“I almost lost Hana because I was stubborn,” he says. “You need to think about how it’s going to feel being without her—forever.”
“I am thinking about it,” I mutter, “and it sucks. But it will also suck if my whole life has to revolve around her father’s ridiculous rules. They’re meant to keep us apart as much as possible, and I assume, they think it will break us up.”
“And it worked.” His tone is neutral, but I can see by his expression that he’s almost disappointed in me.
“Just once, she has to step up for me the way I have for her. I offered to do pretty much anything to work on her father and she keeps putting me off.”
“You told me she was hurt that you didn’t fight for her the first time around. I get why you didn’t, but aren’t you doing now exactly what she thought you did then?”
“When does she fight for me?” I ask quietly. “Because love is supposed to be a two-way street. If she would just meet me in the middle…I don’t know.” I pause. “You think I should just suck it up and let her father jerk us around for an indefinite amount of time?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “You absolutely have to set some ground rules but she needs you to support her. For whatever reason, her parents know how to make her feel bad, so your job is to be a big enough man to let her figure that out on her own.”
“I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life fighting her parents. I’m not a bad guy. And I love her.”
“That’s what you need to show them.”
“But how? I tried and her dad was all bluster.”
“I don’t have all the answers, just the perspective of a man who almost lost the woman he loved because he was stubborn.”
“Yeah, but initially you thought she cheated. Isn’t that different?”
“I didn’t really believe that. I was just so scared about becoming a dad, and passing on my depression to a kid, I tried to convince myself that she was the problem. Luckily, you guys all knocked some sense into me. Now I’m returning the favor.”
“I have to think,” I say after a moment. “Take everything into consideration and figure out how much I can put up with, you know? I love her but last time her parents interfered in our relationship, I wound up losing almost everything. I’m not doing that again.”
“Totally understandable. And that’s where compromise comes in. I agree that you can’t be the one making all the sacrifices. At some point, she has to stand up to her parents. Otherwise, it’s not going to work. But you have to give her the chance.”
“I’ve given her so many and she mostly just asks for more time. When I tried to press her on how much time, she didn’t know.”
“The only one who can decide how much you’ll put up with is you.”
“I know.”
“Are you happier without her?”
“Do I seem happier?” I ask blandly.
“No, but you can be cranky even when you’re happy.”
I lift my middle finger as we get onto the elevator and he just laughs.
He’s given me a lot to think about.
I’m just so damn frustrated.
I’m about to open the door to my room when I hear my name. I turn to see Chloe and Jude walking down the hall hand-in-hand.
“Hey.” I nod in their direction.
“So, Victoria’s really not coming?” Chloe asks, wrinkling her nose.
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Her mom gave her this whole guilt trip thing about her dad’s blood pressure being high and she caved. Like she always does.”
“She was so excited,” she says in confusion. “We made all these plans…it must have been heartbreaking for her. But she does let her parents make her feel guilty.”
“I’m probably going to reach out when we get back,” I say. “I may have jumped the gun on the breakup, but she can’t keep doing this. It’s not healthy for her or for our relationship. It just feels too much like what happened last time. They’re going to break us up no matter what, if she lets them.”
