As an up-and-coming social media influencer, Sadie Dwyer has had enough of the expectations thrust upon her and is finally ready to start living life on her own terms. Goodbye cushy corporate finance job, goodbye Los Angeles, and hello fresh start...
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It'd been less than forty-eight hours since Sadie had walked out of my office with all the confidence in the world that she'd get a jump start on the work we'd hired her for, yet I couldn't help but feel uneasy waiting to see what she would do. Which I assumed wasn't that far off course, considering this was the first time we'd brought on someone besides Finn or I to make decisions regarding the business side of Dawson's. The first taste of a lack of control. Of unknowns. And it had brought about a case of the jitters that just wouldn't go away.
Jitters that weren't made any better as I continually found myself remembering that, somehow, she'd got me talking about things I tended to keep close to my chest. Dawson. My injury. My time in the marines. I was internally chastising myself for spilling so much of my past to her. After all, there was no way she needed all of that information to pull more customers into the pub, yet I'd willingly given it.
A mistake.
One that I sincerely hoped didn't come back around to bite me in the ass, and one I simply wanted to push to the back of my mind. To forget about. Because with every spare second I spent thinking about Sadie—about the work she was doing—the more irritable and anxious I felt. It was overwhelming, but something I hoped could be solved with a lengthy jog and fresh air.
Unfortunately, the nonstop rain yesterday had washed away that wish and only allowed those feelings and thoughts inside my head to multiply. But today was a new day. I'd awoken to bright blue skies—the itch to feel my shoes hitting the pavement and a need to clear my head both turned up to the highest level.
The only downside was my brother had decided to join me. Certainly not ideal.
"You okay, dude?" he asked, about two miles into our run. All of which was spent in relative silence as I led us along a typical route of mine.
"Fine," I responded, though I could even hear how clipped my voice sounded. Feeling his eyes on the side of my face, I let out a sigh after a few moments passed. "I'm fine, okay. Just a bit antsy. Didn't expect you to show up at my door this morning."
"You say that, but I distinctly remember you saying it was cool if I joined you when I asked you about it yesterday," he said, quirking a brow when I tossed him a sideways glance. "So, I'm going to ask again... are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I repeated through clenched teeth.
Though that wasn't enough for him.
"Are you having nightmares again? Do you need a few days off or something? Because if you need it, take it."
"No nightmares." I shook my head, straight up lying to him, but that wasn't anything new. "Like I said, I'm fine."
"Is it something else, then?" he asked, continuing to push, though by the small smirk that pulled at his lips, I knew he was just poking fun now. "Do you need me to find you someone to let some steam off with? Maybe a quick roll in the hay will help you lose this intense edge you've seemed to build up. You know, take the chip off your shoulder."
