Page 66 of Love Unavoidable
“Everyone dies.”
I can’t tell if she’s being purposely obtuse or not.
“I know. I just. . . I don’t know. I am so confused.”
I hear Remi call Kat’s name. Kat looks over at her and holds up her index finger to tell her one minute, then she turns back. “Make a pro and con list. Whatever it is, you can fix it with a list. Trust me.” Then she leaves to go join Remi and Chance on the other side of the room.
Kat had some great points, but if I don’t listen to what my mom said, and then she ends up being right, I will have wasted so much time and energy. Of course, if she’s wrong, I will have wasted so much time and energy.
Shit.
I’ve been in town barely a month and I’ve already made a mess of my life.
* * *
I stayed after the shower and helped Kat and Lexie clean up. Kat has a housekeeper coming in the morning, but she wanted to make sure all the surfaces were free of unwanted stuff so the housekeeper could clean them. Made sense to me.
By the time I get back to Ethan’s, it’s almost eight o’clock at night. I’m relieved to see his truck in the drive. But then I remember his bike, he could have easily taken that somewhere. It seems like it would be a nice night for a ride, not too cold and not too warm.
I let myself in the house and take a quick glance around for any indication he might be here. But everything is quiet. I shut the front door and lock it behind me, then hang my purse on the hook by the door. After spending two nights here by myself while Ethan was at the firehouse, I should be okay with being alone in the house. But I’m a little scared and a little lonely.
I didn’t eat at the shower, so I grab a bottle of wine from the fridge and a bag of chips from the pantry and head out to the backyard where I pair a relatively young merlot with nacho cheese Doritos. No one would be proud of this combination.
The tears slip down my cheeks. I don’t stop them. I just let them flow and allow myself to sink further into my little cocoon of self-pity. I messed up my wedding and hurt a man who loves me. I pissed Ethan off by listening to my mom. Knowing full well that listening to my mom would confuse me. Which makes me angry at myself. I left two perfectly good jobs and my best friend to move to a town where I knew one person, my cousin. And he doesn’t have time to hang out with me.
I’ve met some new people, but Kat and her friends have got their own thing going, I will never get to that level of closeness with them. Not like they have with each other. Not like I have with Tenley. This was a stupid move. I should listen to my mom and go home.
As if summoned by a force greater than I, my phone dings with a text from my mother.
MOM: Our cable isn’t working.
And?
I wait but receive no further information than that from her. I’m not sure what she expects me to do from here.
ME: Did you try calling Sebastian?
MOM: Yes.
ME: He can’t help you?
MOM: I didn’t reach him.
ME: Okay, what about Seth? Or Shane? Or Sawyer?
I list out my brothers to see if she exhausted all local resources or not. Local and much more technologically savvy than I am.
MOM: They never answer when I call.
ME: Did you leave a message?
MOM: They won’t return the call.
ME: Okay. So, what do you need from me? How can I help?
MOM: Can you fix it?
ME: From three states away?
