Chapter 9

9

Easton

Things were starting to amplify. She had been in Oregon this whole time? How had we not ran into each other? Here I was, thinking she moved away, and forgot all about me.

"The consulting is just a side thing. I'm good at what I do."

The waitress brought us our food and the conversation stalled a bit. I struggled to find the right way to bring up our past. It wasn't something we could just skip over.

"Did you ever plan on reaching out?" I asked. Right after the words left my mouth, I cringed. The way I said it made me desperate.

"It's a two-way street. Honestly, after I broke up with you… I figured you didn't want anything to do with me."

She couldn't be more wrong.

I was getting uneasy from staring into her beautiful eyes. She was a huge part of my life. My first real relationship, the person I lost my virginity to. High school was a smoke screen, my nose was buried in books and donating time to charity to better my chances at getting a full ride scholarship to make something of myself.

What would our lives be like if we hadn't of broken up? Would we still have followed down the same path?

"Isla, I would have loved to hear from you. But while we are on the subject, what happened? We were doing great and then you ended things? I've been trying to mull it over in my head ever since. Can you at least give me an answer on that?" I asked.

She sat her fork down and gave me her undivided attention. "I didn't want to hold you back. You were going to do great things, Easton. Amazing things. A girl you met in college shouldn't deter you from following your dreams."

She was my dream. If Isla would have just talked to me, things could have been different. The past was the past and right now we needed to move on to the future. If there was one.

Isla

Had I hurt his feelings? I can't change the past.

"How about I pay for this and we go down the street for a cup of coffee? I'd like to talk more, if you have time," Easton asked.

I nodded as he slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the bi-fold and grabbed my jacket. Maybe he did still care about me.

"It's just right down here," he said, his hand resting on the small of my back.

He opened the door, and I stepped inside. The freshly brewed coffee and espresso hit me. I remember his obsession with coffee back in college.

"Still drinking too many cups a day?" I smiled.

"Yup. You know it. Other smoke or drink alcohol… my bad habit is too much coffee."

We waited in line patiently as others ordered their fancy drinks and overpriced scones. Something about overpriced stuff brings in customers.

"You still drink your regular?" he asked as we got up to the counter.

I nodded.

"Can we have a grande caramel macchiato and a mocha please?"

Even after all these years, he remembered my favorite coffee drink?

After he paid, we stepped over to side of the café, and grabbed a table.

"So, are you married?" I asked.

He laughed. "Wow, beat around the bush, Is. Nope. Never."

"Seeing anyone?"

He shook his head with a smile. "Work has taken up all of my time."

We had more in common. I had been on dates but none of them gave off husband material vibes. Plus, after going on a couple of dates, men just wanted to jump in the sack. They weren't actually there to get to know me.

"My job is stressful and time consuming. After grandma passed away, I didn't have anywhere to place my time but work."

My heart dropped. "When?" I met her once when we were dating and she was delightful. She had Parkinson's.

"That's why I'm happy the trials are going so well. This disease affects so many."

This was when I realized I was the one who got to decide who was going to lose their resources at Largen Co. As much as it pained me to here how much this meant to him, I couldn't let it affect my professional opinion.

What the hell was I going to do?