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“Seriously, though.” Humor drained from his face, and he looked around. The place wasn’t full on a Wednesday evening, and no one was in the booths around us. “Look, I was in a serious relationship once.”
I glanced at Kennedy, but she looked as surprised as I felt.
“We went through some shit.” His throat worked and overwhelming grief blinked over his face before it was gone. “And I didn’t know what to do. She gave up on me, and she had every right to.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. That must’ve been when he had moved away for college. I didn’t know anything about his years away. I wasn’t the only secretive one.
“Look, I’m telling you both this because you’re family—and you know Barrons don’t make that claim about just anybody.” He arched a brow at Kennedy, and she gave a knowing nod. Liam had been dropped off that list and still was off it according to some relatives. “And you both can keep a secret. But if that fiasco can help, fuck, anyone, then maybe…” He lifted a shoulder. “If she had come back and tried, if she had grabbed me by the collar and said, ‘Listen up, fucker. Get your shit together so we can figure this out,’ my life might be a lot different.”
He ducked his head to look me in the eyes, like I really had to hear what he said next. “I know I’m the one to blame, but at the same time, I wish she’d showed me she had some faith in me. In us. Neither of us made a move, so she moved on. She’s a happily married mom of two, and I fuck around.”
That wasn’t where I thought his pep talk would go, but it resonated. Archer and I had waited a year and a half for each other. We’d waited for the other to make the first move.
So maybe it was my turn, and I had to make it count.
