I rub the heel of my hand against my breastbone. The ache doesn't ease. "I don't know what to believe anymore," I admit.
We sit in silence for a moment, the sound of waves and guitar music filling the space between us.
"You know what you need?" Heather says finally. "You need to focus on you and the brewery. Show Wyatt that you're perfectly fine without him."
"I am perfectly fine without him."
"Then prove it."
Julie raises her glass. "To Merri Gallagher, a brilliant brewer, successful business owner, and a woman who doesn't need a man to define her worth."
"Here, here!" Heather clinks her glass against Julie's.
I raise my own, managing a genuine smile. "To being perfectly fine."
We drink to that, and for a little while, I almost believe it.
The girls drop me off at my house around ten, both of them hugging me tight and making me promise to call if I need anything. I unlock my front door, Admiral shuffles over to greet me, and I'm immediately struck by how quiet my house is.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I don't need to check to know it's Wyatt.
I pull it out anyway. Fourteen missed calls. Eleven voicemails.
Against my better judgment, I open my text messages. There are dozens from him:
Merri, please call me back.
I'm so sorry. I can explain.
Please let me talk to you.
I didn't mean any of what I said in that interview.
You're not just Danny's little sister. You're everything to me.
The most recent one, sent five minutes ago:
Please, Merri. I'm begging you.
I stare at the screen, my vision blurring with fresh tears, not knowing what to believe. Weary to the bone, I turn off my phone and plug it into the charger.
Admiral follows me to my bedroom, and I change into pajamas and climb into bed. He jumps up beside me, something I don't usually allow, but tonight I need the comfort, and rests his head on my stomach.
"What am I going to do, Admiral?" I whisper, scratching behind his ears. "How am I supposed to work next door to him? How am I supposed to see him every day?"
Admiral huffs, which I choose to interpret as sympathy.
"And what about the competition? Our beer is amazing. We deserve to win. But can I stand next to him at the showcase andpretend everything is fine? Can I smile for cameras and act like my heart isn't broken?"
I close my eyes, exhaustion washing over me.
Tomorrow, I'll figure out how to move forward. How to protect what's left of my heart while still fulfilling our commitment to the competition. Then I’ll be strong.
But tonight, I let myself cry into Admiral's fur and wonder if Wyatt Dalton was ever really mine to lose in the first place.
Chapter 15
Wyatt
