“You have no idea, but maybe the next game we watch, I’ll point out the highest paid players,” Jude said. “It will blow your mind. Actually, I think the Yetis play today and Hunter makes pretty decent money and so does Romeo. If we go to a Toronto game, I’ll show you those big money hitters.”
“Actually…” Forest said, looking between Jude and me. “I got a call from a friend in Texas, and he said he needed a ranch hand working the stockyards.”
His mood and his silence made sense these past few weeks. How long had he known?
“So, you’re leaving?” Jude broke the silence.
Forest looked down at his lap. “I don’t normally stick around. Sterling Ridge was just a stop for me.”
I flinched at the blatant reduction of whatever we were, just a stop for him.
“He’ll need someone in January and?—”
“Why wait till then?” Jude snapped.
Forest looked up. “Jude, we knew what this?—”
“No, you knew what this was,” I said, getting up off the bed. “You never gave us a chance.”
“You’re leaving too,” he shot back.
“Yeah, but I was ready to make this work, or I don’t know, maybe even stay,” I said. “I wanted to talk it out with you because I wanted to hear that it was ok for me to leave. That maybe you would be here when I got back or that maybe you would visit me, make this work with me, or even tell me this was crazy.”
“How long would that have lasted before one of us would get tired of it?” Forest snapped.
“What if we never got tired of it?” Jude said softly. “What if it worked out? What if we make a life here?”
“Life isn’t sunshine and rainbows,” Forest scoffed. “My life is on the road. I don’t have a home.”
“No, it’s not,” I growled. “Jude and I know that, but we could be something. This could be home.”
“Home doesn’t have to be here as long as we are somewhere together,” Jude said, his eyes glossy.
“Me leaving isn't up for discussion, it’s happening no matter what,” Forest said, getting up from the bed. “You knew what you were getting into with me. You knew this wasn’t?—”
“If this was just fuck-buddy situation, then why do all the extra shit?” Jude growled. “Huh? You crossed that line too, you led us on and don’t tell me you don’t have feelings for us, because I call fucking bullshit.”
“I never said I was staying,” Forest said. “We’ve always had an expiration date and I’m sorry you thought this was going to be something different when you thought that we weren’t anything anyway. I can’t give you what you want. Maybe with me out of the way, you can finally be together.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I caught his arm before he left the room.
“Yeah, I listen to the gossip that you've been in love with each other for years and it's great you've finally gotten together,” he snapped. “Now you can finally move to Toronto and be a family together over there.”
He yanked his arm out of my grasp.
“Forest,” I said, panicking as he walked away.
“Leave it,” he growled.
“No,” I snapped. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but we never talked about moving anywhere by ourselves.”
Forest kept walking, not listening to me.
“Forest, dammit, listen to me,” I snarled. “It’s always been you and Jude. It's never been one or the other. I love both of you equally. You each give me something I didn't know I was missing, you make me want things I never knew I wanted and that is because ofbothof you.”
“Peaches, you don’t love me,” he said, putting his jacket on. “I’m just the person who helped you realize you loved your best friend.”
“Fuck you,” I growled.
