AllFreeNovel
Share Us
*
“Okay, I’ve let you brood. Now do you want to talk about it?”
Tiffany gazed out over Lake Michigan from her vantage point at Navy Pier. She thought surrounding herself with lots of laughter and excitement would ease the hurt and pain she still felt, but she was wrong. Her disappointment had grown over the past day and still remained front and center in her mind.
“What’s the point?” she said woodenly. “Is that going to make Ivan any different? Will it change me?”
“Tiff, this blowup between you just happened yesterday. It’s raw, and it’s still new. You have to talk it out. That’s the only way you’ll get past it,” Milán reasoned.
“Until when? The next time we have a huge argument? I can’t believe he said my feelings didn’t matter. Like I don’t have the right to be concerned about his life. He’s got it all under control. I couldn’t possibly understand, or help, or add value to his life. If that’s the case, what am I doing in it?”
“Sweetie, you know he didn’t say that.”
“He might as well have.” Tiffany swiped angrily at her tears. “I was stupid to think it could work—that we could work.”
“Okay, now you’re just being silly. You two are great together. Sure, you’ve had a fight, but all couples do, Tiffany. It’s not the end of the world. You’ll get past it.”
“I’m not being silly, I’m being realistic. He doesn’t need anything, or anybody. I’m supposed to just sit back and watch him get hurt, or worse, and not have an opinion or believe that it was all because he wanted to protect me? Like I’m some porcelain doll that will shatter into pieces if handled too roughly? Well, I’m sorry, that doesn’t work for me.”
Her cell phone chirped. Tiffany reached into her purse and retrieved it. She took one look at the screen and put it back.
“That’s Ivan, right?”
She simply nodded.
“Tiff, it’s the sixth time he’s called since we’ve been here. How many more from last night and this morning? It’s obvious that he’s trying to reach you to make things right. Why won’t you hear him out?”
“What’s left to say? I was about to turn my life upside down and fly halfway around the world because I was worried to death about him, Lani. And for what? So he can make it seem like I was the one overreacting? He buys me a Taser, gives me self-defense lessons and practically checks under couches in my apartment for burglars to make sure I’m safe, but I’m not supposed to care about his safety?”
Her phone chirped again. She snatched it up and turned the power off.
“Tiffany—”
“Forget it. I’m going to work. At least that will take my mind off this whole sordid mess. Ivan coming home was all I could think about for weeks now, but—”
“Focus on that,” Milán interjected. “I promise you everything else will work itself out.”
Tiffany hugged her best friend, but refrained from comment.
*
Ivan sat in his truck outside of Tiffany’s apartment building, at a complete loss for what to do next. He’d called her cell and work number countless times with no success. He’d even broken down and called Norma Jean, hoping to find her there, but the only thing she had offered was a stern lecture on the stupidity of men. Ivan was in no mood, and ended the call the moment he could interject a word in the middle of her tirade.
Yes, I messed up, but I’m not letting another hour go by before I try to fix it.
Ivan took a few deep breaths and mentally prepared himself for an uphill battle. He would not retreat, no matter the cost. The discord between him and Tiffany could not go on another night. With a determined glint in his eyes, Ivan got out and strode into the building with purposeful steps. He was prepared to do whatever it took to fix the fracture in his relationship with Tiffany. Failure was completely unacceptable.
When he reached her door, he knocked firmly and waited. It was the second time that week he’d found himself on the wrong side of one. He could almost sense the moment Tiffany came up to the peephole, looked out and tried to decide if she would let him in. He was not taking any chances.
“Tiffany, please open the door. I’d really like to talk to you.”
Silence.
“A few minutes is all I ask. After that, I’ll leave if you want me to.”
Painful seconds ticked by, and then she was standing in front of him. Relief washed through him. She stepped aside, allowing him to enter.
“Have a seat.”
