Southern Sunrise (Southern 4)

Chapter Nine

Emily

“What do you mean you’re leaving today?” I ask Drew as he stands in the middle of my kitchen. After I closed the door and locked it, I dragged my ass to my room and blocked it all out. I slept until I heard a knock on the door, opening it to see Drew standing there in his khakis and a polo shirt.

“I mean that I have to be in town for a meeting tomorrow,” he says.

“A meeting on a Sunday?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, the CEO of the company takes off on Monday, and the only time he could squeeze me in is tomorrow.” He leans against the counter. “I couldn’t say no. It’s a big deal that he’s even talking to me. If I land this account, it’ll be huge.”

“I mean, if you have to go, you have to go,” I say, putting the kettle on the stove to make tea. “I’m just …” I look down. “It’s the weekend, and I thought we were going to spend it together.”

“Well, how about I make plans for you to join me next weekend?” he suggests, and I just shrug.

“It’s just a busy time of year. You know this. It’s almost summer break, so there is so much going on. Not to mention the school carnival,” I remind him. “I just can’t leave.”

“How about we just table it and see how you feel next weekend?” I’m about to tell him that it’s going to be the same answer, and he really needs to start listening to me when there is a knock on the door. “You expecting someone?” he asks. My heart picks up, thinking it might be Ethan—that he came back to talk—but I don’t tell him that. Walking to the front door, I open it and see that it’s Olivia.

“Well, hello there,” she says, walking in, and I just take her in. She’s the prettiest woman I have ever seen, and I always want to dress and look like her. She just has a sense of style that comes off as not even trying. “I was wondering if you had time today to help me out.” I look at her. “I am in the middle of planning the carnival, and I would love some input.”

“Oh, of course.” I smile at her. “Come in.” I turn and walk back to the kitchen. Drew is scrolling on his phone.

“Oh, hello, Drew,” Olivia says, putting the paper on the island. “Don’t you look handsome.”

“Thank you.” He smiles at her. “Honey,” he says to me, “I’m going to get going, so I can take my time driving there.”

“Oh,” I say, surprised he’s leaving right away. “Okay.” I look at Olivia. “I’ll just walk him out, so make yourself at home.” As we walk down the hallway to the front door, our hands don’t even touch. I turn to hug him, and he hugs me with one arm. “Call me when you get in.” I smile at him, and he gives me a little peck on the lips.

“Will do,” he says, turning and walking out. I watch him leave, waving to him, and then ignore the voices in my head.

You need to let him go.

You don’t love him.

You don’t want to spend the rest of your life with him.

He deserves to have someone love him with their whole heart and not just a piece of it.

I walk back to the island, trying to get my stomach to settle, and give her a fake smile. “Did you know that I was a number one faker smiler?” she says to me as she makes tea. “I was so good at faking that I was okay that it became a habit.”

“I’m fine,” I say, slipping onto the stool because my legs are not steady enough to stand.

“I used to be fine also.” She looks at me. “Then, I wasn’t.”

“It’s just a bit too much,” I finally tell her. She’s been so nice to me ever since I started dating Ethan and even beforehand. But when he left, she along with Kallie and Savannah gave me the strength I needed. They held my hand while I cried, while we all cried for him.

“Do you know that I came here to hide?” She begins her story. “I was running away, and this place welcomed me. I have never felt so much love in my whole life.” I listen to her in awe as she tells me her story. She gives me all the horrid details, all the scary parts, and all the parts that made her the woman she is. “Love, it isn’t easy.”

“But it should be,” I say. “It’s black and white. You either love or you don’t.”

“Not if someone is lost,” she tells me. “Not if someone is fighting himself. Fighting to see them instead of seeing the good.”