Page 91 of Pretty Wild

“Listen, Ryan, I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you this. Don’t walk away from love because you’re scared. Being scared is natural, normal, and frankly, it’s part of life. Bravery comes from within. You already have it, sweetheart. You just need to follow your heart. Be that wild girl I remember, climbing trees in the backyard, even when she was told not to.”

I crack a small smile at the memory her words evoked. “But…what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I mean, it’s not like we discussed any of this. Heck, we didn’t discuss anything. I, uh, might have left in the middle of the night.”

“Ryan,” she groans, shaking her head in disappointment. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“I left a note,” I add lamely, dropping my gaze once more to the counter.

“And I suppose this note didn’t tell him how you really felt, did it?”

I shake my head. “It was just a fling.” I cringe a little, wishing I weren’t sharing such intimate details with my mother, of all people.

“So? Just because something started as a fling doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.”

I rub my forehead, to the spot where my stress headache is forming. “That’s not what’s happening here. I know you secretly want me to have a love at first sight moment like you had with Dad, but this is different.”

She meets my eye, leveling me with a stern gaze of her own. “I want you to have everything, sweetheart. Whether that’s love at first sight, a fling turned to more, or whatever hand the good Lord deals you, I want you to find love because you’re so worthyof it. The man you’re supposed to give your whole heart to is nothing like that Vaughn Cramer jerk. He’ll make you laugh. He’ll listen to you share your hopes and dreams, and he’ll do his part in helping you achieve them. That’s the type of love I want for you.”

I don’t know when I started to cry, but I swipe at the tears on my cheeks. “I want that too,” I whisper, my heart aching for what I don’t have.

She leans forward and reaches for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You will. I know it. The right man is out there for you, sweetie. Maybe he’s the guy you left behind in Wisconsin. Maybe not. But he’s out there, and he’s looking for you too. When you least expect it, he’ll make himself known. He’ll be there for you in ways no one before ever has. That’s when you’ll know.”

I lean down, resting my cheek on the cool quartz counter. “I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time on Vaughn.”

Mom sighs. “He was a life lesson. One where you’ll learn a great deal about yourself and others, but he’s not the end of your story.”

“He showed up in Pine Village.”

“Of course he did. He’s a selfish, small man who needed you to try to fix his mistakes for him.”

I snort. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens.”

“According to those entertainment websites, he went looking for you in that small town to rekindle your romance. Apparently, some of your supporters were outraged by his appearance there and told him that much. Of course, with the paps being all over the place, a lot of it was caught on camera. One woman even slapped him across the face for being such a weasel of a man.”

My mouth falls open. “She did?”

Mom smiles victoriously. “A feisty woman who lived there. I think they said her name was Hallie.”

“Oh my God!” I whisper.

Mom grins. “Friend of yours?”

“Actually, yes. Hallie, Blair, Ava, Ellie, and Jillian are lovely women. I really enjoyed my time with them.”

“Well, Vaughn screamed for the cops to arrest her for assault, but the sheriff refused. Said it was self-defense, since Vaughn poked her in the shoulder when she started yelling at him.”

I bark out a laugh, knowing I’ll be searching the internet later to find the clip. I can’t wait to watch Hallie hand Vaughn his ass.

“Listen, Ryan, you don’t have to decide anything today. Or even tomorrow. Take some time and do some soul-searching. Listen to your heart. It won’t steer you wrong.”

I nod, understanding what she’s saying. There are a lot of different factors I need to consider before I make any final decisions, even though leaving in the middle of the night is a pretty big statement. He may not even want to talk to me after what I did, and even if he does agree to talk, that doesn’t mean he’ll be interested in a relationship. He could say no as easily as he could say yes.

“I will, promise.”

“Good. Now, let’s talk about this party we’re hosting next Saturday night.”

26

MARCUS

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