Page 46 of Pregnancy Scandal
“Gilly, Giselle isn’t going to answer her phone.” Eric shook his head. “Trust me, bro, a person knows when a phone call might not be a good one. Plus, I’m willing to bet that conversation of hers she had with Abby wasn’t the best kind. Sounds like she made it seem like you guys hooked up, and she knows you’re calling to chew her out for it.”
I threw the phone across the room, and it landed on my duffel bag.
“This is fucking bullshit, Eric. Why would she do this?” I snapped.
Eric raised his shoulders. “Truth be told, bro, that girl is one I would never have even messed with. Good on you for landing a model and everything, but I saw that nasty streak of hers from a mile away. We all did, but you were so into her you couldn’t see shit.”
“Eric, this feels meaningless. It shouldn’t be happening. Abby knows how I feel about her, and for fuck’s sake, it’s not like I’m just some guy. She knows me.” That was what was pissing me off.
He nodded. “I agree with you, but I’m seeing this from her side too. How come you didn’t tell her you saw Giselle, bro?”
I closed my eyes and winced. “I actually don’t know. It wasn’t for any kind of specific reason. The truth was, I was focused on Abby and this whole baby thing and how we felt about each other. Giselle was an insignificant occurrence in my book that didn’t matter. There was no ulterior motive in not saying anything, not at all.”
Eric sighed. “It’s Giselle, Gilly. We all know you were into her right from day one. So, I can see where Abby’s coming from on that front. She’s scared, Gilly. That’s what it is. She’s just scared.”
“I don’t know what to do. What do I do or say to her to make her see I want her?”
He shook his head again. “Nothing. You can’t push. All you can do is leave her to form her own conclusions. You’ve said all you needed to say, and it’s for her to trust you. Man, I don’t know anyone who’s gone that far above and beyond to show a woman their love for them. You all have great examples of parents in your lives. Not me. My father is an asshole who disrespected my mother every chance he got with his cheating. You guys never experienced that. So, I know what I’m talking about. The only thing you can do is give her the space and time she asked for and maybe talk to her as a friend.”
All of that was good, meaningful advice. It didn’t, however, help me because what I wanted was something to fix the situation right the hell now. That something didn’t exist because Eric was right. This was about Abby.
Giselle could say whatever she wanted and do whatever she wanted, but Abby didn’t have to believe or acknowledge it. I needed her to believe me.
I needed her to trust me. Trust in us now, not what she’d seen of me in the past.
It was all true. All she’d said about Giselle was true. I’d been ready to settle down with her. I’d wanted to take things to the next level.
But in my heart, I knew that if I’d had an ounce of an idea that I had a shot with Abby, there wouldn’t have been a Giselle. There wouldn’t have been anyone else.
I looked at Eric and wondered when it was he’d gotten so insightful. He’d been there a lot for me during this time and hadn’t been so doggish.
“Thanks for the advice. And being here,” I told him.
“No problem. How about I stick around for the rest of the day? We can go running or something.”
I managed a smile. “Not going to Cartwright Marketing Consultancy today?”
That was the other thing. I’d watched him find every excuse in the book to see Mia.
“Nah, I think I’m gonna give my visits a break. Or just stop.”
I smirked. “Eric, why don’t you just go see Mia properly like a normal person and apologize? Explain that you were an asshole, but you would like to see her again. Maybe for dinner.”
He looked down, pressed his lips together, and shook his head. “No, things have changed, and I can’t now.”
“What do you mean, things have changed?” That sounded like something was going on. As far as I knew, nothing new had happened.
“It’s a long story. A really long one.” He tilted his head to the side.
“Is everything okay?”
“Not really, but I’m dealing with it.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Sounds like something you need to talk about.”
“One day soon, man. Let’s just say I’m not always the dog everyone thinks I am, and I actually did like Mia. Sometimes, though, it’s better to let people think the worst of you than tell the truth. Anyway, let’s deal with your problem first. Today, we hang out and I distract you. Later, you can maybe go see Abby if it feels right.”
I wanted to talk some more about what was bothering him, but I knew what Eric was like when he didn’t want to talk about something. He’d change the subject just like he did. He’d only talk when he was ready.
