Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
She shut the door and sat beside me. “Tell me what’s going on.”
It all came pouring out. The closeness I felt with Hannah. The conversation I overheard between her and her mother. How devastated I felt. The way I tried to stay neutral, even friendly, but staying away at the same time. Our angry words. My awkward apology last night. The certainty that what I thought was the start of something great might have been the biggest mistake for both of us and how I worried she was going to leave. Then I showed Charly the text.
“She’s seeing him. I know it.”
Charly was quiet for a moment, reading the text, thinking about what I said. I could practically hear her mind working as she sat there, her legs crossed, one foot swinging in agitation as she mulled over everything I’d spewed out.
“First off, I think there is more to this than you know. Than I know. Hannah isn’t that sort of person. If she’d been seeing someone, she would have told you. He would have been around when she was moving in. She would be moving in with him, not you.”
“But I heard—”
She interrupted me. “You heard part of a conversation. Maybe not all of it.” She held up her hand. “But if she is seeing someone, then you have three choices.”
“Which are?”
She held up her finger. “One. Be exactly what you are supposed to be. Her roommate. Not her jealous, want-to-be lover. Not her dad or her brother. Live your life. Be friends. Suck it up if she brings him around. If she does that, it means she trusts you. Act like the Chase I know.”
I really didn’t like that option. “The Chase you know wants to kick someone’s ass.”
Charly chuckled.
“What is my second option?”
“Act like a jealous asshole. Make her life miserable so she does move out. You may miss the opportunity of having a great friend and confidante. You may be the one she turns to if whoever she is seeing breaks it off. You may find, after living together for a while, she isn’t the person you thought she was and be happy you didn’t overreact. You might meet someone to have as yours.”
“I doubt it,” I mumbled. “The third?” I asked, hopeful it was something great, although I doubted it.
“Or…” She leaned forward, her expression serious. “You could man up, tell her how you feel, what you heard, and ask if you have a chance.”
“Yeah, not happening.”
Charly shook her head. “It amazes me how every man alive only thinks with his big head when the little one is in trouble. Option one is the simplest. Option two would put her out of reach of your misery at least and let you wallow in the house. You know. The. One. You. Bought. For. Her.” She paused dramatically. “Option three would give you the answer you want right now, and you could lick your wounds and maybe keep her as a friend. Or find you have it all wrong and she feels the same way. But you would know exactly where you stand. But you know, go ahead and second-guess everything while you fist yourself into a Hannah-induced coma nightly.” She stood, flouncing to the door. “I’ll buy you some extra lotion.”
She slammed out of the office, and I dropped my head to my desk.
Why was this happening? The women in my life were all mad at me and slamming doors.
I thought of Charly’s words. The one you bought for her. Yeah, great idea.
So far, home ownership sucked.
CHAPTER TEN
Hannah
I decided some distance between Chase and me was a good idea, so I came in to Toronto early to spend time with my mom. I sent him a message, letting him know I wouldn’t be home and I would be later tomorrow so not to worry. I wasn’t sure if he would even notice I wasn’t around, but in case, it seemed the right thing to do.
So Friday evening, I sat across from Mom at our favorite pho restaurant. There was none anywhere close to Lomand or Littleburn, and I craved it all the time. We split a soup and some of their delicious spring rolls, chatting over the savory broth and dumplings. I showed her some pictures I took of the living room and my room.
“Looks great, jellybean,” she said, making me smile as she called me the nickname she had used my whole life. Apparently even in her womb, I couldn’t stay still long and her stomach resembled jelly. As I grew up, I was into everything and liked to move around, and my dad called me his jumping bean. They sort of melded, and jellybean was the name I lived with.
She swiped again with a frown. “What is this?”
“Oh.” I wiped my mouth. “Chase bought a new bed. He never thought to buy sheets, so I’m going to pick him up a set.”