Resist Me Not

11

Adam requested that we take a stroll through the vineyards to get some privacy. I agreed.

I made sure to stay quiet as we started walking down a long channel surrounded by the bare, winter pruned grapevines. From the tour we had the day before, I had learned that from November until about April or May, they were trimmed to allow the spring budding to begin. Even though all the vines were barren for the time being, the sight of at least a thousand of them in perfect rows was a pleasant view.

I looked over at Adam as he walked beside me, looking forward with his hands clasped together behind his back. I couldn't help but notice that he really did look similar to Ryan, but in a much older form. His hair was lighter too, but by only a shade or so. I could tell he was thinking of what to say, or maybe how to say what he wanted to. I knew better than to speak first, for fear of giving him information without knowing what he already knew.

The air breeze through the channel was cold, and even though I was wearing jeans and a blouse, the one layer wasn't helping me feel very warm. I considered asking Adam if we could turn back to go inside.

"Do you enjoy working for us, Vicky?" Adam asked, still looking forward.

"Of course," I paused briefly. "I'm excited to work for a company in the field I want to pursue."

"That's good. Because I know I don't speak for everyone, but I feel that I can say that we too enjoy having you as part of our team."

"Thank you."

"But," Adam paused and stopped in his stride, to look me in the eyes. "It has come to my attention that things may have escalated between you and my brother."

The hairs on the back of my neck rose at his comment. "What do you mean?"

"He told me what Eric said. About how he's being disrespectful towards you."

"Oh that," I said, breathing a sort of relief that it wasn't about me sleeping with his brother.

"Why didn't you come to me? Or Mrs. Turner? If you felt that Ryan wasn't treating you fairly."

I didn't know how to respond, but I could see the genuine concern in his eyes. I just gave a little shrug as a response.

"I've had some words with Ryan too when he told me. I'm sorry I didn't notice it. I know he can be very distant with people. I'm sure Eric's told you about their past together?"

"He has." I was confused as to how that had anything to do with Ryan now.

"In high school, he was such a carefree guy and loved everyone. The friends he had were endless. But then after what he experienced with Eric and Faith, he didn't trust anyone. He became a sort of recluse. College is when people usually come out of their shells, but I guess the opposite happened in Ryan's case," Adam explained.

"Felicity, you mean."

"Huh?"

"You said, Eric and Faith. I thought Ryan's ex was named Felicity? At least that's what Eric told me."

"It was Faith," Adam stated matter-of-factly. He turned towards the house and gestured with the slightest tilt of his head that he was ready to head back. "You know, Eric pissed me off with what he did to my brother. But I forgave him because I'm know how to let things go. But the fact that Eric did what he did and doesn't even remember the details proves to me how little he thought of Ryan as a friend."

"That's not fair," I defended. "Eric was in high school. And he was dealing with family stuff, so of course, he wasn't thinking clearly back then. If you were in his shoes and found out your parents were in some sort of weird open relationship, you would have felt lost too. And hurt. He probably just wanted to find comfort in something, and sadly that meant he found it with someone he shouldn't have. That doesn't mean he didn't think of Ryan as a friend."