From the moment westepped off the plane, my phone hasn’t stopped.
Wingrove Estates has been booming. The restaurant is fully booked out weeks in advance. We’d had several weddings booked, too, which was a first for us.
Robbie and I had been on the phone more than usual, discussing potential new clients and the next steps for the Mercury Hotel. He’d called me during the week to let me know about a piece of land that had become vacant here in Grangewood Creek, but I didn’t even know it had existed until this week.
He’d known for the longest time that I was on the lookout for land to build a place to call home, and that I’d wanted it here in Grangewood, but nothing felt right until now.
My apartment is great, but it’s never been something I saw for myself long term. It’s the penthouse of a twenty-story buildingthat I own, and I occupy the entire top floor. But I never created that space with the intention of having it be my forever home.
I wanted something…secluded.
I want land for my future kids to run around on, and a swimming pool for them to splash in until the sunset, and me or their mom were letting them know that dinner was ready.
When Robbie told me that there was an empty piece of land for sale in town, I knew I had to at least check it out.
"The owner of the land is looking to sell. The price is a bit steep, but I figured money isn’t an issue for you," Robbie said once I’d put my car into park in front of the giant, open, empty space. He was right. Money wasn’t an issue, especially for something that I’d wanted ever since I couldaffordto want things. Then, when he told me how big the land was, and that it backed onto the far end of Wingrove Estates, I was sold.
No matter the price.
It was big enough that I could build my dream home and extend the winery without either interfering with the other.
Robbie had the paperwork drawn up and was ready for me to sign in less than twenty-four-hours, and once I’d had them signed, my architects were already on the job, putting all of my ideas onto paper.
I wasn’t surprised that Robbie had found this for me. Aside from Bea, he knows me better than anyone.
He was with me at the time of my accident and never left my side for a second during my recovery. Even during my darkest days, he dragged me out of my slump and never once complained.
I’ll forever be indebted to him.
I tried all week to busy myself, but I couldn’t stop thinking about California. I needed to get what happened there off my chest. I needed to get Cassandra out of my head.
But it was proving impossible.
No matter what I did, the image of her was cemented in my mind.
The way she’d consoled herself while Austin had yelled at her. Her black-smeared eyes once we’d gotten back to the apartment.
But the image that refused to leave my mind was her standing in a matching lingerie set, asking me to join her in the shower.
And I’d said no.
I fucking said no.
I wanted her too badly to be just a drunken revenge fuck. But after what she’d said to Bea the next morning, I doubted I would ever be anything more.
I thought we were heading down a path of…something, but it seems friends are all we’re going to be, and I have to learn to be okay with that.
I’ve got no choice.
I texted her tonight with the intention of not only coming clean about everything, but to apologize to her, too. She can choose to do whatever she wants with the information I give her, but it won’t feel like I’ve done everything I can until she hears what I have to say.
My emotions have been all over the place since California, with anger at the forefront and guilt not far behind. I’m not an angry person. I never have been. But Austin just brings it out of me, and I can’t explain why.He hated me because I was a better football player who his father favored, but I never understood how that was my fault.
While I liked the fact that my talent wasn’t going unnoticed, especially by an ex-pro QB and my personal football hero, Austin was mybestfriend, and I always put him before everyone else. He was like a brother to me, but he showed his true colors before prom, and every day since.
This conversation I’m about to have with Cassandra is well overdue, and I’m not looking forward to it.
It’s late, but it was my idea.
