Page 28 of Wrapped Up In You
“What time do you get to the office every day?”
“Seven.” I didn’t see what that had to do with anything.
“Every day?”
“Of course.”
“What time does Jon go in?”
“I don’t know. When I was still at home, he usually left around six-thirty.”
“…so he could get to the office at seven.”
“Probably. I don’t see how that makes me just like him. Many people like to get an early start to their day,” I grumbled.
“Alright. Where do wet towels go after a shower?”
What the hell kind of question was this? “They get hung up on the towel rod.”
“Never tossed on the floor?”
“Why in the world would anyone toss a wet towel on the floor? It won’t dry properly, and then it starts to smell. And it’ll leave a wet spot on the carpet, which isn’t good for the carpet either. Plus, then you don’t have a towel waiting for you when you get out of the shower the next day.”
His shit-eating grin had my little speech stuttering to a stop and my mouth clamping shut. I was sure I was pouting, but I didn’t care.
“Do you know how many times Jon gave me a similar speech in high school? You even said it with a similar tone of voice.”
“Okay, well, the towel thing is just common sense. And my father and I may be alike on some surface-level things. Obviously, I like structure, routine, and order. But that doesn’t mean I’m just like him in other areas. I’m not nearly as judgmental.” He raised his eyebrow, which I ignored. “I…um…I like mushrooms, and he doesn’t. And…I like soccer, which he says is incredibly boring.” I was reaching, and I knew it, but I refused to face the truth. Hayden’s gaze softened as I reached for a more plausible difference. I blew out a breath.
“You know what, I really don’t need this. I was trying to help you, and you shoved this bullshit in my face. Let me know when dinner’s ready.” I picked up my glass and stormed off. Only in this tiny cabin, there wasn’t anywhere to storm offto. So I took myself into the bedroom and slammed the door.
16
HAYDEN
Iwatched him go, wanting to follow but unsure if he needed space. I lasted about thirty seconds before I followed him anyway.
I nudged open the door cautiously. “Can I come in?”
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at his wine, so I couldn’t see his face. He shrugged, which I took as assent, so I came in and took a seat next to him. He immediately scooted over, leaving a few inches of space between us.
Ah, angry Lucy was petty.
“I’m sorry I pushed. I didn’t mean to upset you. I have a lot of respect for Jon, and you as well. I was just trying to show you how similar you are, in the hopes that maybe you’d have a better understanding of each other.”
“Didn’t feel that way. Felt like shoving all my faults in my face.”
I could see what he meant. But the fact was, Jon wasn’t a terrible person, and neither was Lucy.
“There’s nothing wrong with being orderly and prompt. I told you this morning that I like that about you. But you and your dad…don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a tendency to only see one way of doing things. Any other way of looking at the world is wrong.” The crease between his brows grew deeper, though he still refused to look at me, and he didn’t respond. “I used to think you were judgmental, but now I’m thinking it’s not quite as simple as that.”
I took a chance and slid closer. This time, he didn’t scoot away. Gently, I took the wine glass from him and set it on the side table, then took both his hands in mine. “Lucy, look at me.” Slowly, he lifted his head and met my eyes. This sweet man. He’d always had a prickly exterior, but I thought maybe it was a defense mechanism. The truth was, he just needed a little love and care, and I wasn’t sure anyone had ever given it to him.
“In my experience, judgmental people are often that way because they want to make themselves feel better by pointing out other people’s flaws. But that’s not the case with you, is it? You’re not judging. Those people just don’t make sense to you. So you come off as aloof, but really, it’s that you don’t understand them. Is that right?”
“I suppose it could be.”
“I must confuse the shit out of you, yet you haven’t been cold. You’ve just made an effort to understand me. I’ve never had someone take the time to try to figure me out. I’m a good time. The life of the party. I have plenty of friends. But my messy life was always a source of amusement. A quick and easy joke. And mostly I could laugh with them, because honestly, sometimes itisfunny. But I’ve never had anyone in my life actually try to understand why I am the way I am. Your dad certainly hasn’t, butyouhave.”
