Page 26 of After You Returned

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. When you messaged me to say you’d see me today, I phoned Mom because I hadn’t received an invitation for a family day.”

“Because there is no family day. It’s a set-up.”

“It’s a set-up.”

“I can’t believe this. You were right to escape the island for a decade.”

“You’re still thinking about leaving?”

“Started sending in applications yesterday.”

After talking everything over with Miles, I knew it was time. I can’t keep living the way I’m living. I’m twenty-seven and thirty is approaching fast. I shouldn’t be living paycheck topaycheck. I want to follow my dream of being a therapist. Something I can’t do on this island.

I called around to therapy practices in the closest towns on the Mainland. Unfortunately, no one had a vacant position. Which led me to the internet and some vacancies a bit further away.

Scarlett mumbles something but I don’t understand.

“Did you swear at me in Japanese?”

Scarlett is a Japanese translator.

“I didn’t swear at you. I’m going to miss you. I haven’t been back on the island long and now you’re leaving.”

“Yeah, well, staying doesn’t seem viable when Mom and Dad are setting me up on dates with assholes.”

“You could get back together with Miles.”

“And you could find yourself waking up in bed to a clown staring down at you at four in the morning.”

“Weston would shoot you.”

“Not if I stole his service weapon first.”

“He keeps it locked in a safe.”

“His safe opens with his thumbprint.”

She groans. “Please tell me you don’t have my fiancé’s thumbprint.”

“I admit to nothing.”

“Hey, Hazel!” Warren shouts from behind me and now it’s my turn to groan. “We need to get going.”

I wave at him. “Be right there.”

“Don’t do it,” Scarlettorders.

I inject my voice with as much innocence as possible. “Do what?”

“If you leave now, Dad will just keep trying.”

“He’ll keep trying anyway.”

“Not if you tell him about your job search.”

I groan. “No, then he’ll bitch about me leaving.”

“You love horseback riding. Go have fun with the horses and forget all about this being a date.”