Page 88 of 2204 Hunter Lane
He didn’t. Hunter wasn’t the reason why I was leaving Aurora. Did he contribute to my decision? Partially, yes… scratch that.Big time. But there were bigger things at stake and it was time I put myself first.
“No, I know, I know deary. I know why you’re leavin’, I just wish you weren’t.” Payton sniffed, pressing her lips into a sad smile.
I wasn’t moving back to New York without a plan. My brother said I could stay with him and Michelle until I found my own apartment, but I did take it upon myself to call back the old company I worked for. After showing the results and sales increases on my behalf working for P&D’s, they took me back in. Mind you, it was a different position and I needed to work my way back up but it was still reliable income.
“What time you leavin’ tomorrow?” She asked, wiping mascara fibers off her lower lash line.
I squeezed her hand and struggled against tears. “I’m hoping to be on the road by noon.”
“Noon, yah. Good time.”
Gale, one of our newer employees knocked on the office door. “Hey, sorry to be a bother but a customer up front wants to talk about a return with ya, Payton.”
Payton waved off Gale who quickly left the room and took languid steps towards the door before turning back to me and saying, “I’ll see you before ya leave tomorrow. Don’t you dare go without sayin’ goodbye.”
I nodded a promise and watched her exit the room, taking in the space we created and let the tears run free.
???
After a tearful ten minutes, I decided to head back to my car and finish the rest of my packing at home. But as I was crossing the parking lot, a familiar face made his way towards me.
“Josh?” I questioned, stopping in my tracks.No Hunter in sight. Huh.
He threw me a genial half smile, clearing his throat. “How you doin’, Marley?”
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, looking around the area to see if there was another Marley in sight but obviously not.
“I’m okay, Josh… are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He chuckled.
“Well, I mean. I’ve never spoken to you without Hunter around, so I don’t know… is there something you need?”
I realized that came across as kind of rude so I retracted my comment. “I didn’t mean it like that, just, you came out of nowhere so.”
“Yeah, kinda did.”
We stood there awkwardly, saying nothing for a few moments before he spoke up again.
“Dex told me you’re movin’ back to New York?”
Dex told him that? Did that mean Hunter knew? Out of all people, why was Josh coming here to talk to me about that?
“I am, tomorrow. You’ve been around Dex?”
“Hunter’s been…busy. So, Dex rang me up n’ asked me to help out with the harvest. We got to talkin’ and yah, mentioned you were leavin’.”
A pinch of pain pierced my heart knowing that Hunter didn’t care I was moving back home and he was off doing God knows what with God knows who.
“Hunter doesn’t know, by the way. That you’re leavin’ and shit.” Josh added, swiping his heel on the cement. “I kinda figured that you told him in the letter but when I went over to his place, I saw a stack of ‘em unread.”
Wow. Holy crap, wow.After I nagged Payton to tell me where I could find Hunter that night, went out of my way to write him countless notes apologizing and admitting how I felt… he still didn’t care enough to read them. After begging him to open the one envelope that was most important, he didn’t. He really was a lost freaking cause.
“Maybe it’s good that he doesn’t know.” I released, passing Josh as I started the walk to my car.
“Marley –”
“Josh,” I turned, “it was really good to meet you. And you are a great person, and I think you keep Hunter in check… for the most part. But there’s no getting through to him, and I’m sick of trying so. Farewell? I guess?”
