Page 76 of Waiting for Her

“Dammit, Cole!”

“What? It’s not my fault! Mia called Bri this afternoon. Wanted to clear things up between the two of them. I mean, yes, we heard from Christine part of last night, so Mia figured might as well make things better between the two of them since you guys are going to get back together soon.”

My head jerks back. “What?”

He waggles his eyebrows and taps his temple. “I know things.”

Never in my life have I had so many conflicting emotions as I have since Bri came back into my life.

“Mia called Bri?”

“She did.”

I shouldn’t be surprised to hear Mia stepped up. When Bri decided to end things, Mia had to watch me break down for months after, missing her so severely it felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. She dragged me out of the darkness and back into the light. Literally. One morning she stormed into my bedroom, the door hitting against the wall. Ripped the covers off my body and slapped me across the face before grabbing my ankle and tugging for all she was worth.

I was so surprised by going from sleeping peacefully to jarred awake that she was able to pull me right out of bed, landing flat on my back with a thud.

Then she not so gently nudged me with her foot until I stood up and she shoved me into the bathroom, forcing me to shower.

Five minutes later, I was in her passenger seat of her little car. She drove me to the park where I first kissed Bri.

“Are you trying to drive the knife in deeper?”

“No. I’m trying to show you life still goes on.”

She gestures to the kids around us playing on the playground equipment. The parents watching them, some of them running around right along with the kids. A group of teenagers are in the grassy field off to the side, playing flag football. It makes me smile, remembering the times my friends and I did the exact same thing. That smile quickly vanishes when I think about how often Bri was part of those games.

Mia snaps her fingers in front of my face.

“She is not the reason you are living.”

I sigh. She just doesn’t get it.

“Listen to me.” Mia places her hands on my cheeks and forces me to look down at her. “You are more than Bri Jameson’s friend. More than Bri’s boyfriend. You are Grady fucking Ryan and you’re amazing. Ten schools wanted you to play for them. Ten. Do you realize how incredible that is? She didn’t do that. You did.” She pokes a tiny finger into my chest and I brush it away.

“You don’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly. She got scared. I don’t blame her. Her dad made a big mistake and now she’s questioning everything in her life, including you.”

I swallow hard and breathe through my nose, pissed that the sting of it all still gets to me.

“Bri isnotyour reason for living. She didn’t make you the man you are today. Do you understand me? She’s a big part of your past, I’m not denying that. But your life doesn’t revolve around her and it never did.”

I look away from her knowing stare. “Grady. This is your life. You need to start living it.”

“What the hell do you think I’m doing?”

She shrugs. “Going to class and playing football.”

“Damn right I am! I’m killing it on the field,” I shout, spreading my arms out on either side of me. “Do you have any idea what kind of pressure I’m under? You just said it. I’m GradyFuckingRyan, Mia! Everyone expects me to be great. Get straight A’s. Lead the team to the win. Well guess what? I’m fucking doing it!” I pound on my chest once and take a deep breath, stepping closer to her. “If I’m a little sad because the girl I’ve loved over half my life decided I wasn’t worth fighting for? Then let me be sad! Let me be pissed! I deserve some time! I thought she was going to be my wife, Mia! Mywife.The mother of my children.”

“Sad, yes. I’m not saying you’re not allowed time, either. But you’re not just sad, Grady. You’re vacant. You’re right. You’re doing everything everyone expects of you. What about whatyouexpect of you? What doyouwant?”

“I want Bri! How do you not understand that?”

Her eyes blaze and she stands on her tiptoes, getting right up in my face. “Well guess what? She doesn’t want you. Not anymore.”

I stumble back, my hand clutching where my heart is beating because it feels like she reached in and yanked it straight out of my chest.

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