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My stomach lurched. What if I let Bryson down? His parents. My parents. What had I gotten myself into?
“I hope we’ll see you soon.”
Smiling back at Anna, a strange sensation in my chest had me fighting back tears. What in the hell was wrong with me? I managed to keep the waterworks at bay and my voice strong and steady. “I hope so, too, Anna. I enjoyed this evening.”
She squeezed my hand. “I did too. Again, I’m sorry we surprised you like we did.”
Smiling, I gave her a hug goodbye.
After our parents walked out, following Greg and Anna back to their hotel, then they would all drive to the ranch. Bryson and I said our goodbyes and watched them all walk toward their vehicles.
Once they were gone, I started to walk—no, march—toward my place.
“Rose.”
Spinning on my heels, I pointed at him. “I don’t know who I am madder at. My father or you for going along with his stupid idea of springing your parents on me. You do not meet the parents on the first date, Bryson!”
“You’re right, I should have warned you, but if I told you my parents would be joining us for dinner, would you have come?”
“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know!” I stated as I spun back around and started down Main Street. Bryson caught up and walked next to me.
“I should have been given the choice, Bryson.”
He pushed his hand through his hair and sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, Rose. It’s just…”
His voice trailed off, and I turned to look at him. “It’s just what?”
When he looked at me, he had an expression on his face that I couldn’t read. “I know I’m going about this all wrong, and the last thing I want to do is fuck it up. I guess I thought if my parents met you, and you all got along, and you liked them, you’d like me as well.”
It felt like someone punched me in the stomach. “Bryson, I do like you. I like you a lot, and I won’t deny that. But you can’t force this.” I motioned back and forth between us with my hand. “This isn’t something you can get because you simply want it. No matter how much you suck up to my father or sweet-talk my mother. You can’t win me over by asking me to design your house or by introducing me to your mom and dad. It doesn’t work that way.”
He nodded. “I know that, and I wasn’t sucking up to your father.”
“Really? Breakfast this morning? Letting him tell you to invite your parents.”
A look of hurt crossed his handsome face. “I met him for breakfast because I wanted to let him know how I felt about you, and I needed his help with the contracts. I wasn’t kissing anyone’s ass, Rose. And yes, I messed up by not telling you, but I didn’t want you to get spooked.”
“Really?” I asked with my arms folded over my chest. “Because I’m spooked, Bryson.”
“Rose,” he said, taking my hand in his. “What in the hell happened between the bookstore and the restaurant? I thought things were going good until you saw my parents, and then something shifted.”
How did I tell him I was scared? Why was I scared? What was wrong with me?
I pulled my hand back. “I need to be alone right now, Bryson.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow. We can drive out to the land and figure out where you’re thinking of building. We’ll start from there, but right now…right now, I really need to be alone.”
Turning away from him before I lost the strength to walk away, I quickly made my way down Main Street. The urge to look over my shoulder at Bryson was so strong, but I kept my eyes straight ahead of me.
Once I got into my apartment, I waited in the dark until I saw Bryson slip into his truck and drive away.
My heart hammered in my chest as I kicked off my shoes and headed toward my bedroom. Once inside, I softly shut the door, leaned back against it, and brought my hand up to my mouth. I did the one thing I swore I would never do over a guy again.
I cried. But it wasn’t because he had hurt me.
It was because I had hurt him.
Chapter Fifteen
BRYSON
Walking up to me, Howie handed me a glass of orange juice and two ibuprofen. “You look like shit, Bryson.”
I let out a gruff laugh and took what was offered to me. “Thank you. And I feel like shit. I was up half the night drinking.”
Howie sat down in the chair across from me. “Things not going as planned?”
I sighed. “I think I might have fucked up with Rose. Again.”
Ruth sat down on the edge of the chair and slid her arm around Howie’s shoulders. “I don’t think you did. If you had, she wouldn’t still be designing your house.”
