I was gonna react to you goin’ back on a promise, not to mention half the damn town discussing my love life?”
“I didn’t—shit, Willow, it wasn’t my intent to break the promise. I wanted to send you somethin’ nice, and I just thought—”
“I’m pretty sure youdidn’tthink. And that’s the issue. We had a deal. Keep this quiet, period. And you agreed to that.”
“Feels pretty damn quiet to me with you sneaking in and out of my apartment at all hours of the night.”
“Yeah? Well, it doesn't feel so quiet to me when half the town's placing bets on who I’m seeing. They’re going to find out.”
A noise of frustration came across the line. “And, apparently, that’d be the worst thing in the world. For the good people of Havenbrook to know Willow Haven is sullying herself with one of the Thomas boys. Again.”
“Don’t turn this back around on me, Finn. That’s not fair.”
“Seems pretty clear to me that’s exactly what it’s about. Doesn’t matter that I’ve made something of myself. Doesn’t matter that we’re takin’ a building no one else wanted and finishin’ the revitalization of your precious downtown. None of it means shit, isn’t that right? Not when I’ve got Thomas tacked on the end of my name.”
Willow’s ire died a little more with each word coming out of Finn’s mouth, reminding her of what he’d said in his apartment the other day. She’d mentioned it was just her daddy and sister who’d thought that, but was she really any better? Her once-heated temper cooled until it was nothing but steam, and she felt each of Finn’s accusations like a spear through the heart. While she was worrying about her daddy finding out about her and Finn, he was dealing with years of shit that’d been heaped on him because of his teenage rebellion, or worse, simply the stigma of being born with his last name.
“Finn, I’m—”
“I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait—” But the line was already dead, so all Willow could do was stare at her phone, her stomach somehow churning more now at the thought of hurting Finn than it had when she’d thought the whole town would know her business.
“I take it that didn’t go over well?” Avery asked.
Willow stared at the phone and blew out a sigh. “I don’t know what to do. He wants something I’m not ready to give. Not after—” She swallowed, not quite ready to say the words aloud.Not after he left me all those years ago. Not when he’s going to leave me again.
“Look, I’m not going to pretend I understand what you went through back then. Your relationship with Finn is hella complicated, and your worries and concerns are completely valid.”
“Why do I feel a but coming on?”
“But…” Avery reached forward, tapping her nail on the drawing of the willow tree. “He’s sweet on you. I feel like you’re carrying too much baggage from the past to see it for what it is. And, really, who cares if people know you’re together? You’re a grown-ass woman and can make your own decisions. Even if your dad doesn’t want you to realize that.”
Willow finally gave life to the one thing that’d been weighing her down since she dove headfirst into this thing with Finn. “He’s leaving, Avery.”
