Page 170 of Tell Me Something True

“Guilty because you’d kept me a secret from them?”

“Guilty because Urban and the girl he thought he was going to marry had broken up, while I was with someone I loved. Guilty because my family was struggling, trying to find a new normal, surrounded by memories of how life used to be, while I lived this new life in a new town with new people. Guilty because Urban and Toby took on so much responsibility, always trying to figure out a way to take care of Silas and Eli and Verity.”

“Guilty,” he continued, “because when I was in Pittsburgh, with you, I could pretend none of that was happening. I could go days without thinking of anyone in my family if I didn’t want to. The longer I pretended, the easier it became. And more important to keep my life divided into two neat parts. My life with you in Pittsburgh. And the one with my family here.”

“You were barely an adult yourself,” Tabitha reminded him. “You did the best you could with a difficult situation.”

“I should have done better.”

“We both made our fair share of mistakes.” She bit her lower lip. Frowned. “Is this another one?”

“What do you mean?”

“This” –she gestured between them— “Us being together. Are we holding onto something that’s long gone? That should be kept in the past?”

“I don’t know if this will be a mistake. But I do know I have no desire to turn back time. I’m ready to move forward. And I have no idea what that’ll entail or if it’ll even go anywhere. All I know is that I want to spend time with you. I want my family to meet you. And I want to get to know you. The person you are now. I want to hear about what your life was like over the past ten years. Your goals for the next ten. And when you’re ready, I want you to tell me more of those secrets you kept ten years ago.”

She kept silent, staring down at her hands in her lap, and he wondered if he’d blown it with his pride and stubbornness and everything he’d done and said since she’d come back into his life. With all the things he hadn’t said or done when they were together.

All the things he still hadn’t said.

But then she took a deep breath, lifted her head and met his eyes.

And this brave, resilient, amazing woman who had a million reasons not to trust anyone—and at least a dozen not to trust him—smiled softly at him.

And trusted him anyway.

“I’d like that, too.”

Chapter 33

For the third Sunday evening in a row, Tabitha climbed the steps to her apartment after eating dinner with the Jennings family, Miles behind her silent and steady and so seemingly patient it was as if he had no wants of his own.

She hadn’t planned on taking him up on his offer two weeks ago to slow things down physically between them. But when he’d walked her to her door after they’d eaten dinner with his family for the first time, she’d found herself thanking him for a lovely evening.

Then she’d bid him goodnight in a polite and clear dismissal.

She hadn’t meant for it to be a test. Another one put in play for him to prove himself. One set up as yet another obstacle to get in the way of their moving forward.

But somehow, that was exactly what she’d done.

Because while she absolutely wanted all the same things he did—the spending time together and getting to know each other as they were now and, most especially, the moving forward part—she wasn’t completely convinced it was the best idea.

She wanted to believe every word he’d said about his reasons for not telling his family about her, and how he was ready to move forward. And she was doing her best to trust him.

But she didn’t know how.

So, she tested him, starting with that first night.

When he’d kissed her on the cheek, reminded her to lock the door after him and left with the promise to text her.

Which he’d done an hour later, thanking her for coming to dinner with him, and telling her he hoped she slept well.

He’d continued to text her daily since then, telling her good morning or hoping she had a good day at work. And despite their opposite work schedules—he worked more nights during the summer to cover for his coworkers on vacation—they’d met several times each week for coffee and twice for early dinner, both times at his brother’s restaurant.

There was no other way to say it, and there certainly was no use denying it.

She and Miles were dating.

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