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Patty:Thanks.
I spend the next hour watching the news. It doesn’t make sense that I should be so irritated about the thought of Patty hooking up with the Scottish hunk, but it bothers me, nonetheless.
At about one thirty I turn off the television and begin tossing and turning. This vacation isn’t turning out to be much fun.
My cell rings and I lean over to the side table to see Patty’s name light up my screen.
That’s a shocker.
“Hello?” I say.
“What’s up?” she responds. “I got the impression you were feeling down. Why aren’t you out having fun?
“I’m just not up for it,” I respond.
“That girl isn’t worth it,” she says, assuming my sour mood is because of Evie. There is no way I want to delve into the fact my mood is sour because of her Scottish stud.
“I’ve already forgotten her name,” I retort.
“Why do I have a hard time believing that?” she snickers.
“Okay, fine. I’m not upset about her. I’m upset with myself,” I confess.
“How so?” Patty asks.
“I thought we weren’t friends. I don’t know if I should be sharing with you,” I say coyly, feeding her a little bit of the attitude she’s been dishing me.
“I guess we are kind of friends,” she implies.Damn straight we are.
“Kind of?” I question. “What exactly does that mean?”
She groans, “You’re really something else.”
“So I’ve been told,” I reply, feeling victorious for some reason.
“Tell me why you’re feeling upset with yourself,” she says, and the fact she cares to ask does something to my insides.
“I feel played and stupid for thinking Evie and I could have been more. I just don’t know how I was so blind.”
I hear Patty’s breath catch. At least that’s what I think happens.
“You can’t blame yourself, Evan. There is no way you could’ve known Evie wasn’t all in. Some people are very good actors or maybe they’ve convinced themselves they are all in, when really, there’s something holding them back. You shouldn’t blame yourself for putting your heart on the line. That takes a lot of courage. To me, Evie was a coward. You should feel good about yourself.”
“Why does it sound like you’re talking from experience?” I ask back because her response is too thought out and spoken like someone who had their heart trampled on.
She clears her throat.
“You can’t tell me you’ve never had deep feelings for anyone. I just don’t believe it.”
My response causes a bubble of laughter to come through the phone. “What makes you so sure?”
“Don’t do that,” I retort.
“What?” she asks.
“Answer my question with a question. I’m being real here. I need you to be real.”
Another blow of a breath.
