Three hours later, after Dr. Bryner, a middle-aged woman with short cropped salt and pepper gray hair had repositioned my nose, the four of us pulled up to Anna and Blue’s place. For the first time tonight, Tally didn’t run away as soon as she got out of the car.
On the sidewalk, she hugged Anna goodbye as I fist-bumped Blue.
Then Anna stepped over and gave me a tight squeeze. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive home? You know you’re welcome to spend the night. We have a guest bedroom.”
“Super comfy bed.” Blue winked. “Trust me.”
Anna smacked him on the chest and Tally giggled off to my right.
“Dude,” I said. “She’s my niece.”
Blue shrugged and grinned. “She’s my wife.”
Anna’s face was bright red. “Seriously, though. You’re welcome to the bed if you want it.”
“I think your husband has soured me on it forever. ” I laughed. “ Seriously though, maybe another time. Tonight, I just want to sleep in my own bed.”
“Okay.” She pushed up on her tiptoes and put her mouthright next to my ear. “Go easy on her. I think she feels pretty awful."
Then she waved to us and walked inside with her husband. I watched them go, envious. They didn’t have to do this painful dating nonsense anymore.
I turned to find Tally gone. Not the least bit surprising. But then I saw her standing next to my truck, waiting for me.
When I approached, she did that thing where she hugs herself. She looked up at me, her eyes turned down. “Sorry, I was so…” her words trailed off.
“Tightly wound?” I offered.
She winced. “Yeah.”
I sighed. “I’m so confused, Tally. First, you kick me out of your room like you’re disgusted by the sight of me, then you ask me out, and then…I don’t even know what today was.”
“I know. I messed up.”
“Why?”
Her head tilted to one side and her chocolate brown hair caught the light of the setting sun. “Why’d I mess up or why’d I ask you out?”
“Any of it. All of it. Let’s start with why you’re so uptight?” I started to scrub a hand over my face but thankfully realized my mistake before causing any more damage to my nose. “When we kissed to now…it’s like you’re a totally different person.”
“Because.” Her chest rose and fell twice. “You weren’t a threat then.”
If she’d head-butted me in the nose for a second time it couldn’t have hurt more. “You see me as athreat?”
She peeked up at me. “I know it doesn’t make sense and it’s just…” She waved her hand in a lazy circle. “A trauma response.”
I rubbed my neck. “I’m not…him.” Whoever had done this to her. “I wouldn’t hurt you like that.”
She went back to hugging herself. “Logically I know that, but also, sirens are going off in my head screamingdanger, danger.” Her laugh was tinged with bitterness. “When anxiety takes hold, it's like I'm caught in mental quicksand. My thoughts start racing, and before I know it, I'm in way over my head.” Her hands made a mind-blown gesture. “And it’s…a mess.”
“Did sirens go off with Madden?”
“No.” She hunched like she wished she could hide. “But Madden was never a threat. Until he put a ring on my hand.”
I chewed on that for a moment, trying to ignore the fact that my entire face throbbed. “Maybe you walked away from the right guy,” I mumbled more to myself than to her.
“I didn’t.” Her eyes were suddenly bright and determined. “He’s not. The right guy, I mean.” Well, at least she was sure about something. Just not about me.
“If you see me as a threat, then why were you so adamant that we go out? Right now? It’s clear you didn’t actually want to be on a date.”
