Page 34 of Unwrapped
“Yup.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “Believe me, it’s not for a lack of trying—onmypart, anyway. Marc just isn’t that into me.”
“But he asked you to marry him last month.”
A humorless laugh leaves her lips. “That’s what successful surgeons do, right? They find themselves a little nurse wife who’s totally cool with spending the rest of her life as an afterthought.”
Holy shit.
The sadness in her eyes takes my breath away. “Lena, I—”
“I’ll be fine.” She plasters on a weak smile. “Enough about my situation. Let’s focus on you.”
While I’m sure she changed the subject for a reason, I want her to know I care. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She waves a finger at me. “Just promise me you won’t make my mistakes.” Her eyes burn into mine. “Demand respect, and for the love of all that’s holy,don’tsettle for less than you deserve. If Dean is someone who fills your heart—without sex—keep him. But if sex is the only thing that ties you, cut him loose. Because, believe me, once the sex stops, all you’ll have to fall back on is your friendship.” She twists her ring in circles. “If that’s not there, then you really don’t have anything.”
Lena’s words have echoed in my mind all evening. The poignancy behind her message struck a chord, making me reflect on the past decade of my life. Ryan and I weren’t friends. Our hot and heavy relationship started on a whim, all because of my wounded pride. While we shared some fun times, my hollow happiness didn’t feed my soul.
Dean, on the other hand, fortified me. Once, he made me banana muffins as a reward for acing one of my midterms. He mistakenly used salt instead of sugar, and while they tasted truly awful, I ate every single one. I didn’t have the heart to tell him how gross they were. He figured it out when he tried one of his creations and immediately spit it into a napkin. When it came time to celebrate the next exam, he hit up a local bakery and purchased a cake.
I could be myself with Dean. He didn’t care if I hung out in pajama pants and a hoodie. He didn’t give me shit for stress-eating. He never made fun of me when I cried during sappy movies. He let me try to teach him the choreography I’d memorized as a teenage *NSYNC fan. We shopped. We hiked. We played in the snow.
Dean made me feel whole.
While I’d give anything to throw myself into his arms, I need to remember we went over a decade without speaking. We went from best friends to literal strangers. Sure, I attended his med school graduation—with Ryan—and kept tabs on him over the years, but I’ll never forget how much he hurt me when he wrote off our friendship.
I’ve grown a lot since college. My dreams and goals have changed. He doesn’t know the person I’ve become.
“You OK?” Talia hands me a wet plate. We volunteered for cleanup duty after dinner.
I dry the plate with a dish towel. “Yeah. I took a late nap. I’m a little out of sorts.” I’m not ready to delve into whatever is happening with Dean, so I change the subject. “How was skiing?”
“Awesome. I rode the lift with Sully a few times. We had a heart-to-heart. Has he told you any details about the separation?”
“No, only that it happened. He seemed miserable when he mentioned it, so I haven’t brought it up.”
She sighs heavily. “It’s bad, Cami. I’m worried about him. He’s going to need our support. I don’t know how he’s going to—” Movement over my shoulder catches her attention. “Hey, Dean.”
“Hey. You ladies need any help?” He comes up beside me, and my insides flutter with his sudden closeness.
Talia flashes him a grin. “Way to wait until we’re almost done. Thanks though.”
“Sorry. Jordy had my ear about the pharmacy renovations.” He touches my arm. “Can I talk to you?”
“Sure.” I set the plate and towel on the counter before following him out of the kitchen.
He leads us into the cabin’s dining room, which is empty now that everyone is lounging on the couches with full bellies.
Pausing beside Christmas tree number two—the place has four—he turns to face me. “You’re upset.” His concerned gaze meets mine. “Please talk to me.”
“I’m not upset.” I wrap my arms around myself in a hug.
“You’ve barely said two words to me in hours. I know you’re avoiding me.”
Here I thought I was successful in not making it obvious.
I stare at a sparkly reindeer ornament, admiring this tree’s woodland theme. “I guess I’m a little overwhelmed maybe. And confused.”
His fingertips brush my chin as he gently turns my head to face him. “What can I do?”
