“No offense, brother, but what the hell are you doing here, then?”
“How I feel doesn’t change anything.”
“You’re not making any sense, Sam.Of course, it does.”
“Yes, I have feelings for her.”I felt like a coward, fumbling around the word he’d used, knowing I wasn’t ready to face those feelings yet.Not if I was going to move on.“You and I both know that what happened with Piper crushed me.I shouldn’t be with anyone right now, let alone the first person I slept with after I’ve gotten back.”
“You’re acting like you weren’t practically infatuated the minute you met her.”
“Of course, I was.But isn’t that how it started the last time?I let my feelings for someone get in the way of my work, and it bit me in the ass.I won’t let it happen again.”
“You have to let that go, Sam.Tiffany isn’t Piper.”Rubbing his hands on his thighs, he sighed, and I knew what came next would be a hard truth.“So, you had to hit the reset button on your life.Starting over isn’t inherently a bad thing.The difference is that you have experience now.What would be a bigger mistake is throwing away something good because you’re scared.Hurting Tiffany won’t make up for how Piper hurt you.”
“You don’t think I know that?Tiffany is a hundred times the person Piper was.”
“I’m not hearing the problem.”
“The problem is that I should be focused on the bar right now.You remember?The whole reason I came back?”
“This has nothing to do with the bar and everything to do with you.”He’d clearly given up trying to be gentle with me and so plowed on, exasperated.“Do you seriously think Tiffany gives a rat’s ass about taking over?Has she indicated once while working for you that she felt she deserved it in some way?Has she mentioned once that that’s even something she wants?”
“This is more than sex.I can’t go through it again.When Piper ended it, the damn floor disappeared beneath me.I don’t know that I’ll be able to get back up a second time.”
“Are you afraid she doesn’t feel the same?”
“No, I know she does.That’s the problem.If this doesn’t work out ...”
“Then, it doesn’t work out.”He finished his beer and set it on the table, tired.“Look, you’re going to do what you want.You always have.But life’s too short to give up on something that clearly means this much to you.”
Rationally, I knew that.I did.But it was a risk I wasn’t sure I was willing to take.
“Jordan offered her a job.In New York.”
“Has she accepted?”
“I don’t think so.Not yet.”
“Then, you still have time to figure it out.”
“Figure out what?”
“I love you, but you’re an idiot.”
