Page 32 of Fragments of You

“I would say the fact that you’re home, but really, it’s the look of defeat you’re currently wearing that was my telltale sign.”

“Defeat.” I snort. “This is the look of determination.” I gesture to my face.

“Or the look of a man glutton for punishment.” She plops down in the rocking chair next to mine. “So what was your grand plan, anyway?”

“I didn’t really have one. Just figured I’d wing it.”

“Wing it?” She shakes her head at me. “So what did you do?”

“I waited by her car for her to get off work. Tried to convince her to take a drive with me.”

“A drive?” She almost laughs.

“I just thought, maybe if we could visit some of our old spots, I don’t know, that she’d remember how good we are together.”

“Because taking her to the rocks worked out so well for you.”

“If you’re just gonna piss all over my plans, you can leave at any time,” I grunt.

“You know she’s never going to leave Felix for you,” she says instead. “Paisley doesn’t quit someone when she’s made a commitment. That girl will walk down the aisle, to a man who will never measure up to you, and say I do for no other reason than she’s incapable of letting people down.”

“I know. But I also know she still loves me. And as long as I know that, I won’t give up until that happens. Hell, maybe even after.”

“So what? You’re just going to spend your entire life chasing after a woman who chose someone else?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“You really do love misery, don’t you?”

“Misery is living without her, Iris.” I rest my head against the back of the chair, watching the sky glow orange as the sun begins to dip beneath the horizon.

My dad was a piece of shit, but he did one thing right in buying this place. Not that he ever took care of it, which is apparent pretty much everywhere you look, but there’s no denying the beauty of the land. The house leaves a lot to be desired, but the land... it’s everything.

When I first arrived here, I couldn’t wait to sell it, to rid myself of the place that held nearly every bad memory I’ve ever had, but now, I don’t know, I find myself wanting to hold onto the place. To rebuild and take something filled with pain and anger and give it new meaning.

“So we try again.”

I turn back to Iris. “We?”

“You can’t possibly expect to win her back by yourself. Let’s face it, you’re not exactly the grand gestures type. I can help you.”

“I appreciate the offer, but this is something I have to do on my own.”

“Well, if you change your mind, the offer stands. She was my best friend for a very long time. I like to think I can offer some pretty useful insight...”

“Can I ask you a question?” I cut her off. “If you knew something, something that would end Felix and Paisley’s relationship in an instant, would you use it?”

“Why? Do you know something?” She looks at me almost excitedly, her curiosity clearly piqued.

“We’re speaking hypothetically here.”

“Okay, well, hypothetically, do you know something like that?”

“Let’s say you have a card that would clear the table and you’d walk away a clear winner. Would you play it?”

“Hell yes, I would.” She slaps her leg to emphasize this.

“But what if it would hurt a lot of people?”

---