Page 90 of She Was Made for Me

He sits back with a sigh. “She said we can’t know for sure how Rich will react, and she’s right. We should at least try.” Kyle’s eyes meet mine again and little lines of worry form between his brows. “I can’t keep lying to him, Vi. So, I think we should show your folks the house and then”—he steels himself with a deep breath—“tell them about us. Okay?”

A knot forms in my stomach. I’ve been waiting to hear these words from Kyle for weeks, but now that he’s finally saying them, I feel uneasy. I’ve poured everything I have into this project, wanting Dad to feel like I’ve done a good job, and today is the day I discover what he thinks and whether he’s impressed, and proud of what we’ve achieved here. If he’s proud ofme. The thought of telling him that I’m sleeping with his best friend makes my gut churn, and that’s before I even think about coming clean on the whole misunderstanding regarding my career.

But when I look at Kyle’s handsome face, gazing at me affectionately in the golden morning light, my chest fills with warmth. I want a future with this man, and there’s no getting there without explaining to Dad. Besides, Kyle’s right—it’s time to be honest. I can’t keep lying to my parents, about any of it.

“Okay.” I snuggle into Kyle’s side, pushing away that niggling sense of unease and filling up on hot coffee instead.

* * *

We spendmost of the day cleaning and tidying the house. I usually loathe cleaning, but it’s good to be moving. My body twitches with nerves and I can’t sit still. There’s nothing like sweeping and scrubbing and polishing to take the edge off my anxiety.

I’ve never considered myself an anxious person, but learning more about it from Kyle has me thinking. I’ve always felt restless when I’m not working, like I have energy I need to channel into a project, and when I stop, there’s nowhere for it to go. It’s only lately that I’m wondering if that’s unhealthy, if it’s driven by more than ambition. Then there’s the whole panic attack in class thing.

But I can’t worry about that now, not with everything happening today.

I set the broom aside and smile as I appreciate the back garden. This might be my favorite part of the property. I love being out here, under the beauty of the magnolia tree. Now that it’s finally tidy, it’s a lovely space. The landscaper turned out to be a guy who lives two houses away at number 18 Fruit Street, and he was excited to work on another yard in our block of buildings. He removed the remaining weeds and old patio furniture, cleared a large paved space for new furniture, and added a border of small shrubs along with a grassy area under the magnolia tree. I can see myself setting up Adirondack chairs, like the ones Kyle has at the lake, and sitting in the shade, reading. I never thought I’d be that person, but being away with him in Maine changed me. Being around him changed me. I’ve learned to slow down in ways I didn’t know I needed, and I feel so much better for it.

I glance around the yard one last time with a sigh. I’m going to miss this place. I’ve enjoyed being out here, and it makes my heart sad to think that someone else will get to enjoy our work. That it was never for us.

I reluctantly head up to find Kyle in the entry hall. “Everything tidy upstairs?” I ask. We packed away our stuff so it would be clear for Mom and Dad’s visit. I know we’ve agreed to tell Dad, but I’m not sure where we’ll stay tonight, or what the next step will be. Packing up our things felt very final, in a way I didn’t like.

“Yep.” Kyle pulls me close and lowers his mouth to mine in a soft kiss. “So we’ll show them around the house first, then we’ll tell them.”

I nod, swallowing against the nerves that rise rapidly in my chest. Kyle seems oddly composed, like he’s accepted his fate now that he’s made the decision.

“Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

I consider this for a moment. “I think I will, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.” Kyle squeezes me tight, then steps away when there’s a noise at the door. It’s Dad, letting himself into the house.

“Hello, hello,” he says jovially. My heart vaults into my throat at the sight of him. This is going to be harder than I’d thought.

“Hey, guys.” I glance past Dad as Mom enters behind.

“Hi, honey.” She pulls me into a tight hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Kyle and I have been avoiding Mom and Dad since we got back from the lake, knowing it would be too hard to lie to them face to face, and guilt tugs at me as I squeeze Mom back. When she pecks Kyle on the cheek and his eyes meet mine, shadowed with guilt of his own, I know I have to go through with this. Even if the thought of it makes me feel sick.

Dad smooths a hand down his tie, glancing at Kyle. “Time for the big reveal?”

A grim smile twists Kyle’s lips. “Something like that.”

I take a deep breath, plastering on a confident expression. “Where do you want to start?”

“What do you think, Di?” Dad glances between us. “Should we start in the bedrooms?”

My pulse surges, as if he’s hinting that he already knows about us. Which is utterly ridiculous.

Get a grip.

“Sounds good,” Mom says.

We follow Kyle as he leads us to the top floor. He explains to Mom and Dad about the restoration of the staircase, pointing out the features on the original banister as we climb. Then he walks us through two small bedrooms, one of which has been ours for the past month, and into the bathroom. We kept the color scheme neutral for the bedrooms, only bringing color into the bathroom. The emerald tiles might be my favorite. The color is bold, but the subway tile is a classic shape. It’s the best of both worlds.

Dad’s eyebrows rise when he sees the bathroom, and I can’t tell if he’s impressed or not. He can be so hard to read sometimes, and my stomach clenches as I watch his impassive face.

We head down a level to the second floor, which has two large bedrooms and another bathroom, this one slightly bigger. Kyle explains how the rooms would have been laid out originally, before the indoor plumbing, and I can’t help the joy I feel as he talks about the work, his gaze occasionally coming to mine, warm and proud.

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