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She seems extremely loving and kind which makes her all the more intimidating in my eyes.
She gets up and sits next to me on the couch.
“So you’re the infamous Rhys?”
“Yes ma’am,” I say, “Although I’m not sure how I feel hearing I’m infamous already.”
She laughs and gives me a kind smile. “My daughter’s told me a lot about you.”
I know the role Trish has played in Thayer’s life thus far. Even in the short time I’ve watched them together tonight, the unbreakable bond between them is evident in the way they hug, communicate, and play off each other.
“Which daughter?” I ask.
Trish and Bellamy are her family as much as her mom and brother are.
Trish’s gaze warms instantly at my words, pride shining in her irises as she smiles at me. “Oh, I like you.”
I take a drink, hiding the pleased smile that stretches across my face at her approval.
“I’m glad to hear it,” I answer instead, looking back over at Thayer who’s still trying to make the other girls guess her charade. She’s going all out, dropping to the floor to mime one syllable and then jumping to her feet excitedly when they get it right.
“She’s pretty special isn’t she?” I turn back towards Trish as she asks me the question, her eyes moving from Thayer slowly over to me.
“Yes, she is,” I say, agreeing with my chest.
“She’d never admit it, but she finds it hard to trust people, especially men. She seems to trust you though,” she says, before her gaze turns flinty, “Don’t do what your friend did to Bellamy. Don’t hurt her.”
“I know it’s complicated but Rogue… he loves her. He’s going to get her back.” I say, feeling the need to defend my friend’s well-intentioned albeit idiotic decisions.
“You can love someone and still hurt them,” she points out.
“Well, we’re not that serious–”
“Oh, so you’re not exclusive?”
A snarl leaves my lips before I can stop it. “Yes, we are.” I grit out through clenched teeth, my fist clenched so tightly around my glass, I’m afraid it’ll shatter. “Sorry.”
“You’re exclusive and very much so based on your reaction, from what I can see you’ve spent every day of the past week together, and you’re at a game night in her apartment with only her friends and family, but you’re not serious?”
Put that way, it’s hard to argue with.
“Look, Rhys,” Trish says, “you don’t know me and after this week, we may never see each other again since apparently this isn’t a ‘serious relationship’, even though you’ve barely looked away from her since you got here.”
And just like that, I can see where both Bellamy and Thayer get their sass.
“But I’d love to give you some advice, if you’d let me. Thayer told me about your parents and I’m so sorry for your loss. Losing your parents is hard at any age, but it’s downright cruel when you’re as young as you are. You must have endless reserves of strength to not only survive that but thrive,” she pauses, squeezing my hand affectionately in the process, “I understand why you’d be guarded and reticent to let that kind of hurt back into your life, I do, but I’d caution against cutting yourself off completely.”
“I don’t want you to potentially miss out on something life changing simply because you were afraid of getting hurt again. The reality is pain is the price we pay for love sometimes. It’s a hefty price tag, but one I think is worth risking to experience a beautiful love story with someone, especially when we know pain is inevitable.”
“So there you have it, that’s my advice. You can take it or leave it, but I hope you take it for both your sakes because the way you guys look at each other tells me everything I need to know. This could be something really great,” she says, “if you let it.”
I swallow thickly around the ball in my throat, processing her words slowly. The truth is it’s getting harder to deny that I have feelings for Thayer.
She’s burrowed under my skin and I can’t get her out even if I wanted to.
“Thank you,” I say, clearing my throat loudly, “you’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Don’t let her slip through your fingers, Rhys.”
