Page 35 of Under Pink Skies

“Abbie, I need you to know that I decided to leave Watford long before it happened, and it had nothing to do with you.”

My gaze snapped back to his. My brain finally caught up to speed, and I let out a small, disbelieving sigh.

“I’m not sure that does anything to soothe the hurt you left in your wake,sunshine.”

Connor’s face twisted into a painful grimace at my sarcastic usage of the nickname I’d coined for him. “Crap, that came out wrong.”

I held up a hand, shaking my head.

“Connor, really, we don’t need to do this. Truthfully, I’m not sure I could handle that conversation right now. I’m glad you’re safe, and that you’re doing better. Maybe we’ll . . .” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Maybe we’ll get to where we can talk about the past.”

“What about trading truths?”

“Trading truths?”

“Abbie, I don’t pretend to know anything about your life now. Five years is a lifetime. We were just kids when I left.”

I was grateful for his unabashed ownership of the situation, even after what he revealed to me. He wasn’t trying to gaslight me into thinking it wasn’t as serious as it was, or that my hurt feelings and emotions surrounding the situation weren’t valid.

“But I want to tell you these things, including the reasons I was so desperate to leave Watford. The things that wounded me so deeply I will leave the only ray of sunshine in my life behind.”

My chest tightened at the small nod of his nickname for me. Sunnie, he’d called me. My boyfriend giving me a nickname had fulfilled one of my top girlish dreams. It seemed foolish to have such a visceral reaction to it now, but I swore butterflies took flight in my stomach as my eyes locked onto his.

“So I propose we trade truths. A one-for-one model. I’ll tell you something honest and vulnerable about the last six years, and you’ll return the favor.”

Stacey returned with our meals, and I was grateful for the distraction. Connor’s proposal felt like slippery territory. One mistake, one misstep, and I’d be sliding headfirst toward getting my heart broken once again.

“Can we table that conversation for another day? I need to think about it.”

To my continued surprise, Connor’s gaze held steady, and his lips curved into a small, grateful smile.

“That sounds good to me.”

I sighed a deep breath of relief, picking up my fork and knife as I cut into my chicken.

“So, you’ve told me a bit about Winding Road. Their sponsorship is a big part of why this festival is happening, so I’m grateful to your leader. Kameron, right?”

Connor nodded, taking a bite of his pancake. “Yeah, Kameron’s the executive director. Our ringleader, as Lucas and I often call him. He was sad not to be here this weekend, but something came up last minute. You can give me any relevant information, and I’ll make sure it gets back to him.”

I nodded, swallowing my bite of food alongside another swig of coffee. I leaned back in the booth and met Connor’s eyes.

“The Watford town council approached me to put this event on. The last few years have been really hard between the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. Trent and the other council members got a rural development grant, and that money, coupled with the sponsorship from Winding Road, has provided a sizable financial basis for us to work with.”

Connor raised his eyebrows. “Trent . . . surely you don’t mean Trent Kaser?”

I snorted, trying to cover my face with a greasy hand. “The very one.”

Connor’s jaw hinged open.

“That snot-nosed kid is acouncilman?”

“He’s a lawyer now too,” I said, poking my fork in Connor’s direction. “Left for law school around the same time as Cassie did. Better put some respect on his name.”

Connor let out a grunt of disgust.

“That kid gets no respect from me until he’s earned it.”

I wiped my mouth with a napkin to hide my smile.

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