Page 127 of The Thought of You

“Wow.” She leans back, the frowning lines around her lips smoothing into shock.

We remain silent for a few loaded seconds as more customers line up at the truck. Maren perks up when someone asks for a coffee cookie. She’s clearly pleased with her new concoction, and after I clear up this mess with Owen—and eat more magic soup for my queasy stomach—I’ll devour her new masterpiece too.

“So, what’s the problem?” Maren lifts a brow toward me.

“An ultimatum is so unfair.”

“Is it, though? You’re not willing to openly admit how important he is to you, so I’d bet he feels slighted. Why would he stick around if he’s unwanted?”

I blow out a breath and finally take a seat.

“What’s the real problem?” she prods.

“My job, Mar. What happens to my job? I’d be putting my professional career in jeopardy and my personal life on display. It’s so not like me.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t do it.”

“Fine. Say I did all that, aired my business to the whole town that I’ve been intimate with a co-worker, and it doesn’t work out between us? I’ll be the laughingstock of the century.”

“Why wouldn’t it work out? Have you detected red flags?”

“If you count mowing my lawn without telling me a red flag, then yes.” I snap my fingers. “Oh! And get this. His whole family gets together once a week to eat dinner. They don’t do it to celebrate a birthday or something, either. They do it just because. Who does that?”

“Sounds more like green flags to me.”

“Okay, so there have not been any real red flags—not yet. But there will be.”

“Why are you so adamant that there will be?”

“Because that’s what happens, isn’t it? It’s what happened with Stewart and every other guy I dated before him.”

“Stewart was not a real possibility for you and your future. He was a pastime, at best, and when you realized you deserved more than to settle, you did the mature thing and broke up with him.”

“The point is, love doesn’t last, Maren.” My shoulders slump. “Just ask my parents. Better yet, ask yourself. Look what happened with you and Nate, and you two were the real deal, even at such a young age. It was so obvious to everyone, but it exploded in a matter of minutes.”

She dips her head, but not before I glimpse her frown.

“I am so sorry.” I squeeze her hand in mine. “I didn’t mean to bring up ancient history. I know it’s painful, and I’m way out of line.”

“I’m over Nate,” she asserts. “But this isn’t about your parents or what happened ten years ago with me. It’s about you.”

I exhale in frustration.

“If love isn’t real, what would you say to Caroline and Austin?” she challenges. “Who would’ve thought Austin Kyle, of all people, would turn his life upside down for anyone? I never would’ve guessed he’d find a way to be happy with a woman, but here we are. Those two fell for each other in less than a week.”

“They’re different.”

“Why?”

“They’re the exceptions. Every rule has them, just like the stupid i before e rule. It’s not always the case.”

“That’s not the entire saying.” She snorts. “It’s i before e except after c, and you know it. Which brings me to my point—you see what you want to see. Try looking at the whole picture here.”

“What if the whole picture is scary?” I whisper.

“Then you take a deep breath, count to five, and face your fears head-on. It’s the only way to overcome them.” Maren sits back. “I think it’d help to talk to Rain.”

“You want me to talk to my mother?” I gape. She can’t be serious.

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