Page 43 of Commit

CHAPTER 25

MATT

The second I turn off the shower, I hear my phone ringing. I grab a towel and wrap it around my waist, running into the bedroom. I see my dad’s picture as I lift the phone to my ear.

“Hey,” I say, breathing hard.

“I caught you,” my dad says. “How’s the weekend going?”

“Good.” I rest the phone against my shoulder so I can tighten the towel around my waist. “I think.”

“Did you and Remi make up?”

I glance at the shut door, lowering my voice a little. “Not quite.”

“Not quite.” My dad huffs. “What does that mean?”

“We kissed last night. Not just a peck, either. Like a really intense?—”

“Too many details.” I smile as I picture my dad holding up his hand to stop me. “If you kissed, then why aren’t you back together?”

“After the kiss, she pushed me away.” I skim a hand through my wet hair. “So, I don’t know. I guess we’re over.”

Remi did apologize today, and we did have a moment in the water, but I’d be a fool to think that it meant anything. I can’t think that it meant anything. I’m not sure how much more up and down my heart can take.

“Matt, life is too short, and you never know when it’s going to end. I would give anything to see your mother again, to tell her how much I love her and to be with her.”

My throat thickens as I listen to my dad get choked up about my mom. “Remi’s still here, right in front of you. Don’t let your pride get in the way of being with her.”

“Dad, I’ve tried. There’s nothing I can do if she’s scared of commitment.”

“If you love her, try one last time. She’s worth it if she’s going to bring you as much happiness as your mother brought me.”

I place my hand on my hip. “I want what you and Mom had.”

“I want that for you too. But Matt, if Remi pushes you away again, it’s okay to be done. It’s okay to call it quits. Commitment has to go both ways. You can’t be the only one trying to make the relationship work.”

I nod, hearing the wisdom in my dad’s words.

“Now, I’ve got to go. I’m about to order at Chick-fil-A. You can get a salad with chicken here. Did you know that?”

I chuckle to myself. “No, I didn’t know that.”

“Well, you can.” I hear the fast-food worker ask how she can help him. “Got to go.”

There’s no one in the world I respect more than my dad. It’s time to listen to his advice. I’m giving Remi one more chance, but if she doesn’t take it, then I need to walk away.

For good this time.

CHAPTER 26

REMI

ONE YEAR AGO

I feel like my stomach is churning butter, but it’s not. It’s churning the other stuff. The stuff that makes you run to the toilet and wish you were dead. Food poisoning. That has to be what this is. No human being would ever be this sick unless they were poisoned.

Two soft knocks tap against the door of my apartment. It’s Matt. I know it’s Matt even though I told him not to come.

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