Page 15 of Love Unavoidable
Aaron looks from me, to Ethan, to Ethan’s hand, and back again.
Oh, double fuck.
“Leaving?” Aaron scoffs. He runs his hand through his hair and turns away from us. I breathe a sigh of relief. But then he turns to face us once more.
“You owe me, Sadie,” Aaron says, his voice desperate, yet bitter. “Do you think you could possibly postpone any further dalliances until we’ve at least had a chance to talk?”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. He’s right. At the very least I owe him a more meaningful conversation than what I gave him on our wedding day.
But, instead of saying anything, I just nod.
He reaches out his hand, I place mine in his and walk the narrow space between the couch and the table to get to him, squeezing past Ethan to do so, who puts his hand on my hip to get my attention. “You okay, Grace?” he asks.
I nod again.
He looks at me, his expression blank and his eyes hollow. It’s like he’s wiped all emotion from his face.
“I will be . . . uh . . . right back?” I say it like a question, then grimace at myself. I hate it when I do that.
He nods but says nothing.
I turn back toward Aaron. He squeezes my hand once, a half smile on his face. I try to pull mine from his, but he won’t let go. He leads me inside toward the dance floor.
“Aaron, I thought we were going to talk,” I protest trying to pull him back.
“We are. But I thought we could dance first.” He turns back to look at me. “Please, Sadie, it’s our song.” I listen and hear the familiar strains of “our song”—mine and Aaron’s.
“Did you request this song?” I ask.
He ducks his head, then looks up at me. “Maybe.”
“Aaron, don’t do this.”
“Come on, it’s one dance, Sadie. Dance with me? Please.”
You know how you can identify a bad decision before you make it, but you go ahead with it anyway? Knowing all the while you are on a collision course to Disasterville? But either not being able to or not willing to stop yourself.
Yep, me too.
Aaron leads us to the edge of the dance floor. Not the middle, not even the far side. But the edge that everyone can see. Including Ethan standing in the doorway leading in from outside.
How can I say no to Aaron now? This is the least I can do. I crushed him emotionally. Less than a month ago. Yet still he was brave enough to show his face here and celebrate my family out of obligation. And I want to deny him a dance?
Yes!
He pulls me into his arms. It’s at once familiar and awkward. My body moving from memory, having spent so many years in his embrace. I don’t even remember how we got this song. How it became ours. I am sure a prom or a homecoming dance or something.
“I Could Not Ask for More” by Edwin McCain.
Aaron has his nose buried in my hair and is singing softly.
“What did you want to talk about?” I ask. Probably a dumb question, since surely he will want to talk about the breakup.
“Can we just have this one dance, and then talk?”
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Aaron.”
His arms tighten around me. But instead of feeling wanted, I feel suffocated. I push at his chest, but he does not budge. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
