“Yesterday he showed up at my house and accused me of doing the same thing. He didn’t ask why I was buying the tests, he just assumed I was like his ex and freaked out. I told him they were for Riley, he tried to give me some half-assed apology, and I shut the door in his face. Which brings us to now.” I gesture with my arms at my face, puffy from crying, red rimmed eyes, greasy hair, and generally miserable appearance. “He fucked up, I overreacted, and now I don’t know if we’re together or not, if he trusts me or not, or whether I can forgive him.”
For the second time, silence falls over our group. This time, it’s Paige who finally says something.
“Do you love him?”
I nod, feeling those damn tears burning again.
“Then you forgive him. You work together to communicate better, you focus on his trust issues and your defensive reaction issues, and you figure it out.”
The way she says it, so cut and dry just like always makes sense. It doesn’t sound easy, but it sounds like the only way forward.
“I know you’re right. But…can we still get drunk tonight and stay here?” I ask softly, looking down at my drink. “I’m not ready to see him yet.”
Because the truth is, there’s a chance that even if he wants to apologize, Jackson might not want to try and move on from this together. And I’m not ready to face that possibility yet.
Chapter 24
Jackson
Thirty-six hours and I still don’t have a fucking clue how I’m going to fix things with Mila. I made it through my day at the clinic with no questions from anyone about why I had to come in late, or why I looked like shit.
Now I’m back at home, eyeing the bottle of tequila. Yeah, I know, I should learn from last time. It didn’t solve anything.
Suddenly there’s a pounding on my door, followed by Ethan’s voice barking out my name. Well, shit. I guess he knows what went down.
I go to the door, widening my stance to brace myself before opening it. Sure enough, the first thing that comes flying through is Ethan’s fist, straight to my stomach.
“That’s for hurting my sister and believing for even a second that she would screw you over.”
I groan, doubled over, but manage to nod my head. “Yeah, man. I deserve that.” Slowly I make my way upright and look him in the eye. “I fucked up. I let my past freak me out, and I made a very wrong assumption. I want to make it right, trust me.”
Ethan levels me with a glare. “Exactly how do you plan on doing that?”
My hand comes up to run through my hair. “I have no fucking idea.” I turn to walk back inside. “You want a beer?”
Ethan follows me into the kitchen, I hand him a bottle, and we go to the back deck. We sit in tense silence for a few minutes, drinking our beer, staring out at the empty yard. Harley comes out, winds his way between our feet, then heads back inside. No sunshine for him to lie in means he’s not hanging out. Eventually, Ethan looks over at me with a solemn expression.
“I won’t apologize for punching you.”
“I don’t expect you to. I deserved it.”
“But I might be able to help you fix this.”
I turn to face him, surprised by his offer. “Why would you do that?”
Ethan takes a long pull from his beer before answering. “Because she was happy with you. Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. You helped her find balance in life, showed her there was more than just the bakery and her friends. She needs you.” Once again, his eyes turn to mine with laser focus. “And I think you need her.”
I nod, slowly. “I do.” Another minute of silence passes between us, but this time it’s a lot less tense. “Is she…do you know how she’s doing?” I ask cautiously.
“Yeah, she’s fine. The girls are with her, they’re having a girls night down at the resort.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Ethan sets down his empty beer bottle and claps his hands on the top of his legs. “Alright, so listen. Here’s what I suggest…”
By the time Ethan leaves, we’ve got a solid plan for how I’m going to ask Mila for a second chance. It involves a lot of groveling and a lot of sugar. And sharing one of my secrets in hopes of earning her trust again. That part Ethan doesn’t know about, however.
This morning Ethan and Reid are back over at my house, but this time I’m not greeted with a punch to the gut.
