Chapter 45

45

STERLING

H enry had been texting me every day since he'd arrived in town and I'd been blowing him off every time, but he was leaving soon and he'd come all the way out here, so I'd finally agreed to meet him for lunch.

I felt obligated, like I owed it to both him and myself to give a real conversation with him a chance. Ever since we'd started working on the same floor, he'd been the closest thing I had to a friend in New York.

He really was a dude-bro and I barely tolerated him most days, but if I'd learned anything from being back home, it was that alone wasn't the way to go through life. For his part, Henry had tried time and again to include me in whatever the others were doing.

Whenever they went out, he invited me with them, and while I took him up on it on occasion, I hadn't exactly been friendly about it. Now that he was here and he'd already seen where I'd come from and how I'd grown up, I wondered if perhaps we might become friends if I decided on going back.

We were meeting at a cafe on one of my neighboring farms, and Henry was already there when I arrived. Sitting at a table next to a roaring fireplace inside, he nursed a pumpkin-colored drink, a grin spreading on his face when he saw me walk in.

"It's about time we did something together," he said, getting to his feet and extending a hand to shake mine. "I was happy you called. It's been getting pretty boring around here by myself."

I shook with him before I pulled out the chair across from his and sat down. "Yeah. Sorry about that. If you had let me know you were coming, I would've told you how busy it gets around here during the festival."

"If I'd tried to let you know I was coming, you wouldn't have let me," he said, and while his tone was light, I could tell he wasn't joking.

On the other hand, he wasn't wrong either. I managed a sheepish grin. "I figured you would've made a few friends around here by now. It's not like you to stick to yourself."

"I've been trying, man." He laughed, dragging a hand through his hair as he shook his head at me. "People around here aren't like us. They're all so wholesome and polite, but when you try to get too close, they get all antsy about it."

I chuckled. "Most of us have known each other for years. They're not getting antsy. They're just not used to people being quite as pushy as New Yorkers can be. It's not about instant gratification or results here. It's about genuine connection and appreciating the beauty of everything around you."

"I like results," he said, grinning as he pumped his eyebrows at me. "This town is really slow, you know? I walked around the festival the other day and people are just meandering about. Just strolling and stopping to look at this or that. That must be the ‘appreciating the beauty thing' you were talking about."

I nodded, taking everything he was saying in stride, but realistically, I was feeling a greater disconnect from him now than I ever had. The entire crowd I'd fallen in with in the city were like him.

They worked hard. They played hard. They went balls to the wall on everything they did and they were all go, all the time.

Thinking about it that way now made me wonder if I had ever fit in there. When I'd first arrived in Manhattan, I'd been so starry eyed and excited about getting to live there that I'd embraced the fast-paced culture.

It was known as the city that never slept for a reason, and everyone was always doing something. There was no such thing as just driving around a farm or sitting at the pond, watching the sunset. At least, there hadn't been for me.

I didn't know if other people there did stuff like that, but I sure hadn't met any.

Henry didn't seem to notice that I'd become a little contemplative, still rattling on about everything and everyone in town. When he mentioned the bakery again though, I snapped back to attention just in time to see him give me a cocky grin.

"That hot barista girl is the only person around here that has really caught my attention, but she's playing hard to get. When I went there the other day, I asked her out and she pretended like she was too busy, but it's Allisburg, you know? How busy can she really be?"

"She turned you down?" Relief shot through me. "You should just let it go, man. Daphne's not playing hard to get. If she was interested, you'd have known about it."

He smirked. "She was interested. I could see it in her eyes, but I think she's one of those sweet, hometown girls who gets a little flustered when she's approached by someone like me. So flustered that she couldn't come up with a better excuse than being busy while all she wanted to do was say yes. I think the poor thing might be intimidated by me."

"That's not it," I said immediately, my possessive urges racing up from wherever they'd been hiding. "Trust me, man. She's not interested."

Henry paused for a beat. Then a slow grin spread on his face and he started nodding. "Oh, I get it. She's your hometown hookup, huh? That's why you're getting all territorial."

"It's not like that," I replied, deciding against giving a real conversation with him a chance after all. All he'd done since we'd sat down was talk shit about my town and its people, and now, he was talking about Daphne like she was nothing more than a hole to stick his dick in.

"It's not like that?" he repeated, scoffing down laughter. He waved a hand in the air like he was telling me to slow down. "It's exactly like that, bro. If you could see the look on your face right now, you'd know why I'm not buying what you're selling. So how does it work, then? You guys get together whenever you're in town for a little dip in the hometown hottie? Shit, I'm jealous."

"You know what? I'll see you back in New York, Henry. Enjoy your visit." I shoved my chair back and stood, ignoring his protests as I walked out.

It wasn't lost on me that I was leaving before I'd even ordered a drink. My attempt to give Henry a chance in the hopes that he might make me look forward to going back had backfired miserably, and I was uncertain where that left me in the decision-making process.

Either way, he'd also made me realize that friendship wasn't hidden inside every person you met. Having people in your life that got you, brought out the best in you, and stuck by you when you were at your worst was a fucking blessing.

I was done giving Eric time to process and I was done taking that time myself. This wasn't some game of strategy where either of us would come up with a way to win as long as we outsmarted each other.

These were our lives and we were being idiots about it. Before I went back to the farm, I drove to Eric's garage. We hadn't spoken since we'd had that fight a couple days ago, and it was about time we cleared the air.

He was in his office when I walked in, sorting through some paperwork on his desk. I strode right in without knocking, shutting the door with a firm click behind me. He looked up, his features dropping into a scowl when he saw me.

"What do you want?"

"To talk." I pulled his visitors' chair out and flipped it around, sinking down with my front pressed against the backrest. "We've been friends a long time, Eric. I know you're hurt. I know you're disappointed, and that you're feeling betrayed, and that you might even hate me a little bit right now, but we've gotten through worse than this. We can get through this as well."

"Since you seem to think you know exactly how I feel, what makes you think we can get through this?" He folded his arms across his chest and glared at me. "We've never gotten through you sleeping with my sister, friend . That's about as bad as it gets, but I suppose you wouldn't know. How could you?"

Ouch . "That was a cheap shot, but I'll take it. You're right. I can't know what it's like, but I do know that people generally want what's best for those they love."

"And you think you're what's best for my sister?" He scoffed, shaking his head at me. "I beg to differ."

"That's why I'm here. So we can talk. Hopefully work through our differences."

He lifted an eyebrow at me. "Does that mean you're staying?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I have a lot of shit to figure out, but I'm really trying to do that. For now, the most important thing you should know is that I really do feel something for her, Eric. This goes beyond a fun distraction while I'm home."

"It can't go beyond that unless you're staying, and since you don't know if that's what's happening, I need to get back to work. You know where the fucking door is."

I stood and showed him my palms. "Alright. Do what you need to do, but I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere right now. I realize that you're not convinced, but I came to let you know that I'm still in this. I might not have everything completely figured out and I might not be able to give you the answers you want, but I do have feelings for her and I'm not just going to give up. So think about it. Let me know when you're ready to actually talk."

Having said my piece, I held his gaze for another moment, then turned and walked away, satisfied that I'd given him enough to think about for now.