Page 44 of Apple of My Eye

Chapter Thirty-Four

Nick

‘So, what did you think?’ I ask Isaac and Julian, finally getting to spend time with them for the first time all day.

We’re sitting on the Parkers’ porch, staring at the fields now streaked through with boot prints and tire tracks.

I tried to find them after Harvey’s tour, but they were with Eloise and by the time they got back I got pulled into an issue at the pigsty.

Buttercup had peed on a little boy. Refunded tickets and some free apples later and it was like it never happened.

Thankfully Mrs. Parker had swept in to take care of Isaac and Julian, getting them settled in the guest room and ushering them out to the front porch with fresh beers.

‘It’s pretty sweet out here,’ Isaac says. ‘I gotta admit, I thought you were really gassing it up at the beginning, but I see why you like it.’

‘Oh,’ I confess, ‘I was. It was really hard work at first. But now, yeah, I guess you’re right. I do like it.’

‘Eloise is cool,’ Julian says.

Isaac nods enthusiastically.

‘Yeah, she is.’

‘Look at you grinning!’ Isaac teases.

Ignoring him, I pull out my phone to text Eloise:

Do I even want to know what you said to Julian and Isaac to make them like you so much?

Then I slide it back into my pocket.

We sit on the porch again after dinner, watching the fireflies blip in and out.

I check my phone. Still no text from Eloise.

Earlier this week we had talked about potentially getting together, how fun it would be to hang out with Isaac, Julian, and Evan.

I gaze at the Anderson house and watch as the front porch light clicks on.

‘Want to walk to the Andersons’?’ I ask them. ‘You can meet Evan, one of Eloise’s best friends. He’s great.’

‘Works for me.’ Julian gets up from his seat.

‘The stars are so bright out here,’ Isaac says as we’re walking down the hill, his head craned back to look at the sky.

‘Watch out, it’s bumpy,’ I call out, just as Issac fumbles, careening forward and spilling some beer on his shirt before righting himself.

We’re laughing when we arrive at the porch to find Eloise and Evan talking in hushed tones.

‘Hi,’ I call out. ‘First U-Pick day is done. How are we feeling?’ My smile falls as soon as I see Eloise’s face.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asks. She seems exhausted. I’m overwhelmed by the impulse to gather her in my arms.

Evan looks at Eloise questioningly.

‘I just thought we’d say hi .?.?.’

Eloise glances at Evan with a mixture of panic and anger.

‘I’m Evan,’ Evan introduces himself to Isaac and Julian, smoothing out some of the awkwardness while I try desperately to meet Eloise’s eyes, and she keeps her gaze firmly fixed on the ground.

‘Really nice to meet you guys,’ he continues, the picture of charm. ‘But we’re pretty tired. I think we might head in.’

‘OK.’ I feign indifference, even though my heart plummets. I look at Eloise one more time but she’s still looking at her feet.

‘Goodnight,’ she says quietly. Evan shepherds her inside.

‘What was that about?’ Julian asks as soon as we’re out of earshot.

‘I have no idea,’ I say, firing off a text to Eloise asking if she’s OK.

‘Did she seem normal today?’ I ask them.

‘Yeah.’ Isaac shrugs. ‘I think.’

I glance at Julian, the more introspective of the two.

‘She was kind of weird about the fantasy football thing,’ Julian offers, ‘but girls are always weird about that.’

Shit. I stop walking, going completely still. My hands feel clammy. ‘You told her about the fantasy football bet?’ I gulp.

‘Well .?.?. yeah? Was it a secret?’

‘I mean .?.?. I guess not, but .?.?.’ Fuck . Fuck. Fuck.

‘What?’ Isaac asks. He hates being out of the loop.

‘It’s just .?.?.’ I sigh. ‘Eloise wanted to buy the Parkers’ farm. We didn’t exactly see eye to eye at the beginning because if I turn it around, she can’t buy it anymore.’

‘Damn,’ Julian breathes. ‘What changed?’

‘I don’t know, we just both agreed to ignore it, but if she thinks I’m putting her future in jeopardy of for a stupid bet .?.?.’

‘Well, you are,’ Isaac points out. ‘Aren’t you?’

‘I mean, no .?.?.’ But I have to pause to think about it.

Am I? I thought all this time I was doing it for the Parkers.

Or I was doing it for school. I had to do a good job.

What kind of a person would I be if I slacked off?

But the more I think about it the more uncertain I feel.

Why was I so sure that what I was doing was right?

But I am right .?.?. aren’t I? The Parkers deserve a chance to succeed.

Thoughts swirl in my head all night long. I text her again, telling her I can explain if she’ll just let me. No response.

I toss and turn, wondering if I did the right thing, wondering if Eloise will forgive me, wondering when exactly I started to care so much about what she thinks .?.?.

At least Isaac and Julian don’t know about Scott’s Orchards. If Eloise found out about that from them it would be beyond forgiveness. I’ll have to tell her. The thought alone fills me with so much dread I spend the rest of the night staring at the ceiling.

When the rooster crows in the morning, I’ve already been up for hours.