Page 84 of Situationship
“Wow, ‘lasted.’ Past tense. Does he know that?”
“Not exactly. But don’t you dare tell him.”
“Oh, I won’t. Already cleaning up one person’s mess. Don’t have time for another.”
“I might handle things differently from you, but don’t mistake my differences for ineptitude. I’ll tell Bryan when I’m ready.” She wasn’t sure when that time would come, but she knew it had to be sooner rather than later.
“I never would, and I didn’t mean to imply that.” It was Harley’s turn to lift a brow. “Okay, maybe I did a little, but only because you’re right. I do micromanage because structure makes me feel safe. Without it, I feel like that scared kid I used to be, who knew that everything was one mistake from falling apart. That I’ll fall apart.” She buried her face in her hands. “God, I’m the inept one.”
“Stick up your ass? Sometimes. Inept? Never. And in the times you feel like you’re drowning, always remember, ‘You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.’”
“Nonna used to say that.”
“Actually, Christopher Robin said it first, but Nonna sounded better.”
Teagan licked the scooper, leaving a chocolate mustache in the process. “Tell me about Bryan. He sounds special.”
“He’s more than special, which is why I left.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Mom and Dale didn’t exactly model healthy love, and Dale didn’t model anything remotely healthy when it came to relationships.”
“Someone once told me that we can’t change the past, but we can choose to make different decisions.”
“She sounds wise,” Harley said, snagging the scooper from Teagan. “Did you give him the home address or the PO box in town?”
“The box in town. Of course.”
They hugged, making it the most hugs shared in a single hour since they were little.
“I’ll text him and give him the house address,” Harley promised.
That was something she could give him. As well as the truth about why she’d left and how she felt around him. She felt the sprouting of a seed of hope that he’d want her anyway. Broken parts and all.
Chapter 21
Well, my dear Sister, no wonder we are looking
like an old teabag, we have been in lots of
hot water together!
—Catherine Pulsifer
Teagan sat on the back deck watching the moonlight flicker off the ocean, the steam from her hot mint tea turning to mist in the heavy marine fog. The tide was higher than normal, the tail of the waves rolling as far as the sand dunes. The events of the evening had pushed her right into an emotional riptide.
She replayed the order of the night’s happenings. From drinks with Colin, to an unexpected first date. Every time she saw him seemed to build naturally to the next, until the beginnings of a bond had begun to form—a bond she desperately wanted to explore. Then she was faced with another unexpected first, which overshadowed a wonderful evening.
Not that her decisions would have been different, but she could have handled them differently.
For one, she never should have allowed Frank to put her on the spot in front of the girls. She should have told him they’d table the discussion until a better time. Also, the moment she felt Colin behind her, she should have told Frank to put a cork in it and given Colin a proper goodbye. A date like that deserved a proper goodbye kiss, under a bright porch light.
She glanced at her cell. It was three in the morning. It was too early to knock on his door and bring him a makeup brioche; it was also too late for his back door to suddenly open.
Heart ricocheting off her ribs, Teagan watched as someone stepped onto the deck. She strained her eyes, telling herself that this was her chance to set things right. To apologize and promise that Frank had been handled and he had zero effect on where this thing between them stood.
Her grip on her tea mug tightened as the shadow stepped into the moonlight. Teagan’s heart gave a little sad trombone. Instead of a devilishly addictive sex-god sneaking out the back door, a redheaded teenager wearing platform heels, a micro mini sundress, and enough apprehension to advertise she was up to no good, cautiously unscrewed the motion sensor light and shut the door behind her.
