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At this point she shouldn’t even care. She lifted her chin and flashed him a smile she didn’t feel like giving. Although by the feel of it, her smile probably came across as something closer to a grimace.
That’s it.
Dianna turned and headed for the bar. If she was a drinker, she’d grab something with a little bite to it. Too bad. She could use something to help her relax. Instead, she got her usual seltzer water and headed for the back door. Tristan could flirt with the new girl. She still had some time. It wasn’t like Tristan was leaving tomorrow. They had a few more sessions at least. That was more than enough time to wrap her head around the epiphany she’d just experienced.
She’d been the first to kiss him. She could be the one to tell him she was wrong.
Dianna took a deep breath and let it out, a puff of warm air escaping into the dark night. Her skin was so flushed that the Christmas Eve weather was almost a boon to her. She leaned against the banister of the porch railing and stared out at the faint barn lights that glowed in the distance. Being out here for only two minutes was all it took to help her think more clearly—without all the noise and distraction of the guests.
Brielle was right, though Dianna wasn’t willing to admit it outright. She’d never hear the end of it.
But Dianna would do something to win Tristan back. She’d be brave and tell him she was wrong.
“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now.”
She gasped, her glass dropping from her hand and over the edge of the porch. Dianna leaned over just as she heard the shattering sound below. Tristan moved next to her, leaning over as well. His warm hand was right next to hers, their pinkies barely touching. Dianna focused on his touch, hoping it would steady her, but it only served to start the engine of her heart again.
Tristan grimaced and glanced at her. “Do you think Shane will be mad?”
Dianna couldn’t help it. She let out a soft laugh. The situation was far from funny, but she didn’t have any other option at her fingertips. If she didn’t laugh, she might end up crying.
Just like before, his eyes landed on her with such fierceness she felt locked in place.
Now.
She had to act now or risk losing the most important person in her life.
29
Tristan
“You look—”
“I have to tell you something—”
They both stopped and exchanged smiles.
“Ladies first,” he offered. The worst thing he could do in this moment was come on too strong. He needed to show her he loved her without making her feel like he expected anything in return. He’d thought about it over and over and over—all of the things he had done wrong and all the things he could have done differently.
Dianna shook her head, her gaze dropping to where her hand touched his. Did she want him to move? She hadn’t pulled away even though she had plenty of room to do so. Maybe this time it was okay.
She glanced at him momentarily. “You can go first. I insist.”
This felt like a trap. But at the same time, he knew in his soul he needed to speak up or forever regret what he could have done. Speaking with that other young woman was proof enough to him that he’d lost out on what he wanted. There was nothing wrong with her. She was pretty and carried on a conversation better than some of the people he’d spoken with while living at the country club.
But she wasn’t Dianna.
He swallowed hard. “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”
Her features pinched. She glanced out into the darkness, to the building, and back to him. “But Mathew—”
“Brielle offered to watch him.”
“She did?”
“Yes,” he drawled, “should I have saidno?”
Dianna shook her head again. “No, I’m just surprised is all. She’s usually veryself-oriented. She usually only does things if they’re going to help herself.” Dianna made a face. “I’m sorry, that probably really sounded bad.”
