“Wesley…” I scold.
“Don’t get on me right now, Addison,” he argues.
“Excuse me?” I raise my eyebrows.
A tool clanks on the floor, and he stands. “If you can’t tell, I’m not having a good day, and I don’t need you here babysitting me and my choice of words.”
“Oh,” I say sharply. “Fine.” I gather my things and head out. “Missed you too,” I mutter.
“IsaidI was busy.” His tone is tight.
“Never stopped us from hanging out before!” I snap and slam the shop door shut behind me. My cheeks feel hot from the embarrassment of being yelled at by him of all people.
As I’m getting back onto the four-wheeler, I’m expecting him to come out and apologize, but he doesn’t. I even try to stall an extra minute to see.
When I get back home, I check my phone before heading in the house, expecting a text from him full of nothing but apologies, but shockingly, there’s nothing. I go right upstairs, totally ignoring the fact that Mom and Dad are making out at the kitchen sink.
“Hey, you’re home early?” Mom calls out.
“Yeah. He was too busy.” I reach the top of the stairs and enter my room. I wanna call him and let him have a piece of my mind, but I also wanna cry. I tell myself not to do anything rash and just wait for him to come to me.
* **
I don’t sleep well all night. I’m anxious, I’m worried, I’mangry. I’m second-guessing everything. Thinking about last night in great detail, like maybe I’m the one who needs to apologize? But I don’t think I’m the one in the wrong. Am I? I just don’t know.
After breakfast, Mom and I go into town to get groceries. We go every other week usually, but with being gone for an entire week, we don’t have much on hand and need to do a good restock.
“You’re quiet,” she says.
“Wes and I are fighting,” I mutter.
“What? What happened?”
“I don’t know. He just…he got mad at my company last night, I guess?”
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
“It’s not. That’s why I’m confused.”
“Well, was he working?”
“Yeah.”
“Well maybe it wasn’t going well.”
“I know, but he’s never been like that with me before. I’ve seen him angry plenty of times, but he’snevertaken it out on me.”
“Did he raise his voice?”
“Kind of,” I admit, though I don’t want to.
“I don’t like that,” she says with a glare, as if I need to do something about it right this second. I know he shouldn’t raise his voice at me, but it happened, I left, and that was it.
* **
It’s the next day, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more stumped. Wesley hasn’t texted me anything except a simple “Goodnight. Love you” last night. At least I know he still loves me…but I am so confused.
Caden’s birthday party will be interesting, especially since Wesley will be there. I’m anxious. Mom’s the only one who knows we’re on weird, rocky terms, which makes it a little better, but still.
