“Nothing!” I cry. “Baxter is an addict. He didn’t ghost me. He went on a bender and woke up on a park bench in another town. Far away. He has a real problem.”
My cousin’s lips press into a frown, and she moves the baby around to her other breast. “Well, that’s terrible. Did you have any idea?”
I shake my head. “I would never have guessed it… Although, thinking about how he acted in the beginning, how aggressive he was… He was always showing up to take me somewhere. It was a lot.”
“It was six,” Haddy notes. “You told him six dates, and he wanted to get in your pants.”
“True…” I nod. “Either way, he’s doing the steps. He came back to make amends.”
“How do you make amends for ghosting someone?”
“That’s exactly what I said. I told him just knowing was enough, but he actually offered for me to punch him in the nose.”
Her face lights up with a smile. “Did you?”
“Of course not. I gave him a hug.”
“You have got to stop being so understanding all the time,” Haddy groans. “People are not dogs. They’re not all good.”
“Well, Owen saw us, and he didn’t even let me explain.”
“Leave it to me. Next timeI’llpunch Baxter in the nose. You don’t have to be there.”
Shaking my head, I exhale a whine, putting my hands on each side of my face. “I don’t care about Baxter. I care about Owen not talking to me.”
Haddy’s expression softens, and I put my head down on my arm, shoulders shaking.
“Easy, now.” Haddy squeezes my hand before putting a squirmy baby Lucy on her shoulder and patting her little back. “It’s okay, Lulu. Aunt Gigi is just having a crisis.”
“I am…” My stomach is in knots. “I don’t know what Owen is thinking. When I saw his face, he was so angry. Then he just walked away.”
“Why didn’t you go after him?”
“I did! He went straight into that crowd last night, and the harder I pushed to get to him, the more they pulled me away. So I tried to come here and meet him at his house,but he never came home. I’ve sent text after text… I’ve called…”
Bending my knees, I put my feet on the chair and wrap my arms around my legs. I hold myself tight as angry sadness twists in my chest.
With my eyes closed, I see so clearly the storm clouds in his pretty blue eyes, the tightness in his square jaw, the clench of his fists. His shaggy brown hair that I love to tangle my fingers in moving away from me, as he pushed straight into the crowd and was pulled further and further away.
Hewantedto get away from me.
“Hey, now.” Haddy is at my side, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “Don’t cry, Gigi. He can’t stay gone forever. He bought a house here.”
“I’m just so mad… and sad… and I don’t want to lose him, Hads.” My heart beats hard, and I try to calm my breathing. “We had this whole talk about Maddie and trust and not wanting to start anything unless we were sure… I can’t let him treat me this way. At the same time, I can’t let him decide I’m too much of a risk.”
I put my fists on the side of my head and exhale a frustrated growl.
“Hey, look at me.” My cousin shifts around in her chair, putting her hands on my shoulders. “He’s not going to decide anything like that. He just needs to cool off. All relationships have bumps, but you’re meant to be together. It’s in the cards.”
I lean my head on her shoulder, exhaling heavily. “It’s just all so new and fragile.” Lifting my phone off the table, I give it a shake. “And this stupid thing is useless. I’m sick of waiting for it to go off, and it never does. I want to throw it out the window.”
“Give it to me.” She takes my phone out of my hand. “You need a distraction. Let’s go through the charity show and see if we have everything we need. When the guys get back, we’ll have to move fast to have it ready before Christmas. They only have so many free days to practice.”
I’m not okay, but I let her drag me to her office where she has all the plans pulled up on her computer screens.
24
OWEN
