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“And the idea of never seeing this other woman again . . . how does that make you feel?”
Using the same tone he had earlier, I said, “Devastated.” My throat and stomach clenched at the thought of never seeing Claudia again, of not getting the chance to explore what was between us. “Shit, Dad, I’d be devastated.”
He gave me a knowing smile and gripped my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before walking out without saying another word. And just like that, in the span of a heartbeat, everything was crystal fucking clear.
Saying the things out loud that I had kept locked up so tight inside was like opening up a vault and finding out the door couldn’t be closed anymore. I inhaled a long, deep breath before I released it just as slowly, my resolve strengthening.
I couldn’t deny the truth any longer. I knew what I needed to do, what I’d been putting off for far too long. It was going to hurt like hell and would be really hard, but this cowardly version of myself sickened me.
It was time to do the right thing once and for all. It was time to grow the fuck up and act like the man I knew I was.
I’m Back
Frank
Once I started the conversation with Shelby when I got home that night, ending things hadn’t gone at all like I’d expected. It had actually been . . . easier.
I’d dreaded saying the words for so many years, but once they were out of my mouth, I couldn’t take them back. And I hadn’t wanted to, not even for a second. That’s how I knew without a doubt that I was doing the right thing, even if Shelby hadn’t agreed.
I tried to get her to stay in our condo, insisting that I could move in with Ryan, but she refused, saying she didn’t want to live with the memory of us or the ghost of me. I couldn’t blame her, but I wanted to make things as easy as possible on her since I felt responsible for shifting her entire life’s plan.
That only angered her more, my insistence on making sure she was comfortable and taken care of. She told me that she didn’t want my sympathy, my comfort, my friendship, or anything else that had to do with me.
Three days later, she loaded the last of her things into her friend’s waiting SUV. As they drove off, the driver’s side window rolled down and Lauren, Shelby’s coworker and new roommate, flipped me the bird.
Stunned, I simply stood there for a minute.
As I watched them drive away, several emotions ran through me—sadness, guilt, and relief—one right after the other. Then I got excited, refusing to feel like an asshole for finally gaining control of my life and my future.
&n
bsp; Heading to the bar that afternoon, I felt free. The weight that I hadn’t realized had become a part of me was suddenly lifted. My breaths seemed deeper as my lungs expanded. I could truly breathe for the first time in years. The cost of listening to my head over my heart had taken a heavy toll, but everything changed today.
Everything.
My new life began, and the old Frank was back.
“So, she moved out already?” Nick asked as I stepped behind the bar.
“She left today, gave me her keys and everything.”
“Wow. She wasted no time.”
I couldn’t help but agree. Shelby had packed her things, found a new place to live, and was completely moved out three days after I’d ended things. The last few nights, I’d come home to an empty bed and boxes half-packed on the floor, the only signs that Shelby had even been there at all.
“Yeah, I know. It was kind of the perfect storm as far as timing. Her friend had just broken up with her fiancé, so she was looking for a roommate.”
“I still can’t believe you actually did it,” Nick added as he mixed a drink for a woman with collagen-plumped lips and fake lashes. “I’m glad that you did, but I still can’t believe it.”
I glanced at him, wanting to smack him upside the head just because I could. “Do you and Ryan want to keep cheerleading about it, or are you ever going to shut the hell up?”
Ryan scowled at me. “Hey, I didn’t even say anything.”
I threw a towel at his head, annoyed when he ducked out of the way and it fell to the floor. “Yet. You haven’t said anything yet.”
“How did she take it? What did you say? Give us all the details, man,” Nick asked.
“When did you turn into Ryan? I swore I only had one sister, but now I apparently have two,” I fired back, knowing I was being a dick. My brothers were nosy fuckers, but if our situations were reversed, I’d want details too. I’d just be more of a man about it.
