“That sounds horrible,” she said seriously. “I couldn’t imagine taking two weeks off, much less two months.”
“Trust me, it is.” He laughed, this time sounding more relaxed. “Wow. It felt good to admit all that. Sorry to dump it on you.”
“It’s all right.” And it was. She felt like she was seeing the real Kingston for once, and she was surprised that the golden boy had a little tarnish on his crown. It made him seem more... human.
“Anita doesn’t know about the sabbatical,” he said. “I just told her I was taking some time off. Other than my clinic and my dad, you’re the only one who knows why.”
“I won’t tell anyone. Promise.”
He grinned. “Good.”
Miracle of miracles, she was able to smile back. Amazingly, she wasn’t angry anymore. She’d listened to his apology, said a few harsh things herself, and now found out that his ghosting her wasn’t even about her. It was because he’d taken on too much. “You should have just told me you were swamped,” she said. “I would have understood.”
“I know. It was stupid. But I didn’t want to admit that I don’t have everything under control.”
She knew a little bit about control. More than a little.“It can be hard to let your guard down,” she said, surprising herself with the words.
“Very true. And I can’t say that I’m going to tell everyone ‘no’ right away, but I’m going to work on getting some balance.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at her. “Truce?”
She mulled over the word. She’d trusted him twice, and he’d let her down. Even though his reasons made sense, it didn’t mean she could completely trust him. But she didn’t want to be at odds with him anymore either. “Truce,” she finally said.
He grinned, his relief clear in his eyes. “Thanks for understanding. And forgiving me.” His smile faded a bit. “We’re still friends, right?”
“Yes.” And for her own self-preservation, she added, “Only friends.”
“Agreed. The ship has sailed on anything else.”
A twinge of sadness hit her, but she shoved it away. They were on different paths right now. He was figuring out hislife and how he could return to work with better habits, and she was still in her rut.
“Are you still going to Sunset on Monday nights?” he asked.
“Yes, but I put that on hold until dance lessons are over.”
“You’re still planning to take them?” When she nodded, he said, “That’s a relief. I didn’t want to chase you away.”
“I’m not the most graceful person, but it was pleasant for the most part.”
He rocked back on his heels. “I know the part that wasn’t. I’ve got a little pull with the teacher, by the way. I’ll make sure we don’t get paired up again. I can tell Sunny to get you another partner, and we won’t have to dance together again.”
“What about Jared?”
“Uh, sure. Jared it is.”
Olivia nodded. Her arms were at her sides now—she didn’t remember when she’d unfolded them—and she was less edgy than she’d been in a long time. Kingston had cleared the air for both of them, and she was glad she’d changed her mind about talking to him.
“Guess I’d better get back home and do something about this caffeine buzz.” He paused. “Thanks, Olivia.”
“For what?”
“For being a friend. I could use one right now. That’s another thing I neglected because I was so busy—friendships.”
She smiled, appreciating his frankness. “You’re welcome.” Then she had a thought. “Do you like peach pie? Aunt Bea made a fresh one today.”
He thought for a moment. “Sure, why not. Supercharged caffeine and a sugar rush is a great way to end the day.”
Olivia chuckled. “Could you look at her ankle too? She twisted it the other day and says she’s fine, but I’d feel better if a doctor checked it out.”
“Be glad to.”
