Page 69 of It's a Brewtiful Day
I scratched at a pill in the fabric above my knee, picking at it until it pulled away and created a new hole in my leggings.
He crossed his feet at the ankles anduncrossed them, obviously as uncomfortable as I was.
I pulled my hair over my shoulder and started braiding the ends into a long, thick rope.
He took another sip of his drink and set it down, then rested his forearms onto his thighs.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I released a long, breathy exhale, and readied myself to take charge, even if my heart and soul weren’t in it.
“We should talk,” he said at the same time as I asked, “Should we talk?”
He grinned slightly, the left corner pushing up, but it wasn’t a genuine smile. I’d seen better, and much more enthusiastic, ones. “About the whole possible girlfriend situation.”
“Yeah? The redhead—she’s cute, adorable really, and you two seem perfect for each other.” Perhaps I watched longer than I should’ve when I spotted them at the restaurant, but I couldn’t help myself. It was like watching a trainwreck—my own personal trainwreck.
“Ewww. You should know, she’s a distant cousin.” His gaze connected with mine.
“Oh.”
“And she’s also my financial advisor.”
“Oh?” My brows knit together. “Your financial advisor?” That sounded serious.
“Yeah.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “As of the end of the month, you’re looking at the new co-owner of the Coffee Loft. Nina’s hit a lot of hardships over the past couple of months, and especially sinceleaving Ridge Heights where she’s feeling a little homesick, and she desperately needs the help.” He tipped his head down as if it was shameful, but it was the total opposite.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think it’s admirable.”
Slowly, he turned to me. “Really?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be? You’re going to be an owner of something you love doing every day, what’s wrong with that?”
“Well, nothing. It’s just, well, my parents aren’t…”
“Whatever.” I waved a hand through the air and rested it on the armrest. “It’syourlife. If they’re not proud of you, that’s all on them. You shouldn’t have to shoulder any of their worries.” He grimaced and I mirrored that. “I’m sorry.” With that, I reached out and took a sip of my heavenly drink. Boy oh boy, had I missed that sweet taste.
“What are you sorry for?”
“For overstepping and being direct about your parents.” I shook my head and repositioned myself on the chair. “My sister’s a teacher, and you’d be surprised at some of the things parents say and do, or don’t do, and it ruffles my feathers to no end when a parent can’t treat their own child with respect. Like, I just don’t understand how they can be like that. Your own flesh and blood.” A slight growl rolled out with my words.
“You have a great relationship with your dad, right?”
I shook my head. Why was I feeling like I’d suddenly walked into a trap, and yet, it was sweet how he remembered about my mom? “Absolutely had a great one with Mom, however, she would’ve liked me to have settled down and picked a career already, but she was happy to support whatever wild endeavour I decided on for that moment.”
“Sounds like a great mom.”
“She was.” There weren’t a lot of people I felt needed to know, but with Elliot, it felt easy, right, natural… “However, a few years ago, after my father’s cheating surfaced, things between my father and I deteriorated for … reasons.” I just knew I wasn’t 100% ready to unload that on him. “In the end, I had to stand up to him and put some much-needed distance between us, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. He was so upset, as he had raised me to respect my elders, but on the flip side of the coin, he’d also raised me to not let myself be pushed around. It was a weird flux of emotions.” And such a horrible day. It still made me shake thinking about that standoff years later. “However, that kind of confidence to stand up for what you believe in, that came years too late.”
“I’d say you still have it.”
“Oh yeah?” I snorted softly.
“Yeah. You seem content and you appear to know your place in this world. You’re a good person through and through. Someone who knows their strengths and weaknesses.” His head tipped tothe window.
I leaned back and crossed my legs, pulling my jacket tighter across my chest. “Part of that is an illusion as I really don’t know my place in this world. I don’t know yet what I want from life, and what I do want, I have no idea how to get it.”
“Is that why you pushed me away?”
“Hey, I was upfront with you about how I manage relationships.” I wanted to shake a finger but knew it was pointless. And stupid. I wanted things to work out between us, but I was scared of screwing up more than I had already.