He ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t know I was. Or maybe I did.”
“You know exactly what you’re doing,” she accused. “You’re trying to get me to see how committed you are. I know it. But the more you do this, the more I need the time away, not morewithyou. So please, go and know I love you, I really do. When you come back we can talk some more.”
“Now I can’t go at all,” he said. “Jesus. I feel like shit.”
Her shoulders dropped. This was why she didn’t say what was on her mind. “I don’t want you to feel that way, but I have to be honest. It doesn’t mean I love you any less.”
And she didn’t want to risk his constant need for connection pushing her to where she felt the urge to run.
“I get it. I guess. I can be a lot.”
“I didn’t used to think it, but now, it’s hard not to. I wonder how much worse you’d be if you didn’t have that consulting gig going on.”
“It’s not as much work as I thought and since I’ve got time at night when you aren’t around, and the time difference.”
“Say no more,” she said. “Something else we need to work on. Give me a kiss. Go visit your grandmother and have fun. I mean it.”
“There will be no fun visiting my parents.”
She didn’t know if she should offer to go with him like he’d done when she told her parents. Should she make the time?
She’d wanted to do it alone.
But this all started with him needing the emotional support girlfriend.
He could control it this time around. He was choosing to go there when he’d said he wasn’t going to. Or go this early.
It was on him and he was going to have to do it alone if it was in the next few days.
Right now, if she went with him and saw his parents’ reaction, with the way she was feeling over his overprotective actions...it wouldn’t be good for either of them.
“Pull up your big boy panties. You know you can do it.”
He laughed. “That’s rude. I like it, but still rude.”
She winced. “Sorry. I’m busy. Give me a kiss. I’ll talk to you tonight, I promise.”
“How about?—”
“There is an event later and I’ve got to work. I can’t come to dinner.”
“Sorry, I forgot.”
Short of giving him her schedule, which she refused to do as it felt too much like reporting to her father, she was going to have to keep reminding him of things.
Maybe when they were under the same roof it’d be different, but she was nowhere close to that. Not even talking about it.
Her place was out of the question and she didn’t care for the house he was renting. They could figure out the rest together. Like a coupleshoulddo.
She leaned in for a kiss. “I’m going to enjoy my flowers and my chocolate.”
“You said you were craving chocolate. I get points for listening to you, right?”
“You absolutely do. I wish you’d listen to the rest, but I appreciate the chocolate.” She gave him one big smile and a quick peck to ease the topic of their conversation. “Go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Can I have one more kiss without you thinking I’m needy? One for the road. I won’t be back until Tuesday night.”
She hadn’t even asked how long he’d be gone. She should have done that at least. That was on her being so preoccupied.
