Page 32 of Falling Too Soon
“Lover boy?” my dad questioned. “I thought you and whore bag broke up?”
“Jesus, Dad, whore bag? Tell me what you really think.” I shook my head as we entered the kitchen, or as Mom used to call it, Grand Central Station. This kitchen was the epicenter of the house. It was where we ate all our meals, did our homework, and usually congregated while we were growing up.
“Son, she’s a cheater, and you know how I feel about that shit. That’s unforgivable. So yeah, her new name is whore bag,” he laughed, giving me another thump on the shoulder.
“Fair enough, and yes, we broke up. Her cheating was most definitely a deal breaker for me,” I agreed. “Hey Brandon, hey Dylan,” I greeted my brothers, giving them each a hug. After saying our hellos, Brandon grabbed some beers from the fridge and passed one to each of us.
“What brings you home so soon? Trouble in paradise already?” Dylan asked with a grin. Fucking asshole.
“What’s that about?” Dad asked, “Seriously, what’s going on?”
I sighed heavily and then filled him in on my beautiful surprise at the cabin, the PG version of the events that unfolded and how she went running for the hills.
“Wow, you’ve had some week, son.” My dad grimaced. “So what now?”
Brandon chimed in, “Have you talked to her since she left?”
“Oh, shit no. She was supposed to text me when she got home, but I haven’t heard from her yet.” I pulled my phone out and shot off a quick text to ask if she had made it home safe.
Ding. She replied almost immediately.
Daphne
Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.
Ouch. But at least she responded, so I wouldn’t worry. I tapped out another message.
Me
Okay, good. I meant what I said, Baby. I want to explore this, whatever this is, but I know you need time. I want to respect that, but idk how long I’ll last. If nothing else, please don’t shut me out completely, okay?
Nothing. Not even a read receipt. She either put her phone down or turned it off. My brows furrowed. “Shit,” I said as I pocketed my phone.
“That good, huh?” Brandon bumped his shoulder into mine, drawing my attention back to the group.
“Yeah, she said she needed space, but I can’t seem to let that happen. I think I fucked up today when I went after her.” I thought back to the look in her eyes on the side of the road as I told her how I felt. Did I say too much? Did I completely overwhelm her?
“Hey, at least she knows where you stand, bro. And if you have real feelings for her, you have to lay it all out there for her. Give her all the facts so she can make an informed decision.” Out of my brothers, Brandon was definitely the optimist when it came to love and relationships, though he himself had been unlucky in love as of yet.
“Jesus. Do you hear yourself?” Dylan scoffed. “He just met the girl. It’s not like she’s the love of his life or something.”
At that, Dad chimed in, “What have I always said? When you know, you know. I knew from the moment I met your mother that she was it for me. Sometimes it happens that way. Don’t give your brother shit just because the only pussy you’ve ever loved is your fucking cat.” That did it. Brandon and I were dead. I was bent over, clutching my stomach, laughing my ass off.
Dylan looked offended, although I doubt he was. “You leave my Coco Baby out of this!” Dylan roared.
God, I loved these ding-dongs. They made everything a little more bearable.
“All right, all right,” Dad started. “You all staying for dinner? I’m making Mom’s chicken parm.”
Hell yes, I was staying for dinner.
Dinner was delicious, and it felt so good to be in the company of my dad and brothers again. The weeks leading up to what would have been my wedding were hectic, to say the least, and aside from our tux fittings, I hadn’t gotten to hang out with them. It probably didn’t help that they weren’t exactly card-carrying members of the CourtneyTaylor Fan Club. I guess they saw what I should have all along, that Courtney was a self-absorbed, fame-hungry waste of my time. Thankfully, I didn’t hear any more “I told you sos” over dinner and we spent the time catching up on what had been going on in their lives.
For the most part, it was the same old, same old, but Dad had alluded that he was coming back to work at the shop. I guess being retired didn’t suit him, and he was bored out of his mind. My brothers were, of course, delighted for him to come back. Although they’d still run the place, our dad was eager to get back to tattooing again and rejoin the fun in the shop. Since Mom’s death a few years back, he’d retreated from the world, and we were excited to see him starting to get back to his old self. I knew he’d never completely get over losing Mom, but it was still nice to see him making progress.
After dinner, we went into the sunroom for a nightcap, which was our usual after-dinner routine. We used to do this when Mom was around too, staying together in each other’s company a little while longer before we headed back to our places. “So, what do you plan to do about Daphne?” Brandon asked as we all got settled into our seats.
“Honestly, right now, I don’t know. I feel like I should give her the space she asked for, but I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll lose her,” I sighed, thinking back to her face before I closed her back into her car. She looked so sad, like she really didn’t want space from me, but what was I supposed to do? Force her to stay?
