Page 22 of Ambrosia Kisses
"Fine. Whatever," I grumble, taking a step back so his hand falls from my face.
He stares at me for a long moment and then sighs before heading back to his truck. Lucy and I stand in silence as he drives away.
"Gabe said he saw the two of you together. Do you want to talk about it?" she asks.
I quickly fill her in, sticking to the facts.
"So…he saw you with Pierce and thought that you ran back to someone else," she says.
"Yep."
"What are you going to do?"
"Drink my weight in wine, take a hot bath, and pretend today never happened," I mutter.
"Want me to keep you company?"
"Always." I smile at her. "But you promised to watch that new movie with the girls tonight since you hung out with me last night. Go spend time with her. We have all day tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" she asks, clearly hesitant to leave me on my own.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, it's no fun drinking with a pregnant woman. You can't even appreciate the hangover in the morning."
She grins at me. "I do not miss those."
I laugh quietly and then hug her before turning toward my cabin.
"Hey." She grabs my arm before I can wander off. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you know I say this with love, but…don't be too hard on him, Paisley," she says. "He thought you chose someone else."
"He could have asked."
"If you were in his shoes, would you?" she asks, one brow arched. "Because I'm not sure I would have. I would have been too heartbroken if it were me thinking Oliver left me for another woman."
Would I have asked?
"It doesn't matter now," I sigh.
"It does." Lucy smiles sadly. "You're just too hurt to admit it. You lost him and then your brother in a matter of days. It broke you, and you don't know how to be broken. You get angry instead. But…if you still have feelings for Ridley, don't walk away just because you're hurt, P. Neither of you ever even tried to date anyone else. Both of you obviously still care about each other. Don't just walk away from that because you think it's what he did. You'll only hurt yourself if you do, and you've been hurt enough already."
"I'll think about it," I say reluctantly, because part of me thinks maybe she's right. Maybe I am determined to walk away now just because I want him to know what it feels like. That part is petty and selfish. But it's not the only part, is it? A big part—a really big part—wants to run because it's safer. He broke me once. I'm not sure I can survive being broken again.
And if I've learned anything today, it's just how much power he still has over me…and just how easily he could still break me. We were together for two weeks last time, and he shattered my entire world. What happens if I let him in again, and it doesn't work out in a month? In a year? It's a terrifying prospect.
But what if it does work out?a little voice whispers.What if he stays this time?
I don't know. I'm terrified to even consider the possibility because it feels a little too much like hope. And I stopped hoping for much about the time they told me I'd never see my brother again.
My promise is enough to pacify Lucy even as troubling questions continue to battle around in my head. She smiles at me, pulling me into another hug. "Go drink your wine. We'll talk tomorrow."
"See ya," I mumble, trudging toward the cabin and the comfort of a big glass of wine, the solace of a warm bath, and hopefully a little clarity. God knows, I could use that right about now.
Chapter Five
Ridley
