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“I’ll tell you everything. We just don’t have time this morning.” His eyes filled with regret, a sign that I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
Nodding tightly, I promised I’d see him later.
Driving away, I knew I needed to reach out to my sister. I wasn’t sure if she should hear it from me or Colton, but she needed to hear it from one of us.
Did something go down between him and my sister? Did he cheat on her? My heart clenched. If it was something like that, I couldn’t be with him. It was one thing to date my sister, but cheating was something I hated.
I didn’t have time to call her this morning, not if I wanted to open on time.
At the store, I opened like usual. I felt good about last night with Colton, but there was this question hanging over us. What was he so ashamed about, what didn’t he want to tell me?
Was it a deal breaker? Would I want to break things off with him when I found out?
Worrying about something I had no control over wasn’t productive. It didn’t make me feel good. I refocused on how I felt waking up in Colton’s bed, happy and content. Sated yet still wanting more of him. Then I sent a few emails to the yoga studios in town, starting with Shae’s, offering a meditation class or even suggestions for partnerships.
Should I offer a meditation at the fundraiser? I was bringing juice, but would that be a good time to introduce the idea? Maybe yoga and meditation? It could be a short session at the end when people were relaxed and more open.
By mid-morning, Shae had returned my message, agreeing to discuss it more. I sent her more ideas and offered a session at the fundraiser we were planning.
No matter what happened between me and Colton, I still needed to focus on my business. My adopted parents wanted us to be financially secure, but stability was a need of mine. A home, a steady stream of income. Did a man fit into that picture?
I remembering Colton sitting on the floor last night, holding my hands and closing his eyes. It was a sign of trust that he’d done those things. It was harder for a man like him to let go.
* * *
When I was alone that night, I called Delilah. I had to know whatever she was willing to tell me. I didn’t want to know the intimate details of their relationship, but how it ended and why Colton was so closed off was something I needed to know.
“Hey, sis,” she answered. “How’s the juice shop?”
“It’s going great. I’m branching out, trying to get smoothies into some of the health clubs, and I was thinking about health coaching or offering meditation. Maybe partnering with local yoga studios.”
“I’m impressed. You’re quite the entrepreneur.”
“Who would have thought, huh?” When we were younger, I was known as the flighty one. No one took my interest in health and nutrition that seriously. I didn’t think my adoptive parents thought it was a viable source of income. But I’d turned it into one.
“I’m proud of you.”
Would she be proud of me when I told her about Colton? Wanting to put it off for a few minutes, I asked, “How are things going with you and your job?”
“I love it. It’s exactly what I wanted.”
“I’m happy for you, even though I wish you lived closer.”
“When we were kids, I always thought I was the one who’d stay.”
I laughed. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Whatever happened between you and Colton?”
She whistled. “Wow. I haven’t heard his name in a long time. We went to different schools and drifted apart.”
“Were you together when he quit school?”
“No, but I heard about it through friends from high school. I was surprised about that.”
She probably didn’t know what he was hiding, then. “He didn’t cheat on you?”
