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Her gaze lifted to meet mine. “Your going doesn’t change anything. Don’t worry about it.”
That was probably true, but it still didn’t sit right with me. “You won’t try to ease this rift between you and your parents?”
“Is it a deal-breaker for you? If so, we don’t need to see each other anymore.” Her voice raised with every word.
My heart stutter-stepped. “You don’t mean that.”
“I don’t like the way you’re pushing me into something with my family.”
I held up my hands and stepped back. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”
“I’d like you to go now.” Her eyes were glimmering with unshed tears, and I hated leaving her like this.
“Okay, but this isn’t over. I like you, Gia.”
She nodded but didn’t respond. I opened the door and walked out, even as everything in my body was urging me to go to her. To make her feel better. But I didn’t know how to do that. I’d overstepped with her family, but I had a relationship with her parents and her brothers separate from her. That wouldn’t change. It would be easier if she got along with them.
But she was right. What did it matter when we couldn’t come clean about our relationship? Was I ready to tell her brothers?
I headed toward my car, wondering if I’d made a big mistake with Gia. Should I have approached it another way? Would we recover from this? I wasn’t sure about anything.
I drove to Mr. and Mrs. G.’s house, pleased to see that Leo, Harper, and her daughter, Evie, were already there. I headed to the backyard, where Evie was swinging on the swing set.
“Higher. Higher,” she cried as Leo pushed her.
I never thought Leo would date a woman with a child, but they were perfect together, and, according to Harper, she’d crushed on him as a teenager. So, it felt like it was fated. Was that what Gia and I were to each other? Were we circling each other for years, and our relationship was inevitable? Or was it all a mistake? Were our issues too insurmountable for us to overcome?
“You came for dinner?” Leo asked, clasping my hand.
Evie shot a look over her shoulder. “Daddy Leo, what are you doing?”
“I’m pushing. I’m pushing. Hold your horses.”
Evie frowned. “I don’t have any horses.”
“Daddy Leo, huh?” I asked him.
“Yeah, it’s a new thing,” he said proudly.
“You like it.”
“I love everything about Harper and Evie. They’re it for me.”
“Yeah, I got that when you proposed.” That was the evening that Gia and I got back together, and I’d never forget it. I think a part of me was a little jealous that my friend had found happiness.
“What about you? You seeing anyone?”
I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with the conversation. “Kind of.”
“Who is it?” But before I could answer, he continued. “There were pictures of you and Gia at the fundraiser, but Gia said she did it as a favor. Some tit for tat because you’re letting her work with one of your wedding couples?”
“That’s right.” It was close enough to the truth that I didn’t feel like I was lying. But I still didn’t feel great about it.
Evie jumped off the swing, stumbled, and before I could reach out to steady her, she ran for the house.
Leo turned to face me. “I hope you’re not dicking her around.”
I flushed hot because I most certainly was, just not in the way he was insinuating. “I realized I was doing my brides a disservice by not allowing them to work with the planner they wanted.”
