His eyes widened.His mouth opened, but no words came out.He wordlessly pressed his lips together.His Adam’s apple bobbed.“I, uh...I like you.And you like me too.Or at least you used to.”
She shook her head.“Liking someone isn’t enough.There’s too much at stake.”
He pressed his hands to his waist as he glanced down.“What do you want from me?”
I want you to love me.I want you willing to meet me halfway to make this relationship work.I want you to tell the world how you feel about me.
Of course, she wasn’t going to say any of that out loud.
“Why are you doing this?”he asked.“I apologized.I explained things to my mother.She wants to have lunch with us tomorrow.”
Abby was touched that he’d clarified things with his mother, but it still wasn’t enough.“Brad, I can’t keep doing whatever this is.I thought I could.I thought I could live without labels.But I can’t.I want more.And you aren’t willing to give more.”She walked to the door that was still ajar.She pulled it wide open.“Please go.”
His gaze lifted to meet hers.There was a myriad of emotions in those blue eyes as he walked out the door.
She closed the door behind him.Once it was locked, she leaned back against it.She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She couldn’t play this game by his rules any longer.She wanted more.She needed more.She deserved more.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hemissedhersomuch.
It was Monday morning in Bayberry.Brad had gotten his mother off to the airport the evening before.She was on her way to Florida, where she was to meet up with her friends from Barch.It was time for their semi-annual cruise.This year they were taking a voyage through the Panama Canal.
It was their first time for that sort of cruise.He couldn’t tell if his mother was more excited about going through the canal itself or her first visit to California.She wasn’t the only one in the group who was excited about the possibility of spotting some of the rich and famous.In fact, they were planning to spend a week out there before flying home.
He was happy for his mother.She’d worked so hard to support and raise him.She absolutely deserved all of the happiness now.
She wasn’t very happy with him at the moment.When he’d told her lunch was off with Abby, his mother insisted on a reason.And when he’d told her they were no longer seeing each other, his mother sent him a look of disappointment.In that moment, he’d shrunk in his mother’s vision, and it killed him.
His mother pointed out his pattern of avoiding serious relationships.He couldn’t argue with her.She was right.Since when had his mother become such an expert on his dating life?
This morning, he’d gone to the Steaming Brew, as well as Abby’s apartment.They weren’t done talking.He had more he had to say.
But she hadn’t been at either place.And her car was missing.When he called her, it went to voicemail.
When he’d sought out Sadie, she’d given him the death stare.She wouldn’t tell him anything about Abby.And he was out of ideas of where to look for her.
And since he’d made such an utter and complete mess of things, he decided to leave early for the airport in Burlington.
“Are you sure you have to go now?”Reed asked.
Brad nodded.“I don’t think I’m welcome in this town now that things ended with Abby.”
“Dude, you messed up royally with her.”
Brad raked his fingers through his hair.“I know.I want to fix things, but she won’t talk to me.I’ve called and left messages.And nothing.I went to her place, and she isn’t there.”He let out a resigned sigh.“The truth is that I can’t give her what she wants—what she deserves.”
Reed arched a brow.“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.”The answer was quick, but the question lingered in Brad’s thoughts as he made his way to the airport.
He chewed on the question as he returned his rental car.It continued to plague him as he waited for his flight.Why was he so hesitant to make a commitment?
He realized it went back to his childhood.He blamed his father dying for his mother’s troubles.Hey, he was a kid at the time.All he knew was if his father hadn’t died, his mother wouldn’t have had to work herself so hard to keep a roof over their heads.
As he grew older, he noticed his mother didn’t bother dating.She’d kept his father’s picture in the living room.Sometimes, he would notice her staring at his father’s picture, and the pain was evident in her eyes.He didn’t want to give anyone the power to hurt him that deeply.
