Page 73 of Pulled Away

Startled, I pull my eyes away from the ocean and watch as two of my best friends sit down at the table. We’ve known each other for more than half my life, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. There used to be four of us, but after Quinn blew up his life in a spectacular fashion, he moved away. Not gonna lie. I miss the bastard sometimes, despite what he did.

“Okay, so it’s no secret that I fucked up with Aspen,” I say once we all have a beer in hand.

“I’d say,” Carter says, running his hand through his windswept hair. He has that look about him, one that shouts that he’s at peace. It’s always been like that with him. The only place he’s truly content is when he’s out on the water.

Aiden grunts his agreement. “Hannah said Hadley showed up at her salon last week acting all friendly, but she wasn’t having any of it. Said she’d better not be thinking of booking an appointment with her. Not unless she wanted to walk out with a mullet or a perm. Seeing that we’re all backward hicks living in this backward town.” He’s smirking, and I can tell he’s picturing the scene in his mind. He never liked Hadley much, so I’m sure he’s not too cut up about it. “Damn, she was fired up. Practically burned up the sheets that night.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the image of them burning up the sheets from my head.

“Yeah. Well, I need to fix it.”

“Good luck with that. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation.” Carter grimaces. “It’s not like you guys were trying to be quiet. Look,” he says, leaning forward. “I’m all for fighting the good fight, but if I was a betting man, I’d say the odds are against you. Aspen seems pretty determined.”

“I know. And this isn’t about getting her back. It’s about fixing what I broke. But I’m not gonna lie. If there’s a chance she’ll take me back, I’ll grab it with both hands.”

“So, what do you want to do? And why call us?”

“I have a few thoughts, and I’m going to need your help with some of them.”

When I’m done laying out my plans, Aiden sits back with a frown. “I don’t know, man. I’m on board with everything. But your house? Are you sure about this? This is fucking huge.”

I nod without hesitation because I haven’t been more sure about anything in my life. The space is tainted. Beyond redemption. When I look at it, all I should see is Aspen, but now Hadley is mixed in with it. It’s not a home anymore. It’s a place of pain.

“Never been more sure.”

“That’s a lot of money you’re just giving away.”

I shrug as if it’s no big deal because to me it isn’t. Whatever profit I make from the sale is hers. “I can start again. Mom’s on board, so it’s done. I just need to get a realtor.”

Carter chuckles. “Your mom is going to love it. Prepare yourself for lots of clucking and mothering.”

I grimace at the thought. No matter how much I think about it, it still stays weird. Moving back home after so many years of being the king of my own castle is going to be an…adjustment. To put it mildly.

“I’ll compensate you for any loss of business you might have that day and your operating costs,” I say to him.

“Don’t sweat it. It’s going to be awesome advertising for me. It’s an amazing idea. I might incorporate something like that in my catalog,” he says, his eyes unfocused, and I can practically see the gears spinning in his head.

I sit back in satisfaction. Now that I have Carter on board, this idea of mine is looking more and more like an actual possibility.

“We’re an easy sell,” Aiden says, taking a sip of his beer. “The girls will be a different story.”

“I don’t think so. They hate seeing her struggle as much as I do. Once they understand my reasons for doing it, they’ll be all in.”

Chapter twenty-six

Aspen

Ryan: The world population is estimated at around eight billion. So, in theory, every person shares a birthday with about twenty-two million people. I don’t care about the other 21,999,999 people’s birthdays. Only yours and I hope that one day you’ll allow me to share it with you again.

“Just a heads up. Ryan’s here,” Rose says, hooking her arm in mine. Nodding with a slight smile, I acknowledge her warning and the concern stamped on her face. I’m not surprised, though. It was inevitable that he’d be here tonight. Our whole friend group is here to support and celebrate Maya.

It’s been two months since our conversation in Carter’s kitchen. And in those two months, I haven’t seen him once. Not even a glimpse.

I wish I could say I’ve stopped missing him, but the truth is, I still do. What I can say is that living without him has become easier. I’ve gone through the denial stage, where I refused to believe our relationship was imploding. Where I still tried to make excuses for him. After that came the anger and the sadness. That was a roller coaster for me. One minute, I’d be heartbroken, then I’d think of what had happened, and I’d be spitting mad again, wanting to stab a fork in both of their eyes. It was exhausting, and some days, I still feel that way, but thankfully, it’s getting less and less. This is good because feeling that way all the time is draining and takes a toll on you, both physically and emotionally. Sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and working two jobs all contributed to me losing a lot of pounds. Which isn’t all bad. At least I’m not a stress eater.

Now I’m firmly in the acceptance stage. Accepting that despite giving it my all, it didn’t work out. Accepting that no matter what you’re going through, life still carries on. Accepting that I still love Ryan—the Ryan before Hadley came—and hoping that with time, those feelings will fade.

Smoothing my hand over my dress, I will myself to not look for him. I’m sure seeing him will hurt, but tonight is not about my feelings. It’s about Maya.

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