Page 27 of His North Star
He sat next to me on the log. “What does Lys want you to talk to me about?”
“Ty,” I groaned, “when are you going to tell her why you don’t want to get married? She was almost crying because she said she loves you but feels like you’re on the way out.”
He leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. He looked out at the lake, not responding.
“Listen,” I said, touching his forearm, “I don’t want to get in the middle of this. But I will say, if you haven’t told her about your parents and why you can’t commit right now, you need to. It’s not fair to her.”
His voice stayed even. “She knows about them.”
“She knows they’re divorced, or she knows you can’t commit to her because you still need to work through your issues?” Why was talking to guys like pulling teeth?
“What issues?” He glanced at me with a furrowed brow.
I moaned. I said I wouldn’t get in the middle, and that’s exactly what I was doing. “Do you remember your middle school twenty-year plan?” I asked instead.
He turned to face me, creases around his eyes. “Not really.”
I shouldn’t be able to remember his, especially considering I didn’t recall mine. His had stayed with me, because even at thirteen, I pictured myself in a slightly different relationship with Ty than I still had.
“You wanted to be married by twenty-five so you could enjoy time with your wife before having babies.” Once upon a time, that statement would have my cheeks burning bright.
“Turns out I can’t dictate every part of my life.”
“Shocker,” I said sarcastically.
He bumped his shoulder into mine.
I shoved him back.
“Is it a matter of not being ready yet,” I pushed, “or not wanting to marryher?”
“Her,” he said quietly.
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. He couldn’t pay me enough to share that news with Alyssa.
“Are you going to keep dating her in hopes you’ll eventually change your mind, or what?”
He took his blue baseball hat off and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m working up the courage to break things off.”
Yikes. I groaned. “I told her to be patient with you.” Terrible advice considering the information I now had.
He moaned. “What else did you say?”
I smiled and teased, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I’m not joking,” he ground out. “What else?”
Oh, those were his angry eyes flashing at me.
“Nothing,” I assured, then grimaced. “Imayhave told her to take you on a couple’s getaway.”
He sighed. “That’s definitely not happening. Besides, work is about to be insane.”
I nodded. Summer was the busiest time for Ty and me.
“I was only trying to help without being disloyal to you.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “But from now on, maybe it’s best if my relationship stays between Lys and me.”
