“This being...”She tips her head a bit.She’s mad or just really hurt.I see it behind her eyes.
“I guess...I am just not good at the long haul, and I like you enough to be up-front about that.”
“But you weren’t up-front about it.You got drunk and made out with someone else instead of doing what we’re doing right now.”
“That’s my point...I’m not good at this.”
“Levi, this goes beyond being noncommittal.You know that, right?”
Gabriella hasn’t said anything in five minutes, a new record for her.I have a feeling she didn’t see it going this way.
“You hurt my feelings and you embarrassed me.”Tate’s voice drops to a whisper.
“I’m sorry.My execution sucked, yes, but my intention was not to hurt you.You see that, don’t you?”
She looks away and then back at me.“Let’s go back to not talking to each other.”
“If that’s what you want,” I say, flicking a hand in the air.
“It’s what I want.”
Chapter 24
Tate
“Tate, come sit on this suitcase!”Gabriella hollers from somewhere inside the closet.I peel myself from the bed—and my thoughts—walking the short distance to her.When I hit the threshold, I freeze.Shoes, clothes, hangers, and huge duffle bags cover almost every square inch of space.
“You’re leaving for five days.Why does your suitcase look like the seams are going to pop?”I ask, but still make my way over to lend my weight to the top lid, and it barely relents.The sound of a zipper moves slowly around me.
“Because Thanksgiving is all about the OOTD.I have preplanned my looks per outing and an overstuffed suitcase is the result.”She claps her hands once when she gets the zipper all the way around to the other side.
“That’s funny!This whole time I thought it was about gratitude and being with friends and family.”I shoot her a salty smile before coming to a stand.
“Very funny.Grab the small one and help me take it to the door, will you?”
“Nah, I would rather watch you try to do it.”
