I have to fight back the tears. “I have to leave him.”
“You were leaving anyway, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s real now. And with the new job, I won’t have the opportunities for long weekends, at least not for a while. Whit, I love him. What am I going to do?”
“Oh, sweetie, he loves you too. You guys will figure it out.”
I shake my head. “No, we won’t. There is no easy solution to this. We’re both losing this one, and it fucking sucks.”
Her phone alerts her to a text. “That’s Aaron. They’re on the way back.”
“What am I going to do?” I cry harder.
“You are going to get yourself together, and the four of us are going to have lunch. Then when you get home, you’re going to sit him down and tell him about the job. Don’t wait. Not telling him will only make it worse.”
I nod. I’m not sure if it’s the best plan, but it’s the only one I have. My heart is actually breaking if the ache in my chest is any indication.
Taking a few minutes, I get my emotions under control and go downstairs to help Whit with lunch. “Keep me busy, conversation, whatever you have to do. I don’t want to tell him here.”
She gives me a hug, “I got you, Jamie. Everything will work out.”
We carry the food out to the back deck and have it all set up.
“Ladies,” Aaron greets us.
Looking up, I find Mike standing shirtless in ripped jeans and a baseball hat sporting the bar’s logo. I fight back another round of tears just at the sight of him. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to leave him this time.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing,” Whit says, wiping under her eyes and sniffing. “We’re just having a moment. You know, getting married and all that.” She waves her hand in the air as if our overemotional behavior is just that.
“You okay, Whit?” Aaron takes a seat next to her.
“Fine,” she laughs. “Just missing my best friend. We had a good day.”
Mike takes a seat next to me and places his
hand on my knee. “You okay, James?”
I look over at him and fight back the tears. “Yeah, I just miss her, you know?”
“I know, baby.” Leaning in, he kisses my cheek and I hold in my tears while we eat.
As promised, Whit chatters at lunch, asking the guys about the fence and what’s next with the farm. Mike and I are mostly quiet unless spoken to.
“Thanks for your help today, Mike,” Aaron says as we stand to leave. Whit and I cleaned up from lunch, and now it’s time to head to Mike’s. Time for me to break both of our hearts.
“We’ll see you all if not later this week, Friday at the rehearsal,” Whit says, giving us both a hug. “Call me,” she whispers just for me.
I nod and wave goodbye to Aaron, then follow Mike to the truck. The drive back to his place is quiet.
Please don’t let him hate me.
She’s quiet, and I give her time to get her thoughts together. Something’s bothering her, something more than Whitney getting married. I just don’t know what it is. When I left her with Whit this morning, she was happy, glowing, and now the glow is gone, replaced by sadness. In just a few short hours, she lost the light that’s been following us around since she got here. Deep down, I think I know what it means, but I’m trying to hold out hope that I’m wrong.
As soon as we pull into the drive, it starts to rain. Looks like Aaron and I finished just in time based on the dark clouds off in the distance and the roar of thunder.
It’s barely sprinkling, so I go ahead and park the truck in the garage, though by the time we’re out of the truck, it starts to pour. “Ready to make a run for it?” I ask, holding her hand.