“Nothing,” I try to say but it comes out as a strangled sob.
“Come on, tell me,” Riley cajoles, and I break down.
“Jackson…” I sniff loudly. “Jackson saw me buying the tests and assumed they were for me. He accused me of lying to him. We had a huge fight and now I think we’re over.”
Riley’s silent for a long moment, which is probably a good thing, because now I’m crying full-on again.
“Hang on. I don’t understand. He saw you buying pregnancy tests and freaked out? Why?”
“Because his ex cheated on him and got pregnant. Because he doesn’t want kids and she lied to him. Because he thinks I lied to him, too.”
I know I’m barely making any sense, between my garbled explanation and my unstoppable tears, but Riley seems to grasp enough of the situation.
“Oh Mila. I’m so sorry, this is all my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” I say adamantly. “This is Jackson’s fault. Him and his stupid heart that doesn’t trust me.”
“But if I hadn’t asked you to pick them up, none of this would have happened.” Great, now Riley sounds upset, too.
“Ri, if it hadn’t been this, it would have been something else. Eventually, one of us would have done something that would’ve freaked him out and this would’ve happened. He doesn’t trust me, and I guess he never did. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that we figured it out now.” My voice sounds hollow, broken, just like my heart feels.
“Okay, so, don’t get mad at me for saying this, but…” Riley’s soft voice sounds hesitant, and I take a deep breath to prepare for whatever she’s going to say. “Did you give him a chance to apologize? If he’s been lied to before about this kind of thing, maybe he needs a little more understanding about why it’s hard for him.”
“He didn’t give me a chance to explain before he accused me,” I cry.
“Okay, okay. Never mind,” Riley says, placating my frustration.
But I have to admit, she’s got a point that I’m starting to realize might be valid. Yeah, he should have tried asking me for the truth instead of making an assumption. But I also could have given him a chance to properly apologize before slamming the door in his face.
“Why don’t you give each other some space, then maybe talk again when you’ve calmed down?”
I sigh. “Thanks, Riley. I’m sorry to dump all over your good news like that. I really am happy for you.”
“I know you are. And I am sorry that your favour to me created this mess.”
“Don’t apologize, please. This mess is no one’s fault but mine and Jackson’s.”
“I hope you guys figure it out,” she says softly.
It takes me a minute, but eventually I reply, “Me too.”
One of the downsides to owning my own business is how difficult it is to swing time off. And with the café newly opened, it’s extra complicated. But when I tell Kelly I need some personal time, she doesn’t bat an eye, even after recently covering for me when Jackson took me away for the weekend. A cryptic phone call to Summer is all it takes, and I’ve got one of her beachfront cabins to myself for a night. I have a sneaky suspicion she and the girls will show up at some point to find out what’s going on, especially since I admitted to Summer that I would be here by myself, but at least for now it’s just me, Milo, and the beach.
It’s been twenty-four hours, give or take, since my fight with Jackson. The time has given me a chance to calm down a little and acknowledge just how much I overreacted to his overreaction. I guess two people who didn’t want a relationship in the first place aren’t the best communicators. The bottom line is, I love him, even if he did accuse me of something I would never even consider doing. Even if he does clearly still have some unresolved trust issues, thanks to his bitch of an ex. Even if he did fumble and fail at attempting to apologize. Although, if I’m being really honest, that last one is just as much my fault for closing the door on his face.
As I watch my goofy dog frolic in the waves, I pull my sweater tighter around my body. There’s definitely a chill in the air as fall makes itself known. If Jackson were here, he’d wrap his arms around me, or give me his sweater, or find me a blanket. Whatever it would take to make me comfortable, he would do it. He’s kind, thoughtful, generous, and loving.
And he made a mistake.
Because he’s human.
When I hear a car door slam behind me my heart jumps. But it’s not him. I stand up, brushing sand off my pants as Summer, Paige, and Serena come down the beach toward me. They’ve all got bags in their arms, and I can guess what’s inside.
“We’re crashing your pity party, or whatever this is,” Summer calls out.
“And getting stupid drunk,” Serena adds.
“Don’t worry, I brought plenty of food.” Pragmatic as always, Paige’s contribution makes me smile gratefully at her.
