“At least you’re a pretty weed,” she said, just like she had all those years ago.
“Little older now,” I added.“Some wrinkles, seen some shit, but still here.”I nodded toward the shower.“Go clean yourself up.”With a wink, I closed the bathroom door and headed for the kitchen, immediately grabbing the teapot and filling it with water.
Then I tossed two pieces of toast into the toaster and made myself a cup of coffee.By the time the tea was steeped, toast was on a plate on the table, and my coffee was more than halfway done, Rose stepped out of the bedroom.Her wet hair was brushed back, revealing her fresh face, pink from the too-hot showers she loved so much.The dusting of freckles on her nose was on full display as her eyes locked on the little spread I made her.
“Toast, too?”she asked.
“It’ll hopefully help settle your stomach.”
“Thanks.”She sat and picked up her Winnie the Pooh mug she’d had since she was twelve, and a slight smile curved her mouth.It was the mug she always used when she was sick.As if it reminded her of the comfort and care she’d received from her parents at that age.Now I was the one who cared for her, carrying on their responsibility.Except it never felt like a responsibility.Iwantedto care for her.
“How’s your tea?”I asked.
“Perfect.”She took a tentative bite of her toast.She chewed slowly, moving the bite around her mouth and then swallowing.“Everyone knows.”
“Knows what?”I asked, taking the last sip of my coffee and pushing from the table to refill.
“About us.”
I placed my mug on the granite and turned to her, pressing my back against the counter.Words evaded me.We had broken up, but because no one had known, I thought maybe… we’d work it out and could act like this never happened.
Reality reached out and slapped me.Hard.I abandoned my mug, no longer craving another.I didn’t want caffeine.I’d rather be tired and depressed than hyper and depressed.
I sat down at the table and looked at Rose.“What do we do?”
Wyatt’s eyes bore into me, cutting deep at my insides and reminding me of all that I had lost.All that I’d purposely given up because he couldn’t give me one simple thing.The longer he stared at me, the more I thought about our baby growing in my stomach, the life we could have had if I hadn’t fucked everything up.But I couldn’t just say forget it now.He’d always wonder if what we had was enough.If he was enough.I couldn’t do that to him.Wouldn’t.
He was enough.He was too much.So freaking perfect in every way, but for the one thing that once didn’t matter to me but now was a deal breaker.I didn’t want to resent him one day.It was starting to form inside me already.Little nudges of disappointment every time I thought he’d propose, and he didn’t.Every wedding we attended.Every proposal we witnessed.The little girl inside me kept surfacing, kept asking when it was her turn.
I did what I thought needed to be done.And now… Now I wasn’t sure she’d ever get her turn.
“I think I should go back to Meadows.”
“What?No.I mean.How do you even know everyone knows?”
“When Brady was owning your ass yesterday—”
“Hey!”He held his hand up.“He did not own my ass.I was defenseless against his attacks.He was armed with a ball, and I was practically naked on a platform.Might as well have been locked in a pillory in the town square.”
My eyebrow raised; a slight laugh rumbled in my throat.No matter the mood, the context, or the day, Wyatt could always make me laugh.
“I apologize.”This time I held my hands up.
“Thank you, Grasso.That is very big of you.”
“I aim to please.”The lie burned my tongue as it left.If I aimed to please, I wouldn’t be sitting here about to have this conversation.I forced the bitterness down.“Meadow told me I can stay with her for as long as I need.”
Wyatt shook his head.“Don’t you miss our… I mean your bed?”
“That’s just it, Wy.It’sourbed.And last night…” I inhaled, remembering the cold feel of his side of the mattress.“I felt guilty you were on the couch.”
“I’ll leave then.”
“What?No.”I didn’t want him to have to leave his home because of me.It was my decision that we weren’t together, and I didn’t want him to have to suffer any more than he already was.
“You haven’t been home in a week.It’s my turn.”
“Where would you go?”Any one of my family members would take him in a heartbeat.Heck, they’d probably take him before me.
