Chapter 14
I’m driving us away from her father’s place, and my mind is racing. The silence between us isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s full of things we’ve never said, and I need to breathe.
“Are you good?” she asks.
“Yeah I’m good. Why wouldn't I be.”
“Look I'm sorry that my dad didn't want you to come in.”
“No,pleasedon't do that. I carried you there for you. For you and him. It's the least I could do,” I reply.
“What did you do?”
“I went to the park. Met a fan apparently,” I say, smiling to myself.
“A fan?”
“Yeah some girl.”
It doesn't escape me that Gabby goes quiet for a second. Oh no. She’s going to get the wrong idea.
“Nothing happened and it's not like that. I don't know this woman. She's someone who apparently saw me on TV and wanted an autograph.”
“Anautograph? Wow Mr. Bigshot over here,” Gabrielle smiles.
The smile on my face feels like it gets wider. “Never thought of myself as a big shot.”
“That's just your imaginary humble trying to convince me that it exists because I know damn well you're proud as hell. Look at your face. I bet she was pretty too,” Gabby says.
The heat in my face starts rising.
“See I told you.”
“Yes she was pretty,” I admit.
“Did you ask her out?”
“No, I did not ask her out.”
“Why not? That was a perfect opportunity if she was feeling you,” Gabby smiles, but something tells me she doesn’t mean it.
After what she revealed to me recently and the things we said to each other, I know for certain she’s not as over me as she tries to pretend. She’s probably over my bullshit, but her heart still cares. Would she really be okay with me moving on with someone else?
“I’m going to be honest with you, I thought about it,” the words spill out of my mouth.
“I know you did,” she says, and I can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic or not.
She never used to be this sarcastic with me, so sometimes I miss it because I’m not expecting it. The fact that she’s not making eye contact, staring straight out the windshield, tells me she’s not okay with it.
“Well I didn’t.”
“Why not?” she asks, genuinely curious it seems.
My shoulder lifts in a shrug. “Don’t need the additional drama. I’m not going to be able to prioritize her. I already broke one woman's heart. The one that mattered the most. So why would I burden someone else with the piece of shit that I am?”
It’s quiet for a few seconds. Every word I said, I mean.
“Don’tdothat to yourself, Link. One day… you’re going to move on and so am I. Look… maybe it didn't work out withusbut it might with the next person. Maybe you’lllearnfrom your mistakes. At least if you're smart you will, but then again you're still working at this job still with yourcoworkerso honestly unless your new girlfriend’s going to be okay with you sleeping with another woman maybe you should wait until you're in a better situation or I don't know… just date Sarah like everyone thinks you already are.”
