The Easy Way Out (The Hard Way Home Book 2) by C.W. Farnsworth

Author:C.W. Farnsworth [Farnsworth, C.W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C.W. Farnsworth
Published: 2021-09-23T04:00:00+00:00

“Hey.” Caleb answers on the second ring.

“Hey,” I reply.

“Is everything okay?”

“You can stop asking me that every single time I call,” I tell him wryly. “I could just be calling because I want to talk to you, not because something is wrong.”

Caleb laughs. “Fair enough. Is that why you’re calling?”

“No. I want you to come see me.”

“Len… I’d love to, but I have practice in an hour. I can leave right after and—”

“I’m at Archibald Hall,” I interrupt.

“Archib—you’re on campus?”

“Uh-huh. Hurry up.” I hang up and resume staring up at the massive oak tree I’m standing under.

Caleb shows up ten minutes later wearing a backwards baseball cap and an adorably confused expression.

“What do you think?” I ask before he can say anything, nodding to the brick building we’re standing outside of.

“About…”

“They said it’s mostly freshmen who end up living here, but I’m sort of one, so I think it’ll be okay. It’s just a place to sleep anyway, right?”

Realization breaks across Caleb’s face. “You mean…”

I nod. “I called the Admissions Office this morning to officially enroll.”

“You’re transferring here?”

“I’m transferring here,” I confirm.

“Holy shit,” Caleb breathes. “Len… holy shit!” He grabs me around the waist and twirls me like we’re in a cheesy musical. “I would have been fine if you decided against it, but man, I’m really glad you didn’t.”

He stops spinning me, but I don’t stop holding on to him. I clutch his strong shoulders tightly, letting his excitement seep into me. This is a moment meant to be in person.

“I’m glad,” I murmur back.

“What are you going to do about the horses?”

I let go of him. “Mike said they have some space at the track now that the Cup has been run. I can board them all there for the time being… then I’ll probably sell them.”

The happy expression slides right off Caleb’s face. I swallow. This is the other reason I wanted to have this conversation in person. The aftermath of my decision. The consequences of this choice I know he’ll feel guilty about.

“You’re selling the horses?”

I nod. “And the farm,” I whisper. “I already called a real estate agent.”

“What? Why?”

I laugh once. Humorlessly. “What else am I supposed to do with it, Caleb? Just let it sit and fall apart even more? There’s not even a functioning mailbox!”

“You love that farm, Lennon.”

“Yeah. I do.” I inhale deeply. “But I love you more.” Caleb starts to say something, but I keep talking. “And Gramps loved me more than that farm. He tried to convince me to sell for years. He wanted me to do this. To leave Landry and go to a competitive college. I had to decide, and now I have.”

“Why does it have to be one or the other? Don’t you want to live in Landry after graduation?”

“I don’t know. But I know you don’t.”

Caleb curses and looks away. “Don’t put this on me, Lennon.”

“I’m not,” I insist. “But you said you’re serious about us. I’m serious, too. And it’s true, right? That you don’t want to end up back there?”

“If you’d asked me in high school, no.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.