Page 33 of Some Sort of Happy (Happy Crazy Love 1)
He shrugged, his jaw stiffening. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Sorry.” You brought it up. Feeling unfairly chastised, I turned my attention out the window again.
A minute or so later, I heard him sigh. “Sorry.”
I looked at him but said nothing. A moment later, he spoke up.
“I lied to her.”
“About what?”
“Losing my job. I got fired from the firm I was with for being late all the time, behaving erratically, and then there was the time I took a few punches at a senior partner for calling me a fuck-up when I missed an important deadline.”
“Yikes.” I had no idea what to say. I mean, I’d been fired too, but his experience sounded worse. “Was it…the OCD?”
“Yeah. I was really stressed out about basically everything in my life, the direction it had taken. It all felt really out of control.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I didn’t tell her about getting fired right away, and she found out a week later.”
“Was she mad?”
He laughed bitterly. “Yeah. She told me she loved me but I’d better get my shit together before the wedding. Then I told her I wasn’t sure she was the one, and she freaked the fuck out.”
“Ouch.” Although secretly I was pleased. Was that mean of me?
He frowned. “Actually, I said I wasn’t even sure I believed in the idea of the one, but even if I did, I wasn’t sure it was her.”
“Double ouch. And the ring was still on her finger at this point?”
“Until she took it off and threw it at me.”
“How’s her aim?”
That actually brought half a smile. “Shitty.”
“Guess it wasn’t meant to be, then,” I said, trying to look on the bright side.
“No, it wasn’t. Sometimes I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did.”
I wondered what he meant by that. “Because of the OCD, you mean?”
“Yeah.” His tone had gone darker. “But there were other problems too. I’ve been told I don’t communicate well. Also that I’m stubborn, unpredictable, and a real dick when I want to be.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Wow. That’s quite a list. And she still said yes when you proposed, huh?” Feeling this moment could use some levity, I leaned over and gave his leg a smack. “You must be dynamite in the sack.”
His shoulders relaxed as he cracked a smile. “That list wasn’t all from her,” he said, turning onto a gravel drive that led through the woods. “But come to think of it, I’ve never had any complaints about my sexual prowess.”
“Good to know.” I wanted to keep flirting, but just then the cabin appeared through a clearing, and I gasped. “Sebastian, it’s beautiful!”
“Thanks.” He parked on a gravel drive that looped in front of the house, and I got out of the truck and shut the door behind me. It was so quiet, all I heard were birds and the breeze rustling the leaves on the birch trees.
“Oh my god!” I squealed, clasping my hands beneath my chin. “Look at your cute front porch!” Two wooden rocking chairs sat facing the woods. Two, I thought. Was he eventually thinking he’d share the place with someone? Or did he really just hate the number one?
“Yeah, I like to sit out there in the morning, watch the sun rise while I have coffee.” He went up the steps and unlocked the front door.
“Sunrise?” I winced, following him inside. “I’m more of a sunset sort of girl. The sun rises too early for me.”
He laughed. “Then you’ll like the patio in the back. You could watch the sun set over the bay.”
“Perfect. Show me.”
