Page 83 of Resisting the Fall

“I’m not planning a different path, Ben.”

“Just a major detour? Just another two years for me to wait?”

She crossed her arms and gave a small huff. “I didn’t force you to wait for me.”

I stilled, anger blackening the edges of my vision. “I’m going to walk home.” I threw open the door. “You can drive my truck. I’ll come get it later.”

Maven grabbed my arm, pausing me. “Ben, we’re still fifteen miles from Autumn Ridge. You can’t walk home.”

I pulled my arm from her grasp, but before I closed the door, she put herself in the way of it. “I’m sorry,” she said, taking hold of me. “I should have told you. If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t. I can write them tonight and decline the offer.”

“Maven, if you want to go to New York, go. I won’t be the one stopping you from living your dreams.” I grabbed her hands and slid them off me. “Or forcing you into a dream you don’t want anymore.”

“But I want this.” There was desperation in her voice. “Please, Ben. Get back in the truck.”

I took a backward step. “I’ll talk to you later. I need to think.”

I wasn’t five miles into my trek back to Autumn Ridge when Dominic pulled his old Ford pickup next to me, his window down. “You look like you could use a ride.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered.

“That’s not what Maven told me.”

I looked over at him, then shook my head.

Instead of attempting to convince me, Dom just turned his hazards on and followed along with me at a snail’s pace. Several cars passed him, one blaring their horn as it did so. He just kept pacing me.

“You’re going to cause a wreck,” I said.

“Me? You’re the one walking along the side of the highway at dusk.”

I heaved a breath and stopped.

Dom stopped too.

“Fine.” I opened the door and climbed in. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Good. Neither do I.”

Since Dom was one of the few guys around my age who had remained in Autumn Ridge, he and I had become good friends. Which made sense considering our interests and our similar career paths—we both made a living with our hands. But I most appreciated that Dom wasn’t much of a talker. Which suited me just fine. Especially tonight.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?” he asked when we approached Autumn Ridge’s covered bridge leading to Main Street.

“My house.” I’d figure out how to get my truck tomorrow.

He nodded.

When we pulled onto Maple, my chest tightened. There, in my driveway, was my truck. I let out a breath and rested my head back against the headrest.

Dom glanced at me, releasing his foot off the gas. “Want me to take you somewhere else?”

“No. It’s fine.” For all the time I’d spent walking, I still had no idea how to feel. Or what to say to Maven. But I was now confident that wasn’t going to change until we spoke again. He pulled up in front of my house. “Thanks for the ride.” The words felt trivial, but with the way Dom placed a hand on my shoulder, I knew he understood how grateful I was.

“Good luck, man.”

When I started up the paved path to the front porch, Maven stood from my porch chair and hurried toward me, wrapping her arms around me. Instantly, my defenses started to crumble.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, burying her face in my chest. She gave a shuddered breath. “Can we just pretend this never happened?”