“Wow!”
“It’s your birthstone.”
I pause a moment.He thinks this is my birthstone?But it’s May.
“Oh? Actually my birthstone is emerald, but I still love it! Thank you!”
It’s not exactly my style, but it is very pretty, and it’s the effort that matters. I could be with one of those guys who doesn’t even remember my birthday at all.
“Look, it even matches my nails.” I chose a simple red dress and painted my nails with a matching glitter polish—I firmly believe in wearing sparkles on your birthday, and now I have jewelry to match.
“No, your birthstone is ruby.”
“I love the necklace,” I repeat, not wanting to argue.
I spent an extra half hour on my makeup, and tonight is supposed to be fun—I’m going to have fun. I’m done thinking about Dad’s letter or the messy conversation in the attic with Logan . . . And I’m definitely not entertaining the tarot reading that basically told me my relationship was a sham. I just want to enjoy my birthday, eat a nice dinner, and have a good time.
He seems satisfied with that answer, and the tension between us dissipates.
“Excellent, because there’s something else I got you.”
My lips curl into a smile. “What?”
He swallows a bite and points at me with his fork. “I found this really great company. I made a few phone calls, and normally they have a waiting list a month long, but I was able to fit you in.”
My brows crease. “A company for what?”
“It’s an estate liquidator. They can come by your place and just take it all away. Everything in the attic. They have a bunch of experts who will appraise the items, find out how much something is worth, manage the art and the selling. They do all the work. You can finally get your weekends back, babe!”
What the fuck?
My chest feels too tight, too hot. His words finally register, and panic coils as I imagine strangers rifling through my dad’s things.No way!
My breaths quicken, but I force myself to drop the tension in my shoulders.He’s only trying to help.Just like that, my mind is back to comparing Jason to Logan. I wish Jason understood that I need to process this in my own way. I wish he’d be supportive instead of just trying to take it away. Logan gets it, why can’t he?
“Jason, that is a really thoughtful gift, and I appreciate the hoops you probably jumped through to arrange it, but I can’t just let someone else come in and go through his things.” I roll mylips together. “Some of it might not be worth anything, but it’s sentimental. I have to do it at my own pace.”
“I’m trying to make your life easier. You said you were stressed, this would take away the stress!” He pulls out his phone, checking his messages.
“I know . . .” I reach across the table to grasp his hand, stealing his attention back. “I know your intentions are good, but I’m not ready to move that fast yet.”
“Just thought you might want to spend more time together.”
He stares at me, the friction growing between us. I don’t want to ruin the night. Maybe he’s right, this is why we’re feeling off, we don’t have enough time together. We haven’t had time to bond and maintain our relationship, and these things take work.
“How is your steak?” I ask, smiling.
He shrugs. “Fine. I’ve probably cooked better at home.” He checks his phone again.
“What do you want to do after this? We could watch a movie at your place?” I suggest.
“I dunno, I’ve got an early morning.”
Disappointment. I took off work early for this dinner because I was hoping for the extra time together.
His phone buzzes, and he checks it one last time before shaking his head. “No, let’s do the movie. You’re right. We have this time, we should use it.”
I smile. “Yeah?”
