Page 48 of Unravel Me

“What?” She props herself up on her elbows, and I take a deep breath because nothing about this is easy.

“Okay, so I was waiting to tell you until it was announced at work, but that happened today so…” Deep breath. “A few weeks ago, Ed told me about a new position they are opening up at the headquarters in New York City. And they offered it to me.” I pause as her eyes go wide, understanding sinking in. “It’d be a big step up, with a huge pay increase. It would be idiotic to say no. This is the next natural step in my career. So, I told him yes.”

My best friend sucks her lips in, her eyes leaving mine, and goes silent. Then she taps my knee with her manicured fingers.

“Wow…Aud, I don’t know what to say.” She clears her throat and a heaviness blankets me. “You’re right, you worked hard for this, and you do deserve it.” Her tone was undeniably melancholy, but she offered me a tiny smile.

“I know this is life altering news. But after everything, I feel like I’ve outgrown this place. I came here for school and only stayed for Jackson.” She nods but I continue to justify this choice. Like maybe if I said it enough out loud, I’d believe it. “I don’t want to leave you, but you know no matter where in the world I live, you’ll always be my best friend.” I tried to smile back at her, but my throat constricts with every passing second of this conversation.

“What about Rhett?” Penny whispers.

“What about him?”

“Does he know?”

“What we have is still so new, and technically, I made this decision before we ever got together. Who knows how long this will even last. It’s a summer fling, remember?” I joke, but as the words lace my tongue, they feel like acid.

“If this is truly what you want, I support you. You know what’s best for you better than anyone else,” she replies dryly.

Biting my cheek to prevent the tears from falling, I walk into the bathroom to grab my makeup bag.

“I’ll miss you like crazy,” Penny calls out and our eyes meet in the bathroom mirror as she sits on my bed.

“We have the summer, Pen. And it’s not totally set in stone until I get the final offer, okay?”

She nods but I can tell she doesn’t fully believe me.

Chapter twenty-eight

Rhett

I’m unloading the last crate of tools from my truck when I hear the familiar crunch of tires on gravel. It’s funny how something I’ve heard a million times can suddenly be my new favorite sound. The way it makes my heart hitch would be medically alarming if it wasn’t followed by a smile that instantly calms my tormented heart. The smile of a brilliant, brunette woman who was too smart, too pretty, too good for me.

But today, it’s not me causing that big smile; it’s my dog racing toward her.

“Did you just get home from a job?” Audrey greets me, and though she doesn’t understand much about my line of work, she is always sweet; asking about it, wanting to know more about something that seems so boring to me.

Today she was like a walking sunflower, her hair in a loose braid that laid over her shoulder. A yellow and white sundress clinging to her frame. Every set of eyes would be glued to her tonight, but that didn’t matter; she was coming home with me.

“I did. I’m just cleaning out the truck. I don’t normally have someone riding shotgun.” I wink at her, and she blushes. It happens every time I give her my full attention and it’s made me wonder if no one has ever taken the time to get to really know her.

It blows my mind, but I try not to dwell on it, because it only hurts to think about. All I can focus on is making sure she never feels that way with me.

“What, little ol’ me?” Audrey attempts a very adorable imitation of my southern accent and I pause, licking my lips and gazing at her. She squirms a bit, and I love it.

Dropping my tool bags, I hop down from the truck bed, take two strides towards her, and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her in. Her laughter fills the air as I kiss her softly, tickling her sides.

“Rhett! I’m going to kill you!” She pushes against my chest as I clutch her harder. I stop tickling her, but keep my hands wrapped around her small waist.

“I’d happily die by your hands.”

Audrey tilts her head. “What has gotten into you today? You seem extra…happy?”

I throw my hands up in playful defense. “I get to spend the whole weekend with my girl. What’s better than that?”

Audrey’s smile remains steady, but she stops moving, watching me closely.

“Your girl?” she asks calmly. “I didn’t think we were doing labels.”