Page 102 of Meant to Be
“Don’t you have it now?”
“Yes,” Sydney said slowly, confused about how pushy her mom was being regarding Mitch.
“So?”
“I’m surprised at how important this is to you.”
“It’s about good manners, Sydney. He’s worried and it sounds like for good reason. It’s rude to make him worry you might be dead just because he’s not a very good boyfriend.”
Sydney was going to correct her mother. Mitch wasn’t her boyfriend. He was her lover, if even that. But this was her mother and her father. She might have become more daring in her sexual escapades with Mitch, but she wasn’t at a point she could talk about it with her parents.
She went to the foyer hall closet, where her parents’ butler had hung her purse and pulled out her phone. Finding Mitch’s text, she replied,I’m fine,hit send, and closed the phone. It was curt and probably petty, but she still stung from his reaction and was trying to avoid the guilt of telling him he was broken.
She re-entered the dining area and sat. “I replied to his text.”
Her mother’s hard stare and thin-lipped grimace said she didn’t approve.
“What now?” Sydney felt like she was a teenager about to be reprimanded for breaking the rules.
“It’s not like you to be so insensitive. You sought him out wanting closure. You got it. It sounds like you’d expected something else, but that’s on you. You said he wasn’t interested in a committed relationship.”
Sydney let out a breath. There was truth to her mother’s statement. To a certain extent, she’d brought it all on herself. While that last night at Mitch’s had been more caring and loving than an affair, he’d never said anything to change the status quo. Even his comment that she mattered wasn’t a declaration of love.
“I’m angry he was so quick to think I lied and betrayed him.”
“Betrayed?” Her father looked up from his soft -boiled egg. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“She wouldn’t, but what an interesting choice of words.” Her mother stopped buttering her scone. “In order to feel betrayed, you have to care.”
Sydney pushed her food around her plate. Worried she was sulking, she set her fork on the white linen tablecloth and picked up her coffee. “What do you mean?”
“If your relationship was casual, or even cool, as you suggested, what would he care whether you lied about the letters? It’s just about the sex, right?”
Sydney choked on her coffee. “I didn’t lie.”
“No, but what’s the big deal unless he cares? He washurtby what he perceives was a lie on your part. He can’t be hurt unless he’s invested in the relationship.”
Hope blossomed in Sydney. He had been wrong to automatically assume she’d lied and not hear her out, but that was part of being hurt too, right? Not wanting to hear excuses because he didn’t want to be duped again. She’d made it worse by saying he was broken.
Still, if there was a chance for them, Mitch would need to learn to trust. She wasn’t sure he could do that. At least not with her, given their history.
“I’m not saying you need to get back with him, Sydney. You deserve someone who loves, respects, and trusts you. But it’s possible he has unresolved feelings like you do.”
“You’re right. I hadn’t considered that.”
“I want to hear about this attack.” Her father pushed back his breakfast plate and picked up his coffee.
“Yes. Does Mitch have any suspects?” her mother asked.
Sydney told them what had happened and even included that Mitch had talked to Patrick and Jagger Talbot. Her parents agreed it was a waste of his time, and Sydney found herself defending Mitch, saying he was thorough.
After breakfast, Sydney needed time on her own. She considered going to her room but then decided she wanted to get out. It was a beautiful spring day in New York. When Patrick called and invited her to meet him at Central Park, she had the perfect excuse.
“Will you be safe?” Her mother put an arm around her as they walked toward the front door.
“I’m meeting Patrick.” Granted, he wouldn’t be there for nearly two hours, but her parents didn’t need to know that. Besides, there were a ton of people and it was broad daylight.
“Alright. Tell him hello for me.”
