AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We all sit around the table and engage in easy conversation while we eat, or at least I pretend like it’s easy. Truth be told, this situation is more than a little uncomfortable for me. Court talks to Jack about Kindergarten while Ant and I watch on, exchanging glances across the table at one another every so often.
I remind myself over and over again of the promise I made myself last night, but everything feels so different now that the fog of the wine has lifted and Ant is sitting across from me looking so handsome; it’s impossible not to swoon a little.
After breakfast Courtney grabs her bag from the living room and excuses herself to the shower while Ant and I work on cleaning up breakfast. He stands next to me at the sink, not saying a single word until we hear the bathroom door shut followed by the shower turning on seconds later.
“I take it you haven’t spoken to her,” he speaks softly, taking the plate from my hand and rinsing it before stacking it in the strainer to dry.
“I couldn’t,” I admit, keeping my attention focused on the dishes in front of me.
“But you’re still going to, right? Before she leaves?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, feeling his gaze on the side of my face.
“What do you mean—you don’t know, Bree?” His voice is low, and there’s a clear hint of irritation in it.
“I just… I’ve been thinking, and maybe this isn’t a good idea.” I hold my breath, waiting for his response.
“What isn’t a good idea? Telling Courtney right now? Or us?”
“Any of it,” I admit, finally glancing in his direction. The look on his face nearly brings me to my knees, a combination of anger and confusion I wasn’t quite prepared for.
“Come here.” He takes the plate from my hand and drops it back into the water before grabbing my elbow and steering me toward my bedroom.
I peek over at Jack who’s sitting on the couch watching cartoons, completely oblivious to anything going on.
“Explain, now,” Ant demands the second we enter my room, shutting the door behind him.
“There’s nothing to explain. I just don’t think I can do this.” I gesture between the two of us.
“Bullshit.” He calls my bluff. “Tell me the truth, Bree.”
“Why do you want me to talk to her anyway?” I ask, my voice breaking in the middle of the question.
“I think I made that pretty clear last weekend.”
“But I mean really, what do you think will come out of this?” My voice rises slightly, and I have to fight down the emotion rising in it. “You don’t just get me, you get Jack too. Do you really want to take that on?”
“Are you really asking me this right now?” He seems more than a little offended by my statement. “I fucking love that boy, you know I do.”
“Loving him and being a parent to him are two very different things.”
“You think I don’t know that? And I’m not asking to be his father, Bree. I’m asking for his mother to give me the chance to love her. We will figure the rest out from there.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to love me.”
“Maybe it’s too late for that,” he says, taking a step toward me.
“I can’t hurt her,” I blurt, holding my hand up to stop him from coming any closer. “The way she talked about you last night, like she’s still just as crazy about you as she was five years ago… I can’t betray her this way.”
“So what then, you just give up what we have because of how she feels? What about how I feel, Bree? What about how you feel?”
“You think this is what I want? To end things between us? This isn’t about me, or you for that matter. This is about her.” I gesture in the general vicinity of the bathroom. “You have no idea the things that girl has done for me.”
“Then repay her friendship by telling her the truth. Be honest with her and with yourself. Pushing me away isn’t going to change the way you feel; if anything, it’s only going to make things worse. You know where I stand, Bree. I want to be with you. But I can’t make you want to be with me too. You need to make a choice and stick with it. Either you’re telling Courtney the truth or you’re not. Either you want to be with me or you don’t. Either we’ll make a go at this or won’t. But don’t string me along, and don’t fucking play games with me.”
“This isn’t a game,” I croak, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill over.
“Do you want to be with me?” Ant takes a step forward, his gaze focused on mine.
