Page 12 of Chasing Ink
“That’s not fair...”
“And all of you hovering over me and keeping me stuck is?”
“Skye.”
“You should leave.”
He stares at me for long moments before shaking his head and walking out.I pick up the first thing I can reach and hurl it at the closed door.“Fucking coward!”
Chapter Five
How Did This Go So Very Fucking Wrong
Alistair
I walk out of her bungalow with my heart in my shoes.My head hurts and I want to lose my damn mind.Did she really have a date?When the fuck did someone ask her out?But most importantly, is she really leaving Franklinton?
I can’t imagine not seeing her every day.The two years she was in New York almost drove me insane and now she wants to leave forever.To build a life and a future somewhere else with someone else.I want to put my fucking fist through a wall.
“Fucking coward!”I hear her yell, right before something smashes against the door.
I walk away without turning back.She is pissed off like a copperhead that had its tail stepped on, and I am not going to try to wrangle that crazy.I will give her some space but tomorrow she will have to deal with me.
Hailey is sitting on my porch in a rattan chair with a beer when I walk up.“Did you fix that?”
“What?”I ask with a frown.
“I may not have been around you guys since you were kids, but I’m not dumb or blind.”
“Meaning?”I watch her carefully, trying to assess where her head is at.
“That girl’s in love with you, big man.And you’re in love with her.”She states it as matter of fact.
“I’m not...”
“I know the difference between shit and mud, my friend.Even if they’re both brown,” she cuts in.“I know you’re afraid of what the fall out will look like with Luke, and he isn’t the easiest person to deal with, but he wants her to be happy and safe.And from my point of view, she couldn’t be happier or safer than she is with you.”She gets up from her spot and kisses my cheek before giving me her half-finished beer.“Time to man the fuck up.”
