Page 72 of Harmony Island Gazette
He frowned. “No, you didn’t.” He paused as he stared down at the paper. “This will ruin my business. If any of this is true, they will assume I was complicit with fraud.”
Guilt washed over me. “I know, Asher. But they were cheating people out of their homes. You were too blind to see it.” I swallowed as my emotions rose up in my throat, making it hard to speak. “I tried to tell you, but you just said to ignore it.” I freed one of my hands so I could wave it around, there was so much anxiety coursing through me. “You were too busy making deals to listen.”
His lips were parted as if he were preparing himself to speak, but as the last words left my lips, he stopped. “Is that what you think this was? That I was just in this for the money?”
I stared at him. “Well, isn’t that true?”
He scoffed and shook his head. He pushed his hand through his hair before he scrubbed it down his face and sighed. “You don’t get it, do you.” He straightened. “I was doing it for you. I wanted you to see me as someone who could take care of you.”
I furrowed my brow. “I can take care of myself.”
He nodded. “I know. I guess…” Then he shook his head. “Never mind.”
He turned to leave, but I didn’t want our conversation to end this way. I didn’t want our friendship to be over. So I reached out and rested my hand on his forearm. “Asher, wait. What did you guess?”
He froze, his gaze dropping down to my hand before he brought it up to meet mine. He studied me for a moment and then sighed.
“I did it for you, because…it’s always been you.”
I stared at him. What was he saying? Did he mean…no.
“Asher, I…” My brain wasn’t producing the right words. I didn’t know what to say, and yet, I feared if I didn’t say something, he would walk away and never look back.
“It’s okay, Ella. I never expected you to return the sentiment.” He pulled his arm back and used his other hand to press the paper into my open palm. “I just never thought this was how you truly felt about me.”
He dipped his head and walked back out to the hallway of my apartment complex. He paused, and I stood there like an idiot, watching my best friend walk away from me and feeling powerless to stop him.
“Goodbye, Ella,” he said as he held my gaze for a moment before he turned and walked down the hallway.
I watched him disappear into the elevator and lingered in my doorway long after the elevator doors had closed.
Now alone, I stared down at the newspaper in my hand. I’d known this article would hurt the Proctors, and I’d known that Asher would be affected by the debris. I guess I just hoped it wouldn’t have this kind of natural-disaster effect on our friendship.
There had never been a situation we couldn’t work through. We were friends first and foremost, and I thought we’d always stay that way no matter what.
Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
What had I done?
27
WILLOW
I sighed as I stared out at the new sign I’d had made, pressing my hand into my lower back and curving outward to lessen the stress that had built up in my spine. My lips tipped up into a smile as I admired the curvy lettering. The Sunny Side-Up Diner.
I was so excited to bring this place back to its former glory.
After my uncle Douglas took over this place, he’d changed it to The Harmony Island Diner, but as soon as he willed the place over to me, I changed it back.
This was what it should have always been.
I never thought I’d be in the situation I currently found myself in. I was a single mom from Dallas, TX, barely making ends meet. My ex, Harold, was a joke. As soon as Jasper was born, he split, claiming that the baby wasn’t his and he always knew I was a tramp.
I didn’t care enough to fight him for child support, and my Great-Uncle Douglas needed someone to help run the diner since his arthritis was acting up. I jumped on the opportunity, and when I got here, he informed me that if I worked hard, he’d gift me the place once he was ready to retire.
True to his word, he’d signed the papers over and walked away, giving his blessing and his condolences. Sure, I’d never owned a business before, but I was excited for the journey I was about to go on.
“Miss?” The voice of an elderly woman next to me drew my attention. She had her glass raised in the air and was using her other hand to get my attention. “Can I get a refill?” she asked as soon as my gaze met hers.
