“You’re a shitty liar, Ash.”
“You can’t burn a blanket, Ree.It’s not a good idea.”
“Maybe not, but we’re going to do it anyway.Just a piece.Where are your scissors?”
She smirked.“In the drawer next to the fridge.”
“I’ll be right back.”I hurried into the house and found the scissors, thankful she hadn’t lied to me.I carried them back out and found her standing, staring into the fire.
“Did you feel like this after Landon?”
“You know I did.”
“Does it get better?”She looked up at me with tears hanging from her eyelashes.
“Yes,” I lied, knowing she needed to believe in happiness.Maybe one day I would believe in it, too.
“Then let’s cut this blanket to shreds and burn it.”
I handed over the scissors.“Let’s do it.”
I wokeup with a headache and the taste of cotton in my mouth.I couldn’t remember the last time I drank as much as I did with Ashlyn.
Damn, I was getting old.
I’d started to feel more my age, but not being able to handle half a bottle of wine was a real kick in the ass.A decade ago, I could have polished off the entire bottle and gone back for more and not felt like shit the next day.
Welcome to midlife.
I rolled out of bed, feeling the aches and pains from sleeping on a new mattress, and padded to the bathroom, trying to make as little noise as possible since Ashlyn was definitely still asleep.
I found the pods for her coffeemaker and made myself a cup as I stared at the light creeping over the water.Every second it got lighter and lighter, telling me sunrise was moments away.
The coffeemaker sputtered its last drops of liquid gold, and I grabbed the mug.I dumped the contents into a plastic travel mug and added a bit of caramel creamer I found in the fridge, then let myself out of the house.
My shoes from the night before were cool when I slid my feet into them.I stepped off the patio, inhaling the scent of honeysuckle all around me.It made me smile, feeling like I was exactly where I was meant to be.I walked across the yard, my footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves as I made my way down to the dock.
I took my first sip of coffee as the water in front of me turned purple and glittered.Amethyst Bay.It was captivating, just like when the sun was setting the night before.
Peaceful, gorgeous, and just what I needed.
I stared across the water at Vermont and wondered if I could call this place home.Losing my summer job as a nanny gave me the freedom to visit Ashlyn for two months, but it also reminded me of how little I had in MacKellar Cove.I moved there when I wanted to leave the city and go somewhere quieter.My parents wanted me to move back to the Southern Tier of New York and find a job near them, but I knew that would come with a demand for grandkids.
Rather, a more consistent demand.
My parents thought everyone should have kids, and if you didn’t, something was wrong.They’d offered to get me tested for reproductive issues, to pay for IVF, to help with raising my kid if I ended up deciding to be a single mom.
They never believed me when I said I didn’t want kids.Just like Landon.Everyone thought I’d change my mind eventually.Hell, even Ashlyn thought I was joking the first time I told her.
I never wanted kids.I love kids, but I never wanted to be a mom.Not for any tragic reason, just because I didn’t want to.
When I decided not to move home and deal with the constant disappointment from my parents, I found a job in MacKellar Cove.Landon was my first friend.Friendship became more after a while, and three years later, we couldn’t see a way out.
In the almost two years since we broke up, I stayed, but my circle had gotten increasingly smaller.My ‘friends’ were coworkers I didn’t socialize with or people I knew through Landon.I didn’t feel like MacKellar Cove was home anymore.It wasn’t where I belonged.It wasn’t where I wanted to be.
But was Amethyst Bay?I loved Ashlyn, but moving to be near her would put a lot of pressure on our friendship.I needed?—
“Who are you?”
