Page 43 of Story Of My Heart

“Love,” I sputter out with a series of sniffles, feeling acutely pathetic. “Is that so much to ask? I mean … he wants all the things that go with it. I just want the emotional connection in return. I know I sound stupid. I should be glad he wants to be with me at all. I get it.”

Fallon sets her coffee on the nightstand with a long suffering sigh, before placing both of her hands on my shoulders. I’m a little worried she’s going to try and shake some sense into me, and I grip my mug tightly.

“No. You, Piper Hart, are a glorious light-filled being. Anything you dream of, anything you desire, should be yours. You deserve to be loved.” She stares into my eyes so intently that I can’t help but believe what she’s saying. If nothing else, she definitely believes it. “And you should never settle for less than what you deserve.”

“You’re very wise,” I squeak out, gently disengaging from her hands on my shoulders.

Fallon shrugs, picking her mug back up and taking a long sip. “It’s easy to be wise. And single. Those two things have a tendency to go together. Relationships are hard.”

“No lie,” I let out with a low whistle.

“Even ones that aren’t clearly defined,” she adds wistfully, picking at a loose thread in the comforter.

“I’ve noticed.” There’s a nonspecific air to the advice she’s giving me, and I can’t help but feel like she’s dancing around something. I approach the subject as delicately as I can. “You know… you and Leo seem to have the same issue.”

She stiffens at my mention of his name, her face tightening. “Right. I will say this.”

“I’m listening.”

“Don’t give up on Tate. He’s slow to get there. His mind is always on his passions, his projects, whatever he does.” Her face relaxes again, and I can see from the look in her eyes that she really does care about her brother, no matter how estranged they’ve grown over the past few years, or how hard Tate has tried to pry himself away from his family and Sunset Lake. “I do know, however, that he has never been like this with anyone. Ever. Even that chick who worked on the doctorate with him, the one he dated back then. The one who probably broke his sensitive heart for the first time and started this whole ball rolling.”

Tate’s reluctance to discuss his past extends to that period of his life as well. I’ve always had the vaguest of notions about what transpired there, and my time with him this past week has helped to illuminate things and fill in some gaps for me. Even if I don’t know what happened for certain, I can make an informed guess.

“He didn’t believe in love, so he lost her.” I’m suddenly feeling a lot of sympathy for a girl I never knew, but probably understand better than anybody else. “Got the doctorate though.”

And a billion or so dollars to boot.

“In his mind, that’s what counts. But please know this, Piper. Tate’s a good person. His heart is pure and he tries to do right by the people he loves. He might not say it, and he might not even show it, but he loves you. I know it.”

Until last night, I would have agreed with her. Seeing Tate so quick to get off the boat and get away from anyone he could consider a fan was so uncharacteristic of him. It felt, for a brief moment anyway, that he actually cared about something more than statistics and success. It felt like he cared about me, and what we had. He set the record straight about that soon enough.

“He tries his best, but I’m not sure that’s enough. No doubt he’ll have his app after this beta test. I’d say it was a resounding success for all of the participants, excluding those inside of this room.”

“Yeah, but without you?” She gives me a once over and shakes her head. “I’m not sure he’ll care.”

“You think so?”

“Yes,” she insists quickly, before thinking better of it. “Well, be patient. Give him time.”

Throwing my head back against the pillows, I groan. “Why do we always have to give them more time?”

“Oh, I thought you knew. Boys are slow.” Fallon rolls her head along her shoulders, stretching her neck before standing from the bed. “There’s an extra toothbrush and some toothpaste in the bathroom if you want to freshen up before you go try and tackle the day. Maybe splash some cold water on your face. I’m rooting for you, but things will probably go better if you don’t have coffee breath.”

She laughs at her own joke before taking my empty mug and making her way out of the guestroom and into the hall, presumably to go start her work for the day. I’m still touched that she let me use this guestroom in the lodge, and that she would be so invested in my happiness rather than immediately take her brother’s side in all of this. Time and again, I’m struck by how kind Tate’s family is, and how different he would have likely turned out if he hadn’t pushed them all so far away.

I steel myself by following Fallon’s suggestion, transforming myself into something resembling a human being before stepping out into the hall and heading back toward the cabin. Part of me hopes to see Tate, so we can try and resolve this immediately, while a much larger part of me hopes that the cabin is empty, wanting nothing more than to quickly and quietly pack my things and head for the hills with my tail between my legs.

I need time. And space. I need my things around me and a familiar setting where I can think things over in peace.

Daisy finds me loitering by the grand fireplace in the resort’s lobby, looking every bit the heartbroken heroine of my own sad love story. She approaches with a tentative smile, her eyes kind but probing.

“You look like you’ve lost your best friend,” she says gently, her voice low enough that only I can hear.

I manage a weak smile, shrugging as I turn to meet her gaze. “Just one of those days, I guess.”

Daisy nods, understanding more than I’ve said. “I’ve had my share of those. Sometimes, the heart doesn’t know quite what it wants, or it wants something it can’t have. But if it helps, I always think it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

I sigh, considering her words. “Even if it leaves you feeling a bit broken?”

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