"You used her." I sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover my bare breasts because, predictively, that's where his eyes automatically went. But I needed him to see how serious I was.
"You knew she had stronger feelings for you than you did, and instead of letting her go, you kept her hanging around for convenience."
He tensed, a flush creeping on his cheeks. "Well, when you put it like that, I sound like an asshole."
"Tell me I'm wrong."
He blew his breath out. "No. I knew she wanted more. I stayed with her half for convenience and half -" he stopped.
"Half?" I pressed.
"Half because you're her neighbor, and I would visit her so I could bump into you."
"Oh, my god!" I slapped him on the chest. "That'swhy I kept bumping into you more than usual.
"If you think about it, it's kind of romantic."
I sent him a dark look. I was not amused.
He sighed, looking contrite. "You're right. I treated her like shit. Truth be told, I have been feeling guilty about it. I've walked by her in the hall, and she looks at me like I'm the devil. Not that I blame her," he added.
He gave me a small smile as he reached to tuck a stray curl behind my ear. "I'll try and approach her at some point."
I returned his smile before rewarding him with a sweet kiss.
Chapter 27
Sofia
Thenextfewweekswere hectic. The lead-up to the wedding was a flurry of excitement and running around, feeling like a chicken with my head cut off. Eden wasn't a Bridezilla. She was pretty chill, all things considered. But I volunteered to fulfill some bridesmaid duties - making sure the venue decor was up to scratch, storing and steaming the dresses,gentlyreminding Simon to pick up the suits, and not to write a boorish Best Man speech.
My relationship with Simon continued to flourish. I had strongly suspected I was in love with him, so when he showed up at my door when I needed him the most - it cemented it for me. I was in love with him.
And I was so freaked out about it. I knew he had strong feelings for me. But love? Was he capable of having a long-term relationship?
I wasn't the type of person to let my feelings fester. I wanted to be upfront and honest with him. If he didn't feel the same way or didn't see our relationship lasting long-term, I had to let him go.
I decided to confess my feelings for him after the wedding. If he didn't feel the same way, the last thing I wanted was an awkward wedding party. I couldn't do that to Eden and Barron.
After I got over my initial upset that my mom was moving, I slowly got used to the idea. Simon taught me to look at the positive side of things.
"Someone will always be with your mom. She'll never feel lonely," he told me as he held me in his arms, post-coitus.
"You'll always have an excuse to visit your family now. You always tell me how much you love hanging out with them."
I nodded, my fears starting to ebb away.
"And you can join civilization every now and then and experience what it's like to have more than one grocery store."
I had playfully smacked his chest at that cheeky quip.
The market at the moment wasn't great for selling in New Haven, so mom decided to wait until late spring / early summer to put the house up for sale. But she was already packing the house up and selling off items she no longer needed in anticipation. The process was bittersweet, especially as my mom started to let go of a few of dad's things. I kept his Philadelphia Eagles shirt and a hat that he wore when he was out for walks. The rest I was okay to let go. Dad's legacy and memories lived in me, not in his material things.
It was still an emotional time, but Simon was always there to pick me up.
Before we knew it, Eden and Barron's wedding was finally upon us. Their venue was on a farm a few miles outside New Haven that hosted events. The weather was perfect - cool yet dry. Eden's favorite season was Fall, so it wasn't a surprise that she chose this time of the year to get married.
One of Eden's designer friends offered to make her wedding dress and the whole bridal party, including bespoke suits for the men—perks of the job.
