Page 94 of Trial and Error

I grind my teeth, but before I can say anything, Patrick is helping my mom over to the couch. She looks down at me knowingly, and I’ve never wanted to wring my brother’s neck more than I do now.

Isobel squeezes my shoulder as she gets up and the three traitors leave the room. Patrick takes Oscar’s chair and clears his throat as he gets comfortable.

Oh boy.

“Hello, darling,” Mom says softly. “Your brother says you’re depressed.”

Oh, that little shit.

And I hear Oscar’s faint chuckle from the kitchen.

“I’m not depressed,” I tell her. “I’m fine.”

“So you’re not heartbroken?”

I sigh. “What exactly did Oscar tell you?”

Her eyes soften. “Why don’t you tell me? I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Bridget and I had a fight…” I start and wait to see her reaction but she just shoots me a look of encouragement. “It was silly, really. I said some things I shouldn’t have—things I didn’t really mean—and I hurt her.”

Patrick and Mom share a look, and he nods. “I think it’s time we come clean about something,” he says

I frown when Mom chuckles under her breath. “Yes, I think we better put him out of his misery.” I look down at where her hand lands on my knee. “Darling, we know about the two of you.”

“What about us?”

“That you aren’t really together, silly.”

Dread fills my stomach at her words and I feel myself tensing.

Patrick gestures for Mom to continue.

“Elias, we know you better than anyone. You tell the two of us everything and you have never hidden a girlfriend from us, let alone a fiancée. Pat told me I was reading too much into it, but I know my son, and I knew you weren’t telling me something.” She pauses and then laughs. “When you brought her to the house for the first time, I knew for certain. You were so hesitant around each other, like you didn’t know what to do with yourselves, and when it came to saying goodbye, I knew I needed to push you both. When I suggested you kiss, I half expected you to make up some excuse, but when you did, I knew it was the start of something.”

Patrick nods along with a chuckle. “We waited weeks for you to slip up or just come out and tell us it was all a show, but you never did. You both got so good at pretending, and I don’t think either of you realized when you stopped. And when you came to Nelson we could sense the change. We see how you look at each other, Eli, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. You seem so happy, son.”

I can’t fight the smile that tugs at my lips as I shake my head. “So…you knew all this time?”

“It’s obvious you both care about each other, but I think you both need to figure out the next step yourselves,” Mom says as she reaches across the table to hold my hand in her own. “You don’t need to get married to make me happy, Elias. We can see how happy you are and knowing you’ve found someone as amazing as her makes me proud to call you my son. You’re both full of so much love, and I just know you’ll figure it out how to share it with one another.”

Patrick smiles. “You’ve just got to trust in your relationship and everything you feel for her.”

This is a bad idea.

A bad fucking idea.

Well, no, it isn’t. I’m just being a loser.

From where I stand on the pavement, I can see the light on in her apartment and I thank my lucky stars she’s awake. I did enlist Natalie’s help, so I know she’s home but it doesn’t make seeing her any less daunting.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have left this much time sit after our fight, but I’m an idiot and didn’t know how to approach it.

I debate turning around, getting back into my car and driving back home but Mom’s words come back and hit me square in the chest.

You’re both full of so much love, and I just know that you’ll figure it out how to share it with one another.

God, loving Bridget is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, and she needs to know this is real—in every fucking way possible.