Page 65 of Pulled Away

“I blame myself,” he says, giving me an apologetic look.

“What?” Mom and I echo each other. This wasn’t what I was expecting. At all.

“I should never have told you about Hadley’s conception.”

“You told him?” Mom asks, aghast. “What were you thinking?”

“At the time, I thought he needed to know. Secrets always have a way of coming out, and I wanted him to be there for her if it did. But I was wrong. I should never have put that on your shoulders, and for that, I’m sorry.”

It’s not often you hear a parent say they’re wrong and apologize, and maybe he was wrong in telling me, but I can’t hold him responsible for my actions. They are all my own.

“You didn’t make me marry Hadley. It’s not your fault I made all the mistakes I did.”

“You’re right, I didn’t, but I think you did them because you’ve always felt responsible for Hadley’s happiness. And I compounded it by disclosing something I shouldn’t have.”

Closing my eyes, I try to swallow past the lump in my throat. I was always there for her; always putting her needs before mine. And then she betrayed me. I gave her the power to betray me. It leaves a bitter, bitter taste in my mouth.

“My boy,” Mom croons, her arms wrapping around me. “And before you complain, you’ll always be my boy.”

“I don’t know what to do, Mom. Aspen wants nothing to do with me, but I can’t lose her. I love her.”

“Then you fight for her,” Dad says, pressing his lips together. “Nothing worth having in this life comes without a fight.”

Chapter twenty-three

Aspen

“Just stop, girl. Get some self-respect,” I groan, stuffing popcorn into my mouth. I’m binging The Bachelor, and it’s like watching a train wreck. A month ago, my jaw would have hung open at the lengths some women would go to, to get the man. Not anymore. If Hadley wasn’t so set on Ryan, I’d recommend her for the show. She’s the perfect chameleon, changing her colors to suit her environment.

I have the rare night off, and I’m thankful for it because I’m so damn tired, and I need the rest. It feels like the calluses developing on my feet are growing their own calluses. I’ll have to see if I can find more comfortable boots.

I’m thankful, but I’m also slightly peeved. Since I’m the newbie, I’m last in line when it comes to picking shifts. And everyone loves the evening shifts on a Saturday.

“What are we watching?”

Carter, fresh from the shower, drops onto the couch next to me, rolling his shoulders with a sigh.

His parents own a ski resort and they wanted him to help run it, but his passion is the ocean. So when he turned twenty-one, they bought him a catamaran. He started a boat charter company and hasn’t looked back since. He now owns two catamarans with two crews working for him, offering anything from coastal cruises to island visits to private sunset champagne cruises.

I’ve got to hand it to him. He might be from money, but he’s one of the hardest workers I know. I think it’s because he truly loves what he does. He told me the ocean is his happy place. Where he can forget about everything, and just be.

“I feel I need to apologize,” I say, ignoring his question because really? It’s obvious what I’m watching.

“For what?”

“I feel I’m not cooking enough.”

“You cook plenty. I wasn’t expecting a home-cooked meal every night.” He frowns. “Sorry if I made you feel that way.”

“You didn’t. I just feel like I should be doing more. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

“You’re not,” he reprimands. “You’re doing what you need to do to get back on your feet.”

Silence falls between us, and I steal a glance at him out of the corner of my eye.

“So, Alice?”

“What about Alice?”

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