Page 78 of The Hook Up
Miriam shook her head a little sadly. “It sounds like a bullshit line, but I can tell you mean it,” she said. “That’s the really depressing thing.”
That made no sense. “Miriam, with all due respect, you don’t know me that well. I know how much it sucks to get attached and then lose someone,” he said softly. “And I know it’s easier to cut things off before that can happen.”
She didn’t respond, so Ty looked up to see her studying him with something that looked like pity. “I think you underestimated Ellie’s feelings for you,” she said. “And I think youreallyunderestimated yours for her.”
“Maybe.” He took a shaky breath, not sure how much he should share. Did it matter at this point? “You don’t know the backstory here. You don’t know about my childhood and the sort of shitty personality traits it left me with.”
“You ever read romance novels, Ty?”
That threw him for a loop. “What?”
“Romance novels,” she said, unclasping her hands from around her belly. “I love them. I’ve read some amazing ones over the last years, and a few shitty ones, too. Want to know what the shitty ones have in common?”
Ty shook his head, not sure where she was going with this but relieved it seemed to have taken her off the subject of Ellie and Henry.
“I have no idea,” he said.
“Backstory,” Miriam said. “In bad romance novels, it’s like the author feels the need to fill those first few chapters with every last detail of a character’s history. Who his parents were or how she liked her first job or whether the hero’s brother stole his girlfriend in high school. But the thing is, none of that matters.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Ty said, a little perplexed to realize he was arguing about romance novels when he’d never read one. “Someone’s history matters a lot when it comes to making them who they are.”
“Exactly,” Miriam said. “And you can see who theyareby how they act now. That’s what matters.”
Ty frowned, not sure he was picking up on the metaphor. But maybe he should stop dancing around it. Maybe she didn’t know how badly he’d screwed up.
“I taught her kid to swear,” Ty said. “And I bummed him out over and over by promising shit I couldn’t deliver.”
Miriam shook her head, not doing a very good job of hiding her, ‘man, you’re a dumbass’ look. “You don’t get credit for the swearing,” she said. “You might have taught him some more creative forms, but Jason’s been cursing around the kid since he was in utero.”
Ty sighed, appreciating her attempt at placating him, even if he didn’t buy it. “He’s better off without someone like me in his life. They both are.”
“You’re joking, right?” Miriam rolled her eyes. “You took her kid to a ballgame and taught him to bodysurf at a water park,” Miriam countered. “And you did double-duty by making his mother come her brains out.” She put a hand up, heading Ty off before he said anything in response. “Don’t worry, she didn’t kiss and tell. I’m just guessing, based on the glow she had every time you two had time alone.”
Ty frowned and fiddled with his mouse. “I’m not sure I should be talking about this with my boss.”
“For the last time, Ty—I’m not your goddamn boss. You’re a partner in this firm now, and the director of Speak Up.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “So, does that mean I can ask you to leave?”
“No, because I still own the building.”
“Fair enough.” Ty sighed, but he wasn’t disappointed. Truth be told, he didn’t want her to go away. Since he’d broken things off with Ellie, he hadn’t talked with anyone about this. It was nice to share with Miriam, even if he did still think of her as the boss.
“I miss her,” he admitted. “And Henry. I miss them a lot.”
“They miss you, too.”
Something flared in his chest, but he refused to believe it was hope. It was too late for that, wasn’t it?
“Can I tell you a secret, Ty?”
He looked at her and nodded. “Of course.”
“When Jason and I started dating, I felt like an idiot with Henry. I’d never been around kids before, so the idea of getting involved with a guy who was like a surrogate dad to his nephew scared the shit out of me.”
That was interesting. “So how did you handle it?” His eagerness belied the cool-guy tone he’d tried for, but Miriam didn’t comment.
“I did it anyway,” she said. “Even though I was scared. Even though I knew I was going to screw it up. I figured if I kept doing it, I’d eventually screw up less.”
