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“I haven’t been acting weird.” Why did everyone say that?
“Yeah, you have. You’ve been acting like a teenager who just fell in love for the first time.”
Love?
Was I in love with Tristan? I liked him, sure. But love? That was a long shot.
“I like him…a lot. But I’m not in love,” I said, defending myself, but it sounded more like I was trying to convince myself.
“Sure,” my mom said with a shrug. She wasn’t buying it. “So, if you like him, then what is the problem?”
“I don’t know. I’m a little worried that things aren’t completely over between him and his ex, who he has a kid with.”
My mom stopped chopping and looked at me, serious again.
“Oh, honey, that doesn’t sound good. Have you talked to him about it?”
I nodded.
“He swears he’s done with her and he’s over her, but his family seems to want them back together.”
“You know, your story reminds me a lot about Tristan. Poor guy, he wants to move on from his ex-wife, but his parents won’t let him. You can tell that guy is over it, but his parents won’t give him a break,” said my mom, shaking her head. She really felt sorry for him. “I feel sorry for whoever he brings into that situation next. The Adlers aren’t the type of people you can cross.”
I didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“I heard Rebecca was already saying that she’d stop at nothing to get Tristan and Regina back together. So, if your new boyfriend's parents are anything like that, I’d say run. It’s too much drama.”
Her advice crushed me. I wanted her to tell me something encouraging, like love always wins. But I guess I was being naïve.
“That sucks,” I said sadly. “I really liked this guy.”
“I know,” Mom said, kissing my forehead. “There are plenty of fish in the sea. Not to mention, if he’s just here on business, what happens when he leaves?”
That was another douse of ice cold water in my veins. I pushed it aside.
“But he’s really nice,” I said, as I tried to convince either her or myself.
“I’m sure he is. But trust me, if his family is going to be a pain in your ass, it will be a hard battle. Do you really want to fight that?”
I picked up the lettuce and began tearing it absentmindedly into a bowl. Mom wasn’t wrong. Maybe this was all too much for me. It was sounding like it would be better if Tristan and I really were just friends. But could we get back there after we had already crossed that line? I vaguely heard my mom still talking but couldn’t quite focus on her words until she started talking about Tristan and the Adlers again.
“You know, Tristan would be such a catch if it weren’t for Rebecca. But she’s so obsessive and controlling–I don’t want you anywhere near that mess.”
She really was crushing my dreams here.
“I know you used to have a crush on him way back when,” she said, laughing. “It was so adorable.”
“I was, like, fourteen, Mom.”
She continued laughing and reminiscing about the good old days.
Her thoughts turned back to Tristan. "It must be hard for Tristan, though. He's a grown man, super-successful, a father, and he's still under his mother's thumb. I suppose there's just a lot at stake with him and he doesn't want to stand up to her."
I shrugged. If only she knew how badly I wanted him to.
Tristan
Arya made me do things I’d never done before–like stand outside her bedroom window. I picked up a few pebbles and gently threw them against her window. Acting like a teenager was surprisingly refreshing. I had been taking myself too seriously for too long.
