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“I don’t want to manipulate him, Roe.”
“It’s not manipulation. Consider it an incentive.”
“Either way, I just want to be me. I want to dress how I want to dress, and if that’s not enough, then I’ll just have to find a way to move on from him.”
“I made a list on my phone, but I’m afraid you’re going to shoot them all down.” She laughs.
“Let’s hear them.”
“Seduce him, lock him in his room and strip for him, show up at his house naked in nothing but a trench coat, you know, things like that.” She barely contains her laughter.
“I can’t do any of that, Monroe!” I laugh as well.
“Just be you, Emerson. He wants you. He’s admitted as much. He’s going to crack. You just have to be patient.”
“I know. There’s a part of me that wants to wait for him forever. Then there’s another part that says I deserve better. That I shouldn’t just be ready and willing when he finally pulls his head out of his ass.”
“Maybe so. You’re the only one who can decide that. I think you owe it to yourself to give this a little time. The two of you shared a hot moment, and then you left to go back to school. It’s only been a few weeks since you’ve been home. Rome wasn’t built in a day.” She winks.
“No, he was not.”
“That’s not what I meant, but it does fit.”
I think about what she said, and I know she’s right. I need to give this time. “I’ll give it the summer,” I tell her. “If he’s not on board with whatever this is between us by then, I’ll know it’s time for me to move on.”
“Maybe moving on is what needs to happen for him to see what he’s losing?”
“Possibly. I guess if he’s not over this ‘we can’t be together’ nonsense by the time we head back to school, we’ll find out.”
“Come on, let’s take a swim.”
I nod my agreement, and we make our way to the pool.
“What about you? I know you were talking to Henry. Have the two of you caught up since we’ve been home for the summer?”
“Nah, he was in it for the sex. Which I didn’t give him. It’s his loss.” She shrugs.
“You deserve better,” I tell her.
“So do you.” She gives me a pointed look.
“I know I do. I’m not going to wait for him forever. He’s either going to decide I’m worth the risk, or I’m not. It’s going to hurt because he’s been my crush for years, but I don’t want to play this game. Not with him. Not with anyone.”
“Whatever happens, I’ll be here.”
“Same,” I tell her.
We spend the rest of the night talking about anything and everything. We both want to move home once we graduate, so we’ve been tossing around the idea of getting an apartment together here in Ashby. I want to be close to my brother and even the guys. No matter what does or doesn’t happen with Roman, he’s still always been a huge part of my life. I don’t want that to change.
Monroe wants to stay around Ashby too. She’s close with her parents and her grandma, and she knows that time isn’t promised and wants to be near them. So we make plans for our future. In the back of my mind, there’s this hope that my path will change and include Roman, but if not, that’s okay.I’llbe okay.
Time heals broken hearts. At least that’s the saying, and I send up a silent prayer that it’s the truth.
ChapterSeven
Roman
“What’s been going on with you lately?” Forrest asks.
