Page 16 of Aftersome
“That right?” Her brow lifted in question like she didn’t believe it.
Shrugging, I took the spot standing next to her and reached for a knife to help.
“Somewhat, yes,” I admitted.
“Somewhat,” Shelia mumbled on a chuckle as she moved over to the sink. With the knife in hand, I reached for a carrot and began slicing.
“Well, is something wrong?”
“No. No, nothing’s wrong. I just…”
Nerves shot through me almost instantly. I thought I had prepared myself enough but when I found myself in her presence, doubt and uncertainty came flooding in.
What would his reaction be to seeing me?
Would he be mad?
Would he even listen to me?
Taking a much-needed breath, I shook off those unnecessary thoughts because this was not about me. His feelings and reactions toward me wouldn’t matter. I was doing this for Shelia and Greg.
To get him back home.
“Are you okay? You look a little pale,” Shelia noted as she tossed a rag over her shoulder and took a step toward me.
“Yes, I’m fine.” I nodded, hating the fact I couldn’t just come out and say it. I was a thirty-one-year-old woman, for Christ’s sake, and was letting a man I despised wreak havoc on my brain.
He wasn’t worth the headache.
“I’ve… I’ve been doing some thinking,” I confessed.
I could feel her eyes heavy on my hands that were currently carving too small of slices into the carrot.
“About what?” She chuckled in amusement at the hack job that I had just created and slowly took the knife from me. Then shoving my hands into my jean short pockets, I lazily walked over to the cabinet beside the sink and grabbed a glass.
Rolling the cup in my hands, I couldn’t meet her eyes. Not that she was looking at me anyway. Probably because she knew me too well and didn’t want me to have an anxiety attack.
“About what we talked about the other day.” The words came out thick and strained, so immediately after I swallowed down the lump in my throat.
Then walking over to the fridge, I shoved the glass under the water dispenser and filled it up about halfway.
Jesus, I wasn’t even thirsty but I needed a distraction.
“Wren, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have brought it up with you.”
Sighing, I spun around until I was now facing her.
“I’m glad you did, though. I want you to tell me things like that. It just… shocked me is all and I didn’t know how to respond.”
Setting down the knife in her hand, she slowly turned around until her back was against the counter. She looked torn. On what to say and what to do.
“I thought about it. I thought about it a lot, actually.”
Her eyes softened. She didn’t respond for a few moments as if she were taking in what I was saying, what I was about to, agree to and before she could say anything back, I continued.
“I hate that you two are hurting,” I admitted. “I hate that I never asked or cared to know how you guys felt about Mal leaving. And I hate more that I never offered to help get him back.”
“Wren…”
