She was admiring the Chanel, but she looked at me when I said that.
I stopped bapping the tablet and held my hands up.“I give.I’m not so proud and stubborn I can’t admit when I’m wrong.So now, I’m going to admit I was wrong and you were right.I’m in over my head.I think Hutch and I are both in over our heads.”I drew in as much oxygen as I could to prepare to say my last, then I said it, “We aresonot FWBs.”
She said nothing, but her face assumed a gentle expression.
Annnnnnd…moreso’ing.
Isowasn’t fond of what that gentle expression might mean, I went back to bapping.
And talking.
“On Saturday night, before it all went down, I was drinking tea, staring at my fire, as mountain girls do, sorting all of this in my head and gearing myself up to talk to him about it.See where he was at.And now, since it all went down, I can’t say anything.”
“No,” she said carefully.“Now is definitely not the time to tell that man you’re cutting him loose.”
My eyes flew to her.“Cutting him loose?”
“Though I will, very, very cautiously say, your ex was an asshole.A lot of men are assholes.Butallmen aren’t assholes.And I don’t think Hutch is an asshole.”
She didn’t address my question, thus I repeated it.“Cutting him loose?”
She’d taken all the handbags out of the box and set the box aside, and now she was looking for our tags to price them, all while, clear as day, she was struggling with what to say.
“Abigail, you’re never at a loss for words,” I noted.“Don’t fail me now.”
She found the tags and turned to me.
“This is very sensitive.This is also very important.But it affects me only indirectly.What you decide, in something like this, it has to be all you.”
“Itwillbe all me,” I asserted.“And I already know I have no choice but to discuss things with him.I don’t want to put you on the spot.You’re obviously uncomfortable.So brace for me putting you on the spot.You’re also my only good friend up here and the only one who knows Hutch at all.”
“Okay,”—she squared her shoulders—“I’ll start with saying, just be careful with him.”
I was torn between mad she’d think I wouldn’t be and confused as to why she’d say that at all.
She explained it.
And rocked my world.
“Because that man is head over heels in love with you.”
I stopped breathing.
Completely.
And I was pretty sure my heart exploded.
Could you remain standing if your heart exploded?
“Mabel?”she called.
I forced air into my lungs to say, “You think he’s in love with me?”
She appeared stunned.“You don’t know that already?”
My head swung to look toward the back hall.
When I swung back, Moxie had jumped up on the counter to inspect the bags.
