Page 14 of While You're There
The intensity of his outburst shocked her. Anger radiated off him in waves. The tension only increased as he sat there fuming, waiting for her to respond. She didn’t even know where to begin.
“Field, please, I would have told you sooner, but I just haven’t had a chance…”
“No shit, Tori. You haven’t had a chance to tell me, because you won’t even talk to me! You’ve been avoiding me for weeks!” His rebuttal was loud enough to draw attention from the two other patrons sitting at the bar. They were both staring, although one at least had the decency to pretend to glance down at his phone when Tori looked in his direction.
Jake pushed off the ice machine and made his way over to them. “Hey,” Jake called Fielding’s attention off of Tori, his voice low and steady. “She’s on the clock right now, and I’m the manager tonight. Don’t doubt for one goddamn second that I won’t ask you to leave if you can’t keep your cool.”
Fielding stared back at Jake. His expression shifted from outraged to detached as he absorbed his friend’s warning.
Fielding smirked before speaking again. “I’ll take a double whiskey sour, bartender,” he ordered, his coolness obviously in place just to challenge Jake’s authority.
Tori exhaled and pushed her plate away. She wasn’t hungry anymore.
Jake wordlessly poured and delivered Fielding’s drink before turning to her. “I’ll ask Lia to stay and close out your section tonight, baby.” She nodded her thanks, silently communicating to Jake that she had it under control.
Fielding took a long drink, draining half the glass in one gulp. He winced before he spoke again. “Are you marrying him for health insurance?”
Tori squirmed at the directness of his query. Fielding was too perceptive. She knew people were going to talk—to gossip about their seemingly rushed race to the altar. She expected half the town to wonder if she was pregnant. Only someone who knew about her medical situation would think about the insurance aspect, and only someone as bold as Fielding would dare to ask.
“No. I’m marrying him because I love him and he asked me,” she stated as confidently as she could muster.
Fielding stared down at his drink, rimming the top of the glass with one finger. The silence between them grew more awkward with each passing second. He picked at the corner of his drink napkin for a few more moments before he finally looked up to meet her eyes. She didn’t see pain or anger in his gaze like she expected. Instead, there was determination.
“Because you know he’s not the only person who cares about you that has money,” Fielding stated nonchalantly. He threw back the rest of his drink. “Another double,” he said to Jake from across the bar.
Tori’s body tensed in defense. What the hell? Had he not just heard her? She loved Rhett. She wanted to be with Rhett. She was marrying Rhett because she loved him, not because she needed health insurance or wanted his money. She knew Fielding was upset, but she didn’t have to sit here and subject herself to an emotional thrashing.
“Are you done?”
“I’m just barely getting started, baby.”
She winced at his use of Jake’s nickname for her.
“I’m serious, though. If this is about insurance or money, I can help. I want to help. I know Wheeler’s family is well off, but I don’t think you understand how much I’m worth. I don’t have to work another day in my life if I don’t want to. I have more money than I know what to do with. Tori, if you need help…”
She blanched at his words. “You’re unbelievable,” she muttered. “I just told you, it’snotabout money. I love Rhett. Rhett loves me. Maybe the timing of everything is faster than it would be if I wasn’t sick, but Rhett and I being together has always been inevitable.”
“Inevitable,” he repeated slowly, as if he was testing out the word on his tongue. “So you’re settling?”
Tori gritted her teeth at his dismissiveness. She didn’t know if Fielding was still trying to justify the situation in his mind or if he was just being cruel. “Shove off, Field. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you insult me like this. Enjoy your drink.” Tori hopped off the bar stool, determined to walk away from his insults and judgement.
“Fuck…” he muttered under his breath before reaching out for her. His hand landed on her upper arm before it brushed up to settle on her shoulder. “That was a dick move. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight. Tori, please, don’t go.”
She paused as she felt his hand cup the curve of her shoulder, his fingers applying the slightest edge of pressure. She couldn’t help the blush that crept up her cheeks when she saw Jake approach.
He set down Fielding’s new drink, then retreated to give them privacy. Or at least the illusion of privacy. She knew Jake wouldn’t go too far or take his eyes off them now.
“Look, I’m sorry. I know I’m being an asshole…”
“Yeah, you really are,” she quipped as she shrugged off his hand.
“Think about this from my perspective, Tori! We’ve been hanging out multiple times a week, every week. Over the last few months, I never wondered if I was going to see you or Jake. The three of us together wasn’t an if, it was a when.Wewere inevitable. The last two weeks have sucked without you.”
Tori settled back in her seat and sighed. Everything he said was true. So much of her life over the last few months included Fielding, and she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she missed him, too.
“That morning after the party was the first and only time you ever mentioned Wheeler’s name to me. Imagine my surprise when, all of a sudden, you’re on the floor at my house, begging me to call him for you. Then the next day he shows up at your house and takes you away. I had no idea what was going on, Tori. I didn’t know where you went or when you’d be back.”
Fielding deflated with his confession. He looked so earnest sitting next to her now.
