Page 158 of My Heart Still Beats
“It’s okay. I’m sorry to ruin your evening.”
“You didn’t.”
She’s lying, but I love her for it. I love my bestie. Except when I’m angry with her. Except when—
“Come on,” Skye says. “Spill it.”
I sigh. “It’s so stupid. I went and fell in love with the jerk.”
“That’s not stupid.”
“Why couldn’t I meet a man like Braden? He treats you with so much respect and love.”
“Have you forgotten he dumped me a couple weeks ago?”
“No. But things seem fine now.”
“They’re good, but it took a lot of work on both our parts. I even started therapy to get to the bottom of everything.”
“I know.” I shake my head. “I guess I just want more than Garrett wants to give me right now.”
She grips my shoulders. “So you’re not in the same place. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing. He did come back to you, and he’s willing to be exclusive.”
“That’s what he says, anyway.”
“Do you think he’s lying?” she asks.
“I don’t know. He could be. After all, he lied about having an early meeting tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s Sunday, Skye.”
“Braden has meetings during the middle of the night sometimes. We flew out to New York early on a Sunday morning that one time so he could deal with some kind of contract in China.”
Yeah. I remember that well. She neglected to cancel our shopping date, and…
God…I can’t go there right now.
“So maybe he has a breakfast meeting with the boss,” Skye continues. “Or a racquetball date or something.”
“Then that’s what he should have said. But what he actually said was ‘I have an early meeting tomorrow.’”
Skye frowns and looks around the room. “It’s too late to order pizza. How about I run across the street to the convenience store and grab a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s?”
I smile, even though the thought of ice cream makes me want to hurl. “Would you?”
“I absolutely would. As long as you promise no more drinking. Alcohol solves nothing.”
“I know. I know.”
“This isn’t like you, Tessa.”
I sigh again.
“Are you really in love?” she asks.
Am I? I feel something. Intense attraction. It’s similar to how I’ve felt before when I’ve been in love. Or thought I was. “I think so. I realize I haven’t known him very long.”
