Page 78 of Summer Escape
Elena pouted. "I was hoping you'd fallen in love with the island?—"
"And us," Hazel added with a smile.
These women had become a great group of friends. I hadn't heard from the ones back home all summer, which solidified the idea that they were actually Flynn's friends, not mine. Was I willing to let go of Marshall and the life I'd built here? "I have to report to work."
"If you get there and realize you made a mistake, it won't be too late to change your mind," Elena said softly.
"How can you be so sure?" I asked, my gaze on Marshall who stood talking to Hudson.
"I don’t think it’s over yet," Elena said confidently.
I wasn't so sure about that. "I think Hayden's having a hard time leaving too."
"We're all going to miss her. She's been a wonderful addition to island life and our family," Elena said.
We were a family, the Kingstons and their significant others. I felt a deep sense of loss that I wasn't part of that… or wouldn't be after today. I just couldn't see how it would work.
Chapter Twenty-One
Marshall
"You're just going to let her go?" Hudson asked me as he concentrated on the patties on the grill.
"I don't have a choice. Her life is in Jacksonville. Mine is here for the foreseeable future."
"I'm not suggesting that you move away from Hayden. Not when you just got here. But did you ask Saylor to stay?"
"I couldn't do that. Her career is important to her, and she lost everything when she broke things off with her cheating ex, her apartment and her friends."
Have you even told her how you feel?" Hudson prodded.
I sighed. "I don't want to influence her. I want it to be her idea."
Hudson gave me a look. "I think you're making a mistake."
"This has to come from her."
"What's wrong with putting it all out there? Letting her know how you feel and allowing her to make that decision?" He easily flipped the patties.
My chest felt tight, even thinking about telling her. I didn't want to hold her back or influence her decision to leave or stay. "That doesn't feel like the right move."
Hudson sighed heavily. "You're not used to sharing your emotions, are you? You bottled everything up for years, and now when you need to tell someone how you feel, you can't do it."
Irritation clawed at my throat. "That's not it."
Hudson’s lips quirked. "Isn't it?"
Dad approached. "Are the burgers ready? The guests are getting hungry."
Hudson arched a brow. "You mean you're getting hungry?"
"You know it," Dad said with a grin.
Hudson nodded toward the kitchen. "Almost done."
"We're sure going to miss having Hayden around so much," Dad said to me.
"We feel the same way," Hudson said, referring to him and Elena. "I think the women like having a teenager that they can help with style and makeup."
