Page 93 of Burning Love
Jealous.
He’d never had anyone he could go to when he had a bad day.
Not after his mother died.
He wouldn’t burden his father with it. He didn’t want to worry early on that it’d be too much for his father and he’d end up alone.
Talia was right there. He had it better than he could have.
“What did she say?”
“I told her I appreciated you opened up to me and then you slammed a wall in place. She told me I dumped the concrete in front of it for you to make it stronger by walking out.”
“No,” he argued. “You didn’t. It’s not going to make me do that. Your mother is wrong.”
“Woohoo. She rarely is and I’m going to tell her that. But she made me think about what I said and it was wrong of me. It’s hard to swallow crow. The feathers get stuck in my throat. You haven’t reached out and I thought you were angry. Then Iwondered if I should give you space. You seem the type to need it.”
“I am. Or thought I was. Not this time.”
“Then I’m even more sorry.”
He shrugged but knew she couldn’t see it. “It happens.”
“Don’t do that,” she said. “Tell me you accept it if you do. If you don’t, I’d like to talk more about it when you’ve got time. If you want.”
“I do accept it. We are still navigating things. This is one of those things. That is all I meant.”
“Phew. I didn’t mess up too badly.”
“No. Hope I didn’t either.”
“You didn’t. This was on me, Jace. I know you’re working and this isn’t a conversation for now, but we should talk.”
“About what?”
“I don’t want to put this out there while you need to have your mind on other things.”
“Maybe it’d be better if I know rather than wondering while I’m working. It could be we are both thinking the same thing. I won’t know until you say it.”
There was a pause on the other end. “I told you I’d let you know if things changed.”
“You did. Are you saying they have?”
“They are starting to,” she said firmly. “I wanted to give you a fair warning. Not changing in a bad way. I mean, if that was the case, I wouldn’t have gotten so mad the other night.”
“I knew what you were saying. Would it bother you to know that I’m feeling the same?”
“Things are changing for you too?” she asked. There was some excitement in her voice.
“Yeah.”
“I’m kind of irresistible that way.”
He laughed. “You are.”
“I’m not feeling so sad anymore.”
“Neither am I.”
