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Even though he doesn’t block me from brushing past him, he’s on my tracks, and he waits at the top of the stairs as I hop down them, taking two at a time. I jump into my father’s truck without looking back, slam my cup into the holder, and sigh.
My dad’s gaze pings from Gage to me. “Rough morning?”
“You have no idea,” I mutter.
He doesn’t continue the conversation until we’re miles from Gage’s house. “Are you and Gage attempting to reconcile?”
I peek up at my dad in surprise. Sure, he and Mom had the birds and bees talk with me when I started dating Gage, but he’s never questioned or commented on my love life. Maybe he knew my mom had that department covered. My father is a man of few words, but those words always have deep meaning to them.
He’s a strong man and the mentor my family needs. He’s also one of the most compassionate people in the world.
“I’m not sure,” I truthfully answer.
There will be no bullshitting him. He can see right through me. What I do hold back from saying is,We had sex, and now, he’s closed off.
“Do you still love him?”
“I do,” I honestly answer again, finally admitting it out loud.
“Does he still love you?”
I hesitate before answering.
“I think so.”
“Then, you’ll figure it out. It might be a complicated journey to get there, but love conquers all, my girl.”
If only quotes were solutions to real problems.
“That’s easy for you to say. You and Mom have been in love since forever and have been inseparable ever since.”
“That doesn’t mean there weren’t hardships. Love isn’t easy for anyone. Your mother and I have had our fair share of problems, but it wasusagainst those problems, notusagainst each other. Talk to him. See where his battles are, and join him in fighting those battles. Then, your love will be stronger.”
I use my arm to clean the tears falling from my cheeks.
“You decide if his problems are worth the trouble. That’s all you can do. If you can’t, then it’s better to move on. But, if you love someone, you fight those demons together and live happily ever after, as your mom and I have.”
His questions about Gage end there. He moves the conversation to my work, to my apartment-hunting, to offering me my bedroom back at home. He fills the ride up with easing my mind, and it works.
“You have a good day,” he says when he pulls into the parking lot. “I’ll be back to pick you up, and Dallas said your car will be fixed soon.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
He stops me before I leave the truck. “And, Lauren?”
I peek back at him. “Yeah?”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I say around a giant smile.
Time with him is exactly what I needed. Sometimes, you need to talk to someone who lets you see from a different perspective because it’s easy to get blinded by your own hurt and your own needs. I owe it to myself, to Gage, to our relationship to talk to him. Whether we end up in a relationship as friends or as nothing, at least we wouldn’t have given up before finding out what the other was feeling.
* * *
I pick my phone up.
Set it down.
