Page 67 of When You're Home
“Victoria! You used me?! And here I thought we had a real connection!”
Now it was her turn to smirk. This guy. He was light and playful. Everything was a joke to him, and he didn’t seem bothered by Tori’s confession. He was the antithesis of her serious golden boy in so many ways.
“I think you owe me, Tori,” he continued.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if I have to walk around this town worried that Wheeler is going to put a hit on me, it needs to be worth it. Go on a date with me tonight.”
“I, no, you don’t understand, I…”
“What’s wrong? Doesn’t Wheeler have a girlfriend? I literally met her last night.”
He had her there.
“I don’t really date, Fielding.”
“Fine. We can just hookup if you don’t want me to buy you dinner first.”
“I don’t date, and I’m not going to have sex with you, either. But nice try. Goodbye, Fielding.” She didn’t make any moves to hang up the phone.
“Oh, shit. No! Don’t go! I was teasing. Look, I like you, Tori. I would love a chance to spend time with you and get to know you better without having to worry about what Daddy Wheeler thinks.” He scoffed. “Maybe we could just hang out sometime?”
“Fielding, I don’t want to lead you on.”
“I know—I heard you, you don’t date, and I respect that. I’m pretty sure we could hang out as friends, no expectations. In case you didn’t pick up on it last night, I’m a pretty good time.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m starting to get that impression.” Was she actually letting herself be talked into this? “I’m off on Tuesday and Thursday this week. Maybe Jake could hang out with us, too?”
“Tuesday works for me,” Fielding confirmed. “We can hang at my house. Text me your address so I don’t have to cut through Wheeler’s backyard to pick you up again, okay?”
Once they hung up, Tori finished cleaning the sunroom and contemplated her next move. She knew she and Rhett needed distance to get over everything that had transpired over the weekend. Physical distance. Emotional distance. She obviously couldn’t be trusted not to hurt him again. She tied off the garbage bag of empties as she made her decision. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
“Please don’t hate me because of this,” she whispered out loud, blinking back tears as her eyes landed on his name. “I would love you forever if I could, Everhett Wheeler. But I don’t have forever to give. That’s why I have to let you go.”
She clicked on his contact information, scrolled down, and pressed the red “Block this Caller” button.There.Done. She felt a foreign sense of finality wash over her. Blocking him was just symbolic: She’d had his cell phone number memorized for the last ten years. But deep down Tori knew this was it. Now that she had made this decision for them she really did have to let him go.
Chapter 37
Tori
3.5 Weeks Later
“Tori!”JakeyelledatherbackasshepassedthroughthebarareaofClinton’swhilebalancingafulltray.Hewasluckyshedidn’tstartleeasily.
“Hmm?” She turned her head to see what he wanted without breaking pace on her way to her table.
“We’ve got company, baby!”
Tori glanced past Jake and spotted Fielding sitting at the bar, grinning at her. She returned his easy smile as she made her way further into the restaurant.
This was how it had been for the last few weeks. Anytime Tori and Jake were at Clinton’s and Fielding wasn’t working his valet job, he would show up and drink at the bar. He didn’t mind just hanging out while they worked. Then the trio would inevitably end up at Jake’s condo or Fielding’s house later that night.
She was glad for their company. It was easier to not overthink things when she spent most of her free time with them. She had rarely been alone since the now-infamous Jake and Rhett Party. She knew Jake had been coordinating their work schedules for the last few weeks so they were on all the same shifts.
She made her way over to a family of four and presented them with their fish dinners. Clinton’s was always busy on the weekends, but it was especially packed on the Friday before Easter. She checked on the rest of her section before circling back around to the bar.
“Can you make me two more gin and tonics?” she called out to Jake as she got to work filling up a pint of beer.
