His eyes softened. “The office will be closed for the holidays next week. Take that time to be with your family. Don’t even think about work. Hopefully, you’re able to relax and come back as your normal self.”
“Definitely.” I nodded.
I wasn’t sure that was possible. Ever since leaving Key Ridge, I had no idea who my normal self was anymore.
* * *
“Can I sit?”My mom approached the couch carefully.
I glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning.
“I guess.” I shrugged as she joined me. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she said, nudging my shoulder.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“I’m sure that would have nothing to do with all the coffee you’ve been downing.”
“I’ve just been so tired lately.”
“Are you sure you don’t mean sad?”
I sighed. “Maybe I’m a little sad,” I admitted.
“Frankie told me that you were going to stay in Colorado.”
I looked at her and frowned. “It was a dumb idea.”
“Doesn’t sound dumb to me. You seemed happy there. You know how I know? Because you texted me maybe ten times while you were gone. Your dad and I were so worried you’d be homesick, but it seemed like you fit right in there.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“And it seems there might be a certain guy there that was worth sticking around for.”
I hesitated and hugged my knees to my chest. “I thought there was,” I muttered.
She waited for me to say more but didn’t press.
“You know,” she finally continued when I stayed silent. “You went out there to heal a heartbreak, but I think you came back more heartbroken than when you left.”
With that comment, my vision became blurry, and tears started to spill out of my eyes. I leaned my head against my mom’s shoulder.
“I thought we had something,” I murmured.
“Maybe you still do.”
I shook my head. “He practically asked me to leave.”
I recounted to her the whole tale of him hating me at first. To us slowly becoming friends. To him taking care of me. All the way to our downfall, which involved me almost hiring a replacement and not telling him and us screaming at each other in the street.
“Oh honey, that sounds like a bad case of miscommunication.”
“It was horrible.”
She squeezed my shoulders. “You two are still getting to know each other. Sometimes we don’t handle confrontation with grace, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to talk and work things out.”
“He hasn’t even tried to call me since I left.”
