“Seriously? What’s wrong, Finn?” Mila’s tone sobers.
“Nothing.”
“Okay, if you’re not gonna tell me, I’ll guess. Did you spill some wine?”
“No. Mila, I don’t have time for your teasing.”
“Then tell me what’s wrong.”
“Ashley fucking screwed me over, that’s what,” I roar into the phone, completely fed up with everyone nosing into my business and not just letting me stew in my feelings.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Mila sounds outraged at me. What a joke. She’s mad at me for telling her that Ashley broke my heart. Some friend.
I let out a harsh laugh. “I went to the mainland to be with her. And I found her hugging another guy, Mila. She doesn’t hug people. And she was hugging him.”
“Oh my God, Finn, it was a freaking hug. Maybe he’s her cousin or something! I can’t believe you’re making such a big deal out of a goddamn hug. Besides, if she was with some other guy, why the hell is she here in Dogwood Cove, looking for you? She just called me, asking if I knew where you were. She’s on her way.”
“Fuck, Mila, you don’t understand.” I know I shouldn’t take this out on Mila, but then again, she called me. She started this.
“No, you’re right. I don’t,” Mila shrieks into the phone. “I thought you two were close. But clearly you’re not. Clearly you don’t know her at all if you think she could two-time you like that. Just talk to her, you idiot. Don’t make me regret telling her where to find you.” Mila ends the call and I resist the urge to chuck my phone against the wall. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
But wait, Ashley’s here. She’s in Dogwood Cove, coming to see me. A tiny flare of hope stirs inside me, but is quickly doused by reality. I can’t let myself be fooled.
A short time later, I hear her car pull up outside and I take a deep breath. As much as I’m dreading this conversation, I know it has to happen. I deserve the closure. I wipe my hands and slowly walk to the front door of the barn. When I get outside, I see her sitting in her car. Our eyes meet. I cross my arms in front of my chest and wait.
When she gets out, it physically pains me to see her again. God, she’s so beautiful, and she’s smiling. At least, she is at first. I see the moment she takes in my defensive posture, and that smile falls from her face, morphing into one of confusion and concern.
“Finn?” She approaches me cautiously, as if I were a wild animal. I feel like one right now, caged and desperate for escape. “I’m sorry I disappeared last week. Can I explain?”
Even though every fiber of my being wants to reach out and pull her to me, to feel her in my arms and let that be enough, I resist.
“Explain what, exactly?” I regret the biting tone as soon as the words come out. But now that I’ve started, I can’t seem to stop. “The fact that you tore out of here because of an emergency? Yeah, I get that. Makes sense. Or maybe you want to explain why you ignored almost all of my messages for a week? Oh no, wait.” I unfold my arms and stand up straight. My pain and anger are taking over. “Maybe you want to explain why you didn’t want me to come to the mainland and help. Could it, I dunno, have something to do with the guy you were hugging at lunch yesterday?” Her eyes widen. I should stop talking and let her explain. I know I should. But I don’t, I can’t. My emotions are in control, not logic. “I saw you. See, I was on the mainland, looking for you. I realized I was a selfish fool for not being there while you cared for your dad. What kind of man does that to the woman he loves?” A harsh laugh escapes me as the words I just used sink in for both of us. “Yeah. I love you, Ashley. So imagine my surprise when I see you having lunch with another guy, when you’re supposedly caring for your sick father. Now imagine that surprise cranking up a million notches when I see you hug him. What happened to I don’t like to hug people unless I’m really close to them. Or wait, maybe you are really close to that guy. Maybe he’s —”
“Stop! Just stop!” she yells at me, flinging her hands up. Tears are welling in her eyes.
Good. Let her suffer like I am. She’s ruined me.
Chapter twenty-eight
Ashley
I can’t believe this is happening.
Never in a million years could I have predicted something like this. Finn is so angry over something that isn’t even real.
“You have to listen to me, and stop jumping to horrible conclusions,” I say, swiping angrily at the tears on my cheeks. “What you saw was me having lunch with a college friend. A very happily married to another man college friend. He offered me a job, a partnership, here on Vancouver Island. In Westport, actually.”
My chest is heaving with the emotional weight of all this. It’s too much. I need to get away. But I need to tell him everything first. “I took a job here. I wanted to move here. And I was coming back to tell you I love you.” My voice breaks on a sob. “How could you possibly think I would ever do anything like that? How could you question my loyalty after everything you know I’ve been through?”
I turn around and start to walk to my car.
“Ashley, wait.” His voice sounds broken, but I ignore him and walk faster. “Ashley! Please stop!”
“Finn. No. Let her go.” Pierre’s voice comes out of nowhere, and I peek over my shoulder to see him holding Finn back with a hand on his shoulder. He looks at me and nods, and I quicken my steps until I reach my car. I have to wipe my tears on my sleeve again when I glance up through the windshield to see Finn gesturing toward me and Pierre shaking his head. Gunning it, I drive away from the winery. Away from the pain.
But that’s the thing about pain, I guess. You can never really get away from it.
Eventually, I find myself on Main Street, parked just down from The Nutty Muffin. Mila knows I’m back in town, she told me where to find Finn. But do I want to face her now? After things went so spectacularly wrong? A knock on my window has my eyes flying open.
