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“You know, I wanted to apologize too.” She looks down, then slowly gazes up at me through her lashes. “I’m just protective of my brother, but I’m also protective of you, too. I didn’t want to see either of you hurt,” she confesses.
“Well, it doesn’t change the fact that I loved him. I still do.”
The server comes over and sets down tea and soup and we give her our orders.
Taryn takes a cautious sip of tea. “Has he contacted you?”
I shake my head once. “Nope. Obviously, he’s over it. I have to get there myself.”
“What about a dating app?” she suggests.
“No, but wanna hear a secret?” I look around like I’ve got the state secrets I’ve been dying to spill.
Her eyes widen. “Uh, yeah.”
“I went to the Mile High Rooms, hooked up with a random.”
Taryn gasps. “You did? How was it?”
“It was pretty awesome, I won’t lie. I mean, I had to imagine it was Eric, but whatever.”
She makes a face. “Ew.”
“Sorry,” I reply, pink heating my cheeks.
“What did he look like? Was he hot?” she asks, eyes wide as she spoons soup into her mouth.
I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “Don’t know. He wore a mask and was under the covers when I got there, then he turned out the red light. There was something mysterious and sexy about not knowing. So it’s not like I could try to find him again if I went there. Not that I really want to. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Well, if it helps you get over Eric, that’s all that matters.”
That stung for some reason. “No, it completely made it worse, and now I feel guilty,” I confess.
She looks at me apologetically, holding her teacup. “You don’t need to feel guilty. I get why you did it.”
I sigh. “Tell me something. Do you really think he hates me? I mean, I didn’t do anything, and yes it’s his issues he’s got to work out, but to just go no contact... It hurts.”
She smiles sympathetically. “He doesn’t hate you. He even asked Carter about you.”
My stomach does a little flip. “He did?”
“Yes. He asked how you were doing, we told him you were fine.”
But I’m not fine. I’m so far from fine I can see fine from the other side of the country.
“That’s it?” I ask, disappointed.
She hesitates for a minute and says, “Do you want me to talk to him?”
“Why would you do that? I thought you wanted us apart.” And miserable.
“Look, Chris... since he got back from Africa, he’s different. He seems... better. All I want is for both of you to be happy, and it’s obvious you’re not and he’s not when you’re apart, so it’s time I back off and let you both do what you want to do.”
“I would have done what I wanted to do, anyway, Tar—full disclosure. It’s him who doesn’t want me.”
“I know, I know,” she murmurs, drinking some tea.
I lift the spoon to my mouth. “Besides, you said he was better... or seemed better.”
