Page 66 of You're the Reason

“It didn’t go well at first. I was afraid if she knew me—really knew who I was on the inside—she wouldn’t like me. But you know what?”

“You opened up and she did?”

“Well, after a rollercoaster of a relationship. And had I been willing to open up sooner, I could have saved us both a lot of pain.”

“So just open up to her? It’s that easy?”

“Are you kidding? It was the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point. But it was worth it.”

“And if it doesn’t go so well?”

“Then you’ll know. And it’ll be practice for the next time you have this conversation. Because any relationship worth fighting for will require full honesty and transparency.”

“I’m just not good at it.”

“Join the club. But being open and honest is like anything else. The more you do it, the better you get at it.”

“If she walks away . . .”

“It will hurt like a pain you’ve never known before.”

“Awesome.”

“But not talking to her isn’t saving you any pain. Is it?”

Grant was right. Possible pain was better than guaranteed pain. This could end in disaster, but having the conversation would be his only chance.

twelve

Grace hadn’t known what to expect when Seth showed up at her door an hour ago asking her to go for a drive, but it hadn’t been this.

Silence.

She cut Seth a side glance again from the passenger seat, then back to Lake Michigan. He hadn’t said a word on the long drive up to Ludington. And he hadn’t said a word since he parked five minutes ago in a parking spot overlooking the Ludington beach. Seth’s gaze stayed locked on the lighthouse at the end of the breakwall, as if the moonlight itself was writing the answers on its side.

“Know when to talk and when to be silent.” If this much silence hadn’t been enough, she doubted more would help. Maybe if she opened up a bit, it would give him space to open up.

“Ms. Margret keeps asking me why I dance.” Why had she started there? Because maybe if she wanted him to be vulnerable, she needed to be vulnerable herself. “All I can come up with is that it’s who I am. But I can tell that isn’t what she’s looking for.”

He blinked and turned to face her. The streetlight highlighted the outline of his face. “You’re an amazing dancer?—”

“Thank you, but?—”

“I wasn’t done.” He blinked at her a beat, but the shadows hid the details of his face. “You’re an amazing dancer, but it’s what you do, not who you are.”

His words slid under her armor, and she turned back to the lighthouse. Maybe staring across the water had its benefits.

“Then who am I?” Her words came out strained, and she cleared her throat. Why were they even talking about this? There were more important things to talk about.

“No one else can answer that for you.”

She let her head fall back against the headrest. “You’re as bad as Ms. Margret.”

“It doesn’t have to be that hard. If someone asked you about me, who would you say I am?” He turned back to stare over the lake. “Or what would you have said prior to Gabe’s little truth bomb?”

“You’re Seth, my former neighbor.” Worst answer ever, but saying more felt too raw, and she wasn’t sure she could go there.

“That’s where I lived. But who am I?”

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