Page 100 of Hopeless Romantic
“Did you read that in a fortune cookie?”
“All I’m saying is that the outside bullshit is just that, bullshit. What’s going on between the two of you—that’s what matters. The rest you deal with together.”
“She isn’t really into the whole tackle things together.”
“Okay. So that’s outside BS she brought to the table. Your inability to deal with it is yours.” Emmitt shrugged. “Why does your baggage take precedence over hers?”
Levi opened his mouth to argue and snapped it closed. He couldn’t answer that. More like he didn’t want to, because Emmitt’s assessment shed a whole new light on things.
He’d promised to keep things light. Coaxed her into opening up with promises of no pressure and no drama. And when she’d finally felt safe enough to drop her walls, let someone in, he turned her world into his own personal emotional dumping ground.
“Man.” He dropped his head into his hands. “I just wanted to make her happy, and instead, I made her miserable.”
“Nothing can make you as miserable as running from love.” Emmitt stood and came around the desk to sit on the couch next to Levi. “I had to lug all my sorry-ass misery to India before I’d had enough.”
“I hope you admit you’ve had enough before your chance passes you by,” Gray said quietly.
“What if I fucked up worse than going to India?”
“Fix it. Isn’t that what you do?” Emmitt asked without a trace of humor. “You stand behind your bar and dole out more advice than a motivational coach in a group session. Why don’t you step into the trenches with the rest of us and apply some of that wisdom to your own life?”
“Because if I get this wrong, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Why, though?” Emmitt asked. “Gray, here, gets it wrong all the time. And you keep forgiving him.”
“Only because Michelle was so happy to provide me with a brother I never wanted. She’d kick my ass if I tried to return him,” Levi joked, but he didn’t feel like laughing. “Plus, Paisley’s kind of taken a shine to him.”
“Tell me about it,” Emmitt grumbled, then put his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “And the only way you could get this wrong is to do nothing. So if you love her, then do something, bro. Whatever it is will be the right move.”
Levi found his focus going back to the collection of wedding portraits in the glass case. The only difference between Levi and what those photos represented was that they hadn’t stopped until they earned their great love story.
He and Beckett had only just begun theirs. And he was not going to leave the story unfinished.
“I love her.” He looked at Gray. “So, how did you make yourself unreturnable?”
“For starters, you might want to check with your mom before you start accusing innocent women of getting your family heirlooms stolen.”
“You said I was going to get to tell him,” Emmitt whined.
“My mom has the glasses?” Levi asked.
“Oh, more than that.” Gray laughed. “She’s got enough alcohol in her garage to open a distillery, and six-grand worth of new scrapbooking supplies. Seems she’s been storing up for an upcoming wedding.”
* * *
Beckett came awake with the distinct feeling she was being watched. Her head ached, her lids were scratchy from crying, and the cold, empty feeling, which only disappeared when she slept, poked her between the ribs. It was following the same rhythm as the finger poking her arm.
“Tommy.” She put the pillow over her head. “We talked about coming in my room before seven.”
“It’s nearly noon,” Jeffery said.
She threw the blanket back and sat up, then immediately slammed her lids shut. The sunlight was just too bright for her to handle.
“Noon?” Blindly, she grabbed for her robe. “Thomas’s field trip is today. If he misses the bus . . . It won’t be good.”
“He prefers Tommy.” Jeffery put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. “And he’s already on the bus. I dropped him off after we had breakfast.”
“He’s what?” She shook her head to help lift the sleep-induced fog that was clearly affecting her comprehension. “Wait, you’re supposed to still be in Boston.”
