Page 111 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

The last person to speak was Rebecca. Aiden was fussing by then, too tired of sitting still, so she brought him up with her.

“Lilac Bay took care of my sister and I when our parents couldn’t,” she said. “It was a no-brainer for me to stay here and raise my own kids.”

I was crying as Heather wrapped it up, not bothering to check my tears. It wasn’t just Rebecca—it was all of them. Every person in this town that made it what it was.

That made it home.

The next segment was the pre-recorded interviews from Jackson. The production crew rushed Heather up to the senior center to get ready for the studio segment later in the show. A few of the camera guys remained to capture our reaction, win or lose, when the announcement was made.

There wasn’t much to do now except to wait. With Andrew.

“So you met Heather Dale, huh?”

“I did. She was great.”

He nodded, and I wondered if I looked half as uncomfortable as he did. So this was how it was going to be now. Awkward and stilted. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stand it.

“Have you talked to Gina anymore about the whole job opportunity thing?” he asked.

“What?” I turned to him, the beginnings of anger stirring in my chest.

“She said she could help you out, right? After the flash mob? I just wondered if you’d talked any more about it.”

I shook my head, the anger growing. “You really want to get rid of me, huh?”

“What? No! I didn’t say that.”

“You know what, Andrew?” I felt exhausted, so tired of whatever this was between us. “Don’t worry about it, okay? I’ll stay out of your hair.”

According to the digital production clock, we had ten minutes before the cameras would be back on. It wouldn’t have mattered to me if we only had seconds. I turned away from the crowd, needing to get away from him.

To think, I’d been so heartbroken to think of him not making it on time.

“Riley, wait.”

I wasn’t sure exactly where I was going. All of the stores and restaurants on Main Street were closed for the show. I just knew I didn’t want to be standing there with Andrew anymore.

“Hey, wait!” He caught up with me near the steps of Town Hall, in full view of anyone from the square who happened to be looking our way. “Why are you mad?”

“Why am I mad? Are you seriously asking me that?”

“I don’t want to get rid of you, Riley. I just want you to be happy. Your mom is getting help now and Rebecca has Jake. So there’s nothing holding you here anymore. And if Heather Dale’s own staff thinks that you could have the kind of career that you’ve always dreamed of—well, I’m sorry, but I have to ask. What in the hell is keeping you here?”

“You think my mom and my sister are the only things keeping me here?” I asked. “I think maybe you don’t know me at all.”

“Riley—”

I pushed him, hard in the chest. “That was shitty of you to leave, Andrew! I didn’t deserve that!”

“I was trying to make things easier on you!”

“Easier onme? You’re a liar. You just didn’t want to deal with what happened.”

“Oh, come on, Riley! It was obvious the second we got back to your apartment that you regretted sleeping with me.”

The section of the square closest to us went suddenly silent. I looked up to see at least twenty people staring at us. The rest of them were too far away to hear, I guessed.

“Great,” I muttered. “Thank you for that.”