Page 126 of Mr. Aster
“Then don’t,” John said. “But shoving your problems in the closet and closing the door isn’t going to help you and Darcy progress.”
“I don’t even know how to approach the subject with her.”
“Of course you don’t,” John chuckled. “No one ever accused you of being a sap who loved to discuss his feelings.”
“And in this case?”
“Put everything on the table,” John said. “The woman has developed enough feelings for you that she ran off angrily, so I’m sure she’d be willing to sit down and discuss the hard facts of being in a relationship with an asshole such as yourself.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” I said. “It’s just easier if she and I go with the flow.”
“Not in your case,” John said. “She’s a gorgeous woman, and if you neglect her, another man will slide in and snatch her up.You need to take action and grab this by the balls. Have the real discussions now so you can decide if this is what you both want.”
“And if I don’t listen to my youngest brother, Dr. Phil, educating me on relationships?”
“Someone’s going to get hurt, but from her recent actions and the look on your face, I’d say maybe both of you will.”
“I hate this shit,” I said. “I finally found something special, and I feel like I’m going to lose it.”
“The hardest talks always make the best outcomes for everyone involved.”
I frowned, “What the fuck does that mean?”
“I have no idea,” he chuckled. “I’m half drunk and trying to coach your dumb ass on how to save the relationship you’re successfully fucking up.”
“Well, half drunk or not, you make some good points that I need to consider. It’s just a lot, you know? Getting out of that dark place, then Charlotte coming out and wanting nothing to do with me, our parents’ constant bullshit, and then my fear of letting Darcy down. It’s just easier to?—”
“Throw yourself into work to allow it to distract you?” John interjected.
“Pretty much,” I said. “How else would I have made this event such a success, meeting all my deadlines much earlier than anticipated?”
“Just try and find a bit of balance. If Darcy is anything like her parents, you’ve got it made, but you’ve got to be open and honest and communicate with her, or you can forget about it.”
“True. All right,” I said, standing and needing the subject to change. “I’m going to head to bed. Are you flying back with everyone tonight or staying?”
“Nah,” he smiled, “I’m taking off. I’ve only got today and tomorrow off before work calls. You know the drill.”
“How do you and Mickie make that work? Do you ever see her?”
“We bothcommunicated,” he winked. “That, and we work together a lot of the time. If we didn’t, we’d be doomed. Also, we fuck like rabbits, so there’s that.”
“Nice,” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll join you and the group before I go to bed. I haven’t even extended my gratitude for everyone showing up tonight.”
Darcy and I had hit a snag in this relationship, but it wasn’t because I didn’t love her. In fact, I think the realization of how strong my feelings were and the rapid speed at which they were growing only added to all this conflict I was experiencing. I’d never been fearful of anything, so discovering how much findingtruelove terrified me was disorienting. I was so scared of fucking it up and losing the best thing that’d ever happened to me that it was making me freeze.
When I picked up the phone to call Darcy before I went to sleep, I got a call from my father.
“Hey?” I answered, half drunk and tired as shit, ready to end the damn night already.
“Congratulations on the successful relaunch of Burke Wines,” my dad said.
“Thank you. It was very successful. A shame you could not make it; many people were expecting you.”
“My inability to attend was unexpected,” he answered. “Unfortunately, I’m dealing with the Marsch acquisitions, and it’s inhibited me from moving forward with anything else. I’m needed in Ibiza tomorrow, so I am calling you.”
“I’m not dealing with Marsch Media,” I said, knowing old man Marsch was the biggest dick this side of my father. “You and Forrest wanted that, so you play in that sandbox with him.”
I heard my father chuckling softly on the other end of the phone like he did in the old days when I was his favorite pawn to move around the chessboard. “Youdosound like my son again, and for that, I am grateful,” he said, and for the first time since finding out about my feelings for Darcy, my father sounded genuine.
