Did it? Yes. And No. “I want to know.”
“The sanitized version or the gritty, raw truth.”
“That’s your decision.” Lilly jumped on the sofa and laid beside him. He smiled at her, then turned his eyes back to Tiffany. “I’m sorry for being so heartless since I saw you at Mrs. Leola’s. There’s no excuse. Regardless of what happened between us nine years ago, we were friends first. As your friend, I’d like to know.”
A hesitant smile tugged at her mouth. “That was a lifetime ago.”
“Seems like it at times.”
She ran her tongue over her lips. Her eyes flickered with indecision. “I wish I could say our breakup was a wake-up call, but I was in too deep. Even after I lost my scholarship and dropped out, I couldn’t see what I’d become.”
“You dropped out? You only had a year left” The words slipped out before he could stop them. He’d promised her he wanted to know, and here he was, making judgey comments already. “I’m sorry. I’m surprised, that’s all.”
“I get it. My parents were as well. I’d hid my problems from them. They didn’t even know we’d broken up.” Her throat constricted. “My life was falling apart. I kept my little apartment off campus until I couldn’t pay anymore and was evicted. I came clean to my parents, and they gave me a choice. If I went to rehab, they’d help me get back on my feet. If I didn’t, I was on my own.”
“That’s tough love.” He’d always known her parent to be kind. He couldn’t imagine being in their situation, wanting to help his child but knowing they had to make their own choices at that age.
“They tried to help. Goodness knows they tried.” A tear trickled from her left eye. She let it fall.
He wanted to reach out, wipe it away. Why couldn’t he let the matter rest? She’d obviously gotten her life back in order. Why did he ask her to rehash the memories? “You don’t have to finish.”
She shook her head. “You should know.”
“It’s your call,” he assured her. He wouldn’t press her.
He’d found out what he wanted to know. She was a fine, upstanding citizen.
And he’d been a complete and total jerk.
