AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But you like him.” Elle’s voice was soft.
“He wanted to keep it a secret. He wasn’t ready to tell Maggie.”
Elle sipped her wine. “That makes sense. You want to make sure any relationship is solid first.”
“All I can think about is Felicia’s in my house.”
“He told her she needed to stay somewhere else. So that’s something.”
“She still holds too much power over him. I got the impression she thought she could dictate how he lives his life when she’s not even in it.”
“It’s up to him to set boundaries.”
“What if he doesn’t? He obviously hasn’t before.”
“Then you set yours. Decide what you’re willing to accept and stick with it. If you’re not okay with how he treats you, then he’s not the man for you.”
I groaned. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Because it is. When you think enough of yourself to hold on to your values, then you create the life you want.”
Instead of despair, I felt a sense of confidence at her words. I wasn’t out of control in this situation. I just needed to figure out what I wanted. And that was Sam and Maggie. I wanted a solid place in their life. I didn’t want to be a secret or something to be ashamed of and hidden away.
I wanted to be front and center in their lives. I wanted to be by Sam’s side when Felicia came to visit. I wanted us to be together.
“I love him.” The truth washed over me. I was in love with him.
Elle rested her hand on mine. “You want him and Maggie?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Then do what you have to do to get them. If you don’t want to be a secret anymore, then you need to tell him.”
“I told him it was okay at first. It made sense. We didn’t want to upset or confuse Maggie.”
“Having his ex in town brought everything to light. It showed you the cracks in your arrangement.”
“It’s not sustainable.” I sucked down a large gulp of wine, feeling comfortable letting go with my sister, and wanting to erase the pain.
Elle shook her head. “You won’t survive it.”
“I’m so glad I have you.” I couldn’t imagine doing this on my own.
“I’m just happy you came to me. I don’t think we’ve had a true heart-to-heart since you moved back.”
And it wasn’t from Elle’s lack of trying. She wanted to be there for me. I just hadn’t let her in. “I’m sorry for that. I felt awful for what I did, even though I know you’ve forgiven me for my actions.”
“I’m ready to move on from it. You aren’t the person you were in California. You’re not even the one who first moved to Telluride.”
“I am different.”
“And that’s okay. You grew up. Now you know your worth.”
I let her words sink in. I wasn’t powerless in the situation. I held all the power. I could walk away. It would hurt, but if he didn’t want to include me in his life, then he wasn’t the guy for me.
Satisfied with what I needed to do with Sam, I changed topics. “I need to plan my workshop for tomorrow. Will you listen to my ideas for the class?”
“I’d love to.”
