“Sometimes not saying anything at all is worse,” Elaine whispered, tracing her finger up and down the passenger window like a child passing the time on a long road trip.

“Worse than what?” Davis asked, his jaw clenched so tightly he thought his teeth might crack any second. But he wanted to keep his mouth shut. Nothing he’d say right now would be productive, and the last thing Elaine needed was another man demanding anything of her.

“Saying nothing is worse than telling me all the terrible things you’re thinking. Just say what you want to say.” She sighed. “I’m not an idiot; I can imagine how this all looks from the outside.”

“I’m gonna stay out of it,” Davis asserted, trying to convince himself he was capable of withholding his opinion. “You told him you were thinking about it, so think about it.”

“But you have an opinion on the matter,” she pressed, turning her body in the seat and staring at him. “You think I’m nuts for even considering it. That’s only because you don’t understand the nuance of the situation. Mick has spent his whole life trying to prove something to his family. It’s very complicated, and his career is everything to him.”

“I think my simple mind can deduce that from the fact that he put his career above a relationship with a woman like you. He used you to get ahead. His career is important. Got it. It’s in jeopardy now. But you lost your career all together.”

“Actually, I’ve given that a lot more thought, and after talking to Mick tonight, I realized I was overreacting. There are firms I could get back into if I wanted to, and my clients would likely be sympathetic to my situation. I could build my reputation back up. I let anxiety get in my head. It was actually good to hear him say that.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out then,” Davis snapped, hating the petty shots he was taking but feeling unable to hold them back. He was wounded, and there was no denying the pain.

“I’m not saying I want to take a job at those firms. I’m saying I could, and there is something very liberating about that for me. It means being in Indigo Bay is a choice, not a sentence for a crime I committed. But for Mick, it’ll be different. If he doesn’t get out of this spiral, he might not recover, and his future is shot. I can’t live with that. One night in New York could solve most of his problems. I owe—”

“Please don’t even finish that sentence. You don’t owe him a night. You don’t owe him a day; you don’t owe him a second. He brought this on himself and he should have to deal with the consequences.”

“I wish you would see this for what it is,” Elaine pleaded. “I don’t want to go back to work. I don’t want to be with Mick. I want to be here with you. I’d just like to do it without all the baggage. The reason Mick had been successful is because he doesn’t quit. If I don’t agree to help him now, he’ll never stop. He’s relentless when it comes to his future.”

“Give me five minutes alone with him, and I’ll show you how quick he’ll leave you alone and for good. I don’t care if you want to go to New York with him, but I’m not going to sit around and pretend you’re going because you have no choice or because you think it’s a debt you should pay. You’re an adult. You don’t owe me anything, but at least be honest with yourself.”

“Thanks,” she said. “This is really productive. What a great night this turned into.”

“The cabin’s repaired. That’s what Caroline said. Dallas had the roof fixed.” Davis felt like he was spitting nails rather than talking, and judging by the look on her face, Elaine was the target getting pelted.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Unless you have anything else to say. If you have anything else that might help.” She looked at him with such desperation he felt like the air was leaving the truck.

There were a thousand things Davis wanted to say. He’d bungled this, and he was chasing her off like a fool. But words were clay he couldn’t mold into anything of substance. They just sat like lumps in his throat. Instead he and Elaine remained in complete and suffocating silence right up until the moment she got back to her car and drove away. The red taillights faded into the darkness as she disappeared, dragging his heart behind like tin cans on a newlywed’s car.