Page 8 of This Feeling

I dropped back onto her bed and groaned. “I know! I let my love of football go to my head.”

“Harp, what were you thinking? He dumped you in the cruelest of ways.”

I covered my face.

“Look, I get that you like the Giants, but you just gave up nearly two more months of your life for…for…Sean!”

Dropping my hands, I dragged myself up into a sitting position. “I felt bad for him.”

Her mouth fell open. “You feltbadfor him? For the guy who broke up with you because he didn’t see a future with you? The guy who fell for another girl while you were dating? That guy? You felt sorry forthatguy?”

“To be fair, I didn’t see a future with him, either.”

“That doesn’t matter!”

I laughed. “It kind of does.”

She waved me off. “Does this mean I have to be nice to him?”

“Only if his mother is around. Otherwise, you can ignore him. By the way, he thinks you put a curse on him and I’m starting to wonder if you did.”

An evil smile spread across her face.

My two younger sisters were always interested in witchcraft after seeing Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman inPractical Magic. They were convinced they had “the gift” like the two actresses’ characters in the movie. It didn’t help that my mother and father thought it was cute and egged them on.

“Tina,” I warned.

“What? It’s just a little bit of fun. You don’t really think I’m a witch, do you?”

When I didn’t answer, she laughed.

I stood up and hugged her. “I’ve got to go. I wanted to tell you and Amanda first, before you heard it from Betty Lou. She walked into the flower shop while Sean was there, and he planted a kiss on me.”

“Gross. Did you tell Mom and Dad?”

The memory of both my parents laughing still left me feeling bitter. “Yes, and they thought it was funny.”

“Your bleeding heart gets you into these situations. I know you, Harp. You only agreed to do it because you feel bad that he likes a girl who doesn’t like him back.”

“No, I did it because I’m getting season tickets for the Giants. Good seats, I might add.”

She rolled her eyes and folded another shirt from her laundry basket. Tina wasn’t married or currently dating, and she didn’t have any kids. She lived in the apartment above the Timeless Cup Coffee shop, where she works, and was perfectly happy with her life. One of these days, though, the love bug would bite, and she’d be in for a ride.

“I thought you had to leave?” she said, when I made no move toward the door.

Shoving her gently on the shoulder, I said, “I’m leaving, I’m leaving. Will you be at dinner on Sunday?”

“It’s Mother’s Day; of course, I’ll be there.”

“Just double checking,” I argued, as I headed toward the door of her bedroom.

“If Sean is planning on being there, I’m dressing in all black!”

I laughed as I headed out of her apartment.

Declan

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Six Months Earlier

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