here I am, headed to his house. The house he shares with his real family. It still seems surreal.”
“Did you tell Kane about your plans?” As far as I knew, Kane was the only one of his brothers he’d confided in about seeing their father.
“No, I thought I’d see how it goes and fill him in when I get back.” I slipped my hand through his, and he gave me a lingering look before pressing his lips to the back of my hand. “Thank you for being here with me, Ri. I wouldn’t have the guts to do this without you. And I can’t shake the feeling this is something I need to do.”
I happened to agree with him. He still had a huge mountain to climb with his father and half-brothers, but at least he was taking the first step. I was proud of him, which was ridiculous, since I had no right to be.
“I’m glad you asked me to come,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to go through this alone.”
We stared at the small screens in front of us, though neither of us had been interested in watching the romantic comedy.
“If only it were that easy, huh?” he asked, watching the couple on screen kiss, a sure sign they were getting their happy ending.
“What’s that?” I disentangled my hand from his on the premise of reaching for my water glass.
I had to keep reminding myself we weren’t a couple. We were friends. Barely. We shouldn’t be holding hands or kissing… or spending time exploring each other’s bodies until one or both of us cried out in ecstasy. I still shivered at the memory of what he’d done to me in my bed, how in-tune he’d been to my body, giving me exactly what I needed without having to ask, as though we’d never been apart.
“Figuring it all out.” He sighed. “I’m thirty-six. I should be more settled by now, ya know?”
Yeah, I knew. He wasn’t the only one who was thirty-six. I was too. And my biological clock was ticking so loudly, I couldn’t drown it out no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to be settled, to have a husband I could count on and a couple of sweet kids. I wasn’t like my sister, who was content to roam. I needed security, but life with Brody had provided anything but certainty.
“There is something to be said for settling down,” I said, trying to remind myself who I was talking to. “But it’s not for everyone.”
Brody had a lot more in common with Macy than he did with me. They spoke the same language: thrill-chasing, fun, excitement, travel, fame, and fortune. I didn’t need any of that to be happy. I just needed my business, my friends, family, a nice little house, and someone I loved to share my life with. But Brody had spent the better part of the last five years claiming that could never be the life for him.
I was ashamed to admit I was one of those women who’d held out for too long, believing the man I loved would change, that he would eventually come around to my way of thinking because he couldn’t live without me.
Now that Brody claimed he may be ready to change, I couldn’t believe it. I knew he was lonely and confused, and I believed that was what was prompting him to re-evaluate his life, not any residual feelings he may have for me.
“How’d you know what you wanted?” he asked quietly, tipping his head back against the pillow the flight attendant had provided. “I mean, how’d you know you wanted a life with me? Even when we were young, in our early twenties, you talked about it.”
I did not want to have this conversation, especially since nothing had turned out as I’d hoped it would. Except my business. I still had that. Thank God. “I guess I’ve never been one of those people who needs to keep wandering or looking for something better. I found what I wanted in you, and that was enough for me.” Too bad he hadn’t felt the same way.
He tipped his head toward me, sighing. “You were more than enough for me, Ri. Don’t ever doubt that. It was just that life, all the trappings that I wasn’t
“Did you tell Kane about your plans?” As far as I knew, Kane was the only one of his brothers he’d confided in about seeing their father.
“No, I thought I’d see how it goes and fill him in when I get back.” I slipped my hand through his, and he gave me a lingering look before pressing his lips to the back of my hand. “Thank you for being here with me, Ri. I wouldn’t have the guts to do this without you. And I can’t shake the feeling this is something I need to do.”
I happened to agree with him. He still had a huge mountain to climb with his father and half-brothers, but at least he was taking the first step. I was proud of him, which was ridiculous, since I had no right to be.
“I’m glad you asked me to come,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to go through this alone.”
We stared at the small screens in front of us, though neither of us had been interested in watching the romantic comedy.
“If only it were that easy, huh?” he asked, watching the couple on screen kiss, a sure sign they were getting their happy ending.
“What’s that?” I disentangled my hand from his on the premise of reaching for my water glass.
I had to keep reminding myself we weren’t a couple. We were friends. Barely. We shouldn’t be holding hands or kissing… or spending time exploring each other’s bodies until one or both of us cried out in ecstasy. I still shivered at the memory of what he’d done to me in my bed, how in-tune he’d been to my body, giving me exactly what I needed without having to ask, as though we’d never been apart.
“Figuring it all out.” He sighed. “I’m thirty-six. I should be more settled by now, ya know?”
Yeah, I knew. He wasn’t the only one who was thirty-six. I was too. And my biological clock was ticking so loudly, I couldn’t drown it out no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to be settled, to have a husband I could count on and a couple of sweet kids. I wasn’t like my sister, who was content to roam. I needed security, but life with Brody had provided anything but certainty.
“There is something to be said for settling down,” I said, trying to remind myself who I was talking to. “But it’s not for everyone.”
Brody had a lot more in common with Macy than he did with me. They spoke the same language: thrill-chasing, fun, excitement, travel, fame, and fortune. I didn’t need any of that to be happy. I just needed my business, my friends, family, a nice little house, and someone I loved to share my life with. But Brody had spent the better part of the last five years claiming that could never be the life for him.
I was ashamed to admit I was one of those women who’d held out for too long, believing the man I loved would change, that he would eventually come around to my way of thinking because he couldn’t live without me.
Now that Brody claimed he may be ready to change, I couldn’t believe it. I knew he was lonely and confused, and I believed that was what was prompting him to re-evaluate his life, not any residual feelings he may have for me.
“How’d you know what you wanted?” he asked quietly, tipping his head back against the pillow the flight attendant had provided. “I mean, how’d you know you wanted a life with me? Even when we were young, in our early twenties, you talked about it.”
I did not want to have this conversation, especially since nothing had turned out as I’d hoped it would. Except my business. I still had that. Thank God. “I guess I’ve never been one of those people who needs to keep wandering or looking for something better. I found what I wanted in you, and that was enough for me.” Too bad he hadn’t felt the same way.
He tipped his head toward me, sighing. “You were more than enough for me, Ri. Don’t ever doubt that. It was just that life, all the trappings that I wasn’t
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