Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
She sat down after adding a pitcher of water to the table, watching as I filled my wineglass with the liquid. I lifted my glass in a toast. “To a great dinner—thank you.”
She touched her glass to mine, and for a moment, there was silence as we dished up some salad, adding potato wedges to our plates and condiments to our burgers. She had remembered everything I liked—grilled onions, dill pickles, jalapeños, even an extra-sharp cheddar cheese for toppings. I took a big bite and groaned in delight.
“You can cook as well as you can bake, Kassie.”
She smiled around a mouthful of burger, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Living in Toronto, my budget was pretty tight, so I rarely ate out. My mom had taught me how to cook, and those skills came in handy. I still prefer homemade food to going out—that’s more of a treat than a regular activity for me.”
That was the opening I needed. I took another bite, chewed and swallowed it, followed by a sip of water. As I set down my glass, I looked at her. “How long did you live in Toronto?” I asked casually.
“A while,” she said, deflecting my question easily. She lifted her glass and took a sip of wine. “I finished school there and went to work at an accounting firm.”
She didn’t say anything else, so I prompted her. “You didn’t like it there?”
Some of the light in her eyes dimmed, and she shook her head. “I always thought I wanted to be in the big city but decided it wasn’t for me. And it was time to come home, period.”
“Any particular reason why?” I asked.
She set down her burger and wiped her fingers on her napkin. “Sometimes what you want changes. Sometimes the things you thought you wanted aren’t what you expected. I realized I thought life in the city would be better than life in Richton, but I missed home and decided to come back. I’ve built a nice little life for myself here, and I’m happy.” She paused for a moment. “Much happier than I was in Toronto.”
“Sounds like a story there,” I said cautiously.
“Not for tonight,” she replied.
I didn’t push her. With our fragile new relationship, I didn’t want to move too fast, even though I was burning to know why she’d come home. It wasn’t enough that she missed Richton—something happened and, for some reason, it was important for me to know what.
For a moment, we concentrated on our food. The burger was delicious, the salad crisp and tasty, and the potato wedges coated in some sort of spicy mixture. It was reminiscent of my favorite meal as a teenager, which only proved I’d never really grown up.
Kassie met my eyes. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“You’re not drinking. You don’t like wine?”
“No, I do like wine. But you’re right, I’m not drinking.” I sighed, leaning my elbow on the table as I picked up my water, swirling it in the glass. “I’ve been using alcohol as a distraction, a crutch. I’m not an alcoholic but it’s a dangerous path, so I’m limiting what I drink and when I drink it.”
“A crutch?” she asked.
“For lack of a better word. I was unhappy, unsure what to do with my life, feeling trapped. It’s very easy in the world I live in to get lost in a different kind of vice to help pass the time between working. It’s easy to get bored.”
“Why were you unhappy?”
I decided to be honest with her. I wanted her to be honest with me, so it was only fair. “I didn’t like my life. What I thought I wanted, what I thought would make me happy, no longer did. The only time I felt settled was when I was working. When I could lose myself in whatever character I was creating so that I didn’t have to be Oliver.”
“Is being Oliver so bad?”
I shrugged, draining my water and refilling the glass. “When I’m working, no. During interviews, no. Helping out on a cause that means something, no. When I’m alone and looking at the sum of my life…well, let’s just say I don’t like what it adds up to.”
“Which is?”
“Loneliness.”
She reached over and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I nodded, wrapping my hand around hers and holding it tight. “Money, fame, and fortune don’t talk to you when you’re alone. They don’t make you laugh. They don’t listen to you about your day. I always thought, once I was rich, I’d be happy. But the bottom line is, the old adage money can’t buy you happiness is actually fucking true.”
Her eyes met and held mine. Her soft green gaze was filled with understanding. She squeezed my hand. “Sometimes our dreams change and what we thought were our goals change,” she whispered. “I’m proud of you for recognizing that you needed to make a change and that you did it. That you’re here.”