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“Eww,” he exclaims as my surroundings reach his nose, which he promptly buries under the neck of his shirt. “Did something die in here?” My future did at Simon’s and the stench of it still clings to me. He starts to open a window, presumably to literally clear the air, appearing as if he’s prepared to break the glass when it won’t budge. “When was the last time you took a shower? Or looked in a mirror?”
“What day is it?”
The expression he throws at me lets me know I’m hopeless. “Wednesday.” His need for order kicks in and he begins gathering my trash, namely the pizza boxes and fast food containers strewn about my living room. “I’m not touching those,” he declares as he stares at my pile of used tissues. “My love for you only goes so far.” Tears spring to my eyes, proving I do in fact still have more left, and he rushes to make them stop. “Here, look. I’ll get them.” He hurriedly picks them up, bare handed no less, and shoves them in one of the cartons. “You know I hate it when you cry. Probably because you never do.” Jeremiah rushes to the kitchen and returns with a garbage bag. “What did Simon do? Do I need to kick his ass for you?”
I adore him for assuming Simon’s in the wrong, but that just makes it hurt more because I broke us. “It was me. I couldn’t…He deserves a woman he can trust.”
“And that isn’t you?” I shake my head no. “You’re a moron,” he declares, so I throw a pillow at him.
“That’s not at all supportive.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I can’t wait to hear this,” I mumble.
“There’s my smart girl.”
“I’m going to maim you.”
“Good thing you no longer have your gun, huh?”
“You think that’s the only one I have?” I can hear his gulp from across the room. Now he’s getting it. I’m pissed at the situation I let myself be put in and heartbroken. Not the woman to mess with. If I was also PMSing, he’d be in for a world of hurt.
“In the hopes of saving myself, this is where I compliment you.”
“Get to it, bro,” I urge, wanting this to play out so he can leave and I can go back to wallowing. “You weren’t invited to my pity party. You crashed it.”
A sigh seems to come from the deepest part of his soul. “The fact that you’re willing to let him go, causing yourself pain to potentially spare his, shows your character.” I’m silent, letting that sink in. I know he’s biased, but he does make a good point nonetheless. “I see you’re listening and it’s getting through your thick skull.” Left unsaid is that he feels like he’s witnessing a miracle.
“I did the right thing.” Didn’t I?
“Did you?”
“Stop reading my mind.”
“I don’t need to, Bris. You asked me for confirmation.” Oh. I knew he didn’t have super powers. “Call him,” he urges me. “Give him the choice.”
“No.” I can’t. Rejection stings like a bitch.
“He’ll choose you. I promise.”
“What if he doesn’t?” I ask, giving voice to my worst fear.
“Can you really spend the rest of your days wondering which it would be?”
———
It really chaps my ass when Jeremiah is right. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, he gloats about it for a while and usually asks for a reward for his interference. I mean, help. This time his request will probably be a doozy.
I’m standing in front of Simon’s, surprised yet relieved when I reach it without his goon squad – okay, that was uncalled for. Anthony and Tommy are actually nice guys. – stopping me.
Raising my hand to knock, I almost do so on Simon’s nose as he yanks the door open before I can even make contact with the wood. I have no idea what kind of reaction I expected at my presence. For him to berate me? Slam the door in my face? Turn and go inside without a word? He does neither, proving once again he’s not the man everyone believes.
He puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me to him. “I knew you’d come back.” That’s it? I’m literally greeted with open arms?
“I owe you an explanation.”
“You do,” he agrees without relinquishing his hold on me.
