Page 111 of The Coppersmith Farmhouse (Jamison Valley 1)
“Right,” I said.
I had assumed things were going well with Everett. Apparently not.
And Maisy was right. Jess would never kick me out of his bed and she did not need a boyfriend who thought that was acceptable.
“Yeah. So I decided to break up with him. I just couldn’t take all of the drama, you know? It was draining me. I was exhausted and tired and totally over feeling sick because of stupid Everett Carlson.
“So I went back that night to dump his ass. But then he was apologetic. Said he’d just had a lot on his mind. We went back to normal and I was super happy. I even invited him to my family’s house for Christmas.”
“Well that’s good,” I said.
“I thought so too. But he ruined it!”
Maisy started sobbing again. I knew where this was going. “Sorry.” She sniffled and wiped away some tears.
“It’s okay, sweetie. You take as much time as you need and cry all you want.”
“So Everett decided to drive us to my parents’ house. He said he wanted his car in case the hospital called. Fine. No big deal. If he got called in, I could just get one of my brothers to bring me home. So he picks me up and the entire trip in the car, he doesn’t say a word. Not one word. Not hello. Not even Merry Christmas.”
“What? That’s weird.”
“I know, right?! When we got to Mom and Dad’s, I asked him if he was okay and he didn’t even answer. He just got out of the car and walked inside. Not a single word! So I’m, like, freaking out.”
“Was he like that the whole time?” I asked.
“Ha,” she huffed. “Nope. Because three minutes after we got there, he dumped me. In front of my family!”
“No way,” I said as my eyes bugged out.
Everett Carlson was now at the top of my asshole list. Well, not the top, but close. After all this time, the nice doctor who I had come to like and respect had turned out to be a jerk. A huge effing jerk.
“Yes, way.” Her tears had all dried up and she was moving onto the post-breakup angry stage.
“He tells me that we just don’t work. I’m too young and he’s too busy trying to establish his career here in Prescott. And he said I had too much growing up to do. That he wasn’t interested in putting in the time while I matured. Oh, and my favorite part. That I say ‘like’ too much.”
Damn.
Yes, Maisy was young but he’d known that when he started dating her. Saying that she needed to grow up was way over the line. Everett should have kept that to himself.
“Can you believe it? He was too much of a pansy to break up before the holidays but he finds the nerve on Christmas? Who does that?” she asked me rhetorically.
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
She had been sitting up straighter as she got angrier and angrier. But now that her story was over, her shoulders slumped and she slunk back into the seat.
“He left right after that. Which was probably good because I think Beau was about ready to hit him. I just . . . I don’t know, it was so humiliating.”
“I don’t think you need to feel embarrassed, Maisy. That was all Everett.”
“I mean, all this time he’s been distant. Why couldn’t he have just come out and told me he didn’t want to date?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But in the long run, it’s good that it’s over. You don’t want to be with someone who would treat you like that.”
Maisy sat quietly for a second before bursting into more tears, dropping her face into her hands.
I got up from the loveseat and sat on the edge of the coffee table, leaning forward to stroke her shoulder.
“It’s okay. You’ll get over him. You just need to give it some time.”
