The man with the gloves [bucky barnes ff]

69

Bucky's POV

"Need help cleaning up?" I walk into the kitchen and place the dirty plates next to the sink.

Sarah turns around and smiles at me. "Sure. Could you hand me the dishes? And maybe grab me a new towel?"

I do as she says. It's still pretty crowded out there except everyone is already wasted. I knew it was my clue to leave when they started dancing and three women asked me to dance with them.

"So? Ready to go back to New York?" She asks me.

"Yeah." I lie. I wish I could stay in Louisiana for a little while longer but I've already been staying here for a few weeks and I don't want to be a burden to Sam's sister and her family.

"Did I thank you yet? For everything you've done for our business? It was really nice of you to help Sam renovate this place." How can she be Sam's sister but still be the complete opposite?

"Don't worry about it. I liked helping out. Made me get some things off my mind."

"Some things?" She inquires. "I am assuming it's about that girl Sam told me about?"

Of course Sam told her. I asked him not to mention her name to anyone but as predicated Sam can't keep his mouth shut. "How much did he tell you?"

"Just that you are still hung up on your ex. That's all. I think he only mentioned it because he didn't want us to flirt." Sarah laughs and I join her. Sounds like something Sam would do. "Want to tell me about her?"

I take a sip from a beer bottle. I stopped drinking a while ago but one beer here and there won't do me any harm. "It is complicated."

"Do you still love her?"

I don't answer.

"I don't think it's that complicated. Life is too short to hold onto grudges. Whatever it is that you two went through just tell her how you feel and work things out."

"I am the one who messed up, Sarah. Even if I tried to solve things she wouldn't take me back. She shouldn't take me back." I fucked up. Big time. And I regret it every day but I know better than to enter her life again and risk hurting her again. She deserves happiness.

"Is that the truth or is that what you are telling yourself because you're afraid of seeing her again?"

"I was wrong. You are a lot more like Sam than I thought." I smile at her. They both have that desire to question everything I do and give me awfully good advice. "Let's not talk about that. I am trying to avoid that topic."

"Alright." She washes her hands and grabs a six pack from the fridge. "But just so you know, avoiding it won't make it go away." She hands me the six pack and tells me that Sam asked for it. I ask her if she needs anything else from me and when she says no I head back to the party, looking for Sam. I find him sitting on the edge of the boat.

"You wanted beer?" I hand him the beer bottles and sit down to him. "What? Now that you're Captain America you can't get it yourself anymore?"

He laughs and opens one of the bottles.

"You told Sarah that I was still hung up on my ex?" I get straight to the point.

"Yes. It's the truth after all."

I sigh. "It's not. I am not hung up on her. I just hate the way things ended." I clarify. I shouldn't have left like that but back then I didn't know better.

"You're still lying to yourself. You are in love with her. Or else you wouldn't have moved back in the second you showed up again."

"Doesn't matter anyways, Sam." I take another sip. "She moved out. She stopped calling. So she is obviously over this relationship."