Page 112 of Take My Heart
‘You know I was thinking,’ she says, ‘and this could be the wine talking, but that stuff I said about love?’
‘Yeah, what about it?’
‘Maybe I was wrong. Maybe trying to find love isn’t such a bad thing. I mean, if that’s what you want.’
‘What changed your mind?’
‘Sitting at home alone on a Saturday night while my husband’s out with his friends?’ She laughs, but it’s a sad laugh, one that tells me she might be regretting marrying Henry. ‘Did you ever love Cam?’
‘No. I thought I did, but now I know I didn’t.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because now I know what real love is and what it feels like.’
‘How would you know that if you haven’t been with anyone since—wait, are you talking about that guy? The one you were living with?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it. You’ll tell me I’m wrong and that it’s too soon and .?.?. let’s just talk about something else. What’s the necklace you’re getting look like?’
‘Kate, if you really love this guy, what are you doing?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Okay, again, this is probably the wine talking. I’m on my second bottle. But if you really think you love this guy, why aren’t you with him?’
‘Because we have different lives. We live in different states.’
‘He’s two hours away. That’s nothing. And he works for himself. It’s not like he has to ask his boss for time off. He could come here and see you whenever he wants.’
‘It would never work. We’re total opposites. I’m surprised we got along as well as we did.’
‘Being the same doesn’t always work either. Look at Henry and me. We have similar backgrounds, similar interests, similar goals, and here we are, married, but living like roommates. That’s the life I chose and it’s too late to change that, but it’s not too late for you.’ She laughs. ‘I kind of hate you for that, which is probably why I wanted you to be with Cam. If I couldn’t be happy, I didn’t want you being happy either. Don’t remind me I said this tomorrow when I’m sober. I’ll totally deny it.’
‘Are you telling me to be with Brody?’
‘I’m telling you to find a guy you love. Don’t settle for anything less. You might get your heart broken, but it’s better than having a husband who’d rather be out with his college frat brothers than his wife.’
‘I’m sorry, Jill. I wish he hadn’t done that.’
‘I’m used to it. And hey, at least I’ll get a necklace out of it. I just don’t want you ending up the same way, unless that’s what you want.’ She pauses. ‘Okay, well, I have half a bottle left and more shopping to do. I just wanted to call and tell you that. Bye!’
I check my phone and see she hung up. That was weird. She’s never been that honest with me, or that supportive. She must really be drunk. I bet if I asked her tomorrow if I should bewith Brody, she’d tell me no and that I’m crazy for even considering it.
I’d love to be with Brody, but it’s not going to happen. My life is here, not Haydon Falls. I need to find a way to forget about Brody. It’s the only way I’ll move on with my life. Those weeks we spent together were a fantasy, a break from reality. Now it’s time to get back to real life.
Chapter 22
Brody
‘What are you doing here?’ I say when Nick shows up at my door. It’s Sunday morning and he woke me up.
‘Callie had the baby. We’re driving down there.’
I go back to the couch, which is where I slept last night. I couldn’t sleep in the bed without Kate.
‘Did you hear me?’ Nick comes over to the couch where I was just about to lay down.
‘Yeah, Callie had the baby. Why are you telling me this now? I thought she had it Friday night.’
