Page 37 of Rain Delay

He turns to face me. “Y’know, I’m surprised you haven’t brought up the hotel room argument.”

I was kind of waiting for you to, bud! I shrug my shoulders up. “Is there anything to really talk about? The conversation was dumb to begin with.”

“To you, sure. But to me, it meant something.”

I move my sunglasses to the top of my head. “Are you going to apologize?”

His expression immediately hardened. “For?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe being an asshole to me? I didn’t deserve that.”

He chuckles. “I also didn’t deserve the way you talked about me with your friends. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

I nod slowly. “Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“For?” he asks again.

“Nothing concerning you,” I lift my chin. “Just…for the future.”

He gives me a look. “Doesn’t sound like it doesn’t concern me, but whatever you say.”

Too quickly, I ran out of diversions – Things to say to him that would keep the conversation going.

I stop myself from poking at him more. I knew if I kept at it, he would shut down. I was getting closer to him cracking, though. Closer to finding out why everything happened the way it did.

Regardless of everything, I have to remember that what we had is a thing of the past. As much as we try to work through things, as much as we pretend that what we’re dealing with is just a work relationship…It seems more than that.

Moving on didn’t mean that I forgot everything, it meant that I was trying to continue to work on myself.

There was this feeling eating at me that said I wasn’t ready to move on, though. I wasn’t ready to face that life yet.

Chapter 13

Wyatt

I FIDDLED WITH THE CAP of my beer bottle as I waited inside of the restaurant for my sister, Willa, to show up. I wasn’t surprised by her being late.

I was halfway through my drink and debated ordering without her when she rushed her way inside, sunglasses perched on top of her head.

“There you are,” she said, sliding into the seat across from me. “Did you miss me, little brother?”

“Eh,” I shrugged. “Debatable.”

She grinned. “You love me, quit.”

“Also debatable.”

“Wow,” she said, grabbing a menu. “Rude. I even cleared my day for you!”

I huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “Do you even have anything during the day? You dance for the football team, who isn’t even in season right now.”

“I have a busy and booked schedule, yes! It’s called self-care, little brother. Maybe it would do you good to have one of those days.”

“If I had the time…” I mutter to myself.

The waiter came by, we ordered, and for a few minutes it was easy conversation.

“So, Mom told me a little bit of what your current living situation is…” Willa started.