“Lily?” I asked in surprise.
She dipped her head in embarrassment. “I’ve been worried about you and Finn and saw that your light was still on. Is everything okay?”
I opened the door wider, letting her in. Her brows raised at the mess on the bed—papers, food containers, my computer, and phone were strewn wildly across it. It was my turn to look embarrassed. “I’m trying to do something for him—his family is going through some stuff.” I didn’t give any details, they weren’t mine to share.
She seemed to understand that, just nodding along as she picked up one of my papers. Her eyes lifted to mine. “Can I help?”
It was little moments like this that I’m sure were going to pop up a lot in the next several months of my life. Little moments when I realized that my initial inclination was to push her off and say I could do it myself. I didn’t want to ask for help or risk being in someone’s debt. Another way in which I avoided discomfort.
So instead, though it still made me squirm a bit, I nodded. “That would be amazing. Let me just… clear a spot first.”
She laughed at that, helping me stack up some of the food containers and papers. Then she sat on the bed and we got to work.
Chapter 24
Running Out of Time
Finn
Iadjustedthestrapof the duffle bag that was digging into my sore shoulder. I’d done something to that entire half of my body by sleeping in the recliner. The stress of the day had carried through the night, and every inch of me had sighed in relief to wake and know Pops had made it through the night.
With no change on the horizon, Gram encouraged me to get home and shower. To maybe even run the afternoon tour group if I was up for it. I think she thought I could use the distraction, and I could, but I was no longer looking for ways to suppress my concerns or feelings. Yesterday had shown me in stark, painful detail that no matter how few plans I made, no matter how much I lived in the moment, no matter how much I distracted myself from things I didn’t like, life’s plans had a way of making themselves known.
And I’d made it through intact, despite the knot still in my stomach. Now it was time to act like a grown-up, face the future, and stop worrying about myself so much.
So, I was standing out on the curb, waiting for Lucy to pick me up. Even through all of this, my heart still beat double at the thought of spending time with her. But in the spirit of putting others first, I needed to figure out what she needed from me. Help getting her job? Leave her alone? Attempt some sort of long-distance dating when she went back to the States?
I wantedthe last. I really, freaking wanted the last. But I would do what she needed.
At the sight of her rental car pulling into the parking lot, I lifted a hand to flag Lucy down.
“How are you?” she asked once we were driving. She didn’t ask for an update on Pops, I had texted her one that morning already.
“Better.”
She shot a quick smile my way. “I’m glad. Does your grandma need anything?”
I shook my head. “She has some friends from the neighborhood coming to sit with her today. She asked me to handle things at the B&B, so you’ll get me instead of Ishmael today on the tour. I hope that’s okay,” I said in an attempt at lightheartedness.
“I don’t know if I can come today. My flight got changed.” She looked over at me, and I noticed for the first time the tightness around her mouth and eyes. “I… leave tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow,” I repeated.
She nodded, swallowing before she said in a rush, “I don’t want to. I want to stay, and I want to help you, but I don’t have much of a choice—my company made the change.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I said, though I was currently trying to find my mental footing with this news. “We’ve always known you were only here for a while. Does this put extra stress on your timeline? Are you ready to present your tour?”
“We don’t need to talk about that right now. It seems pretty inconsequential in light of everything.”
“My hard stuff doesn’t negate yours. Besides, I want to know how things are going for you—how are you feeling about the presentation?”
She sighed but answered, glancing out the window as she changed lanes. “I’m mostly ready. I’ve got the tour all figured out and most of the presentationas well. But I feel like I’m missing something. I’m worried it’s not enough.”
“I’ll help you tonight. Maybe going through it all will help?”
“You don’t need to help me. You have enough going on.”
“I want to help you. Plus, if my grandpa knew that I wasted my last night with you, he’d hit me upside the head.”