Page 139 of Holding On

"Ethan, really, I don't mind taking people home."

"I'll go make the offer and see what they say." We go outside and Ethan shuts the music off and says, "Party's over. If you want to go home, Becca will drop you off. Otherwise, you're crashing here for the night. Nobody's driving drunk."

Everyone ignores him. They're too busy making out to care.

"Guess they're staying," he says to me. "So you coming back after you talk to Mike?"

"No. I'm gonna stay at my place tonight."

"Okay." He kisses me. "Call me when you get home so I know you made it."

"Okay, bye."

I hurry home and find Mike and Heather snuggled up on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey," I say, announcing myself.

"Hey," Mike says, looking back at me. "You're actually sleeping here tonight?"

"Hi, Becca," Heather says, smiling at me. I don't even know her and I already like her better than Tricia.

"Hi. So, um...Mike, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I should get going," Heather says to him. "I have to be up early for work."

"Yeah, okay." He walks her to the door. I hide in the kitchen as he tells her goodbye.

"So what's going on?" Mike asks, joining me at the kitchen table. "You have a fight with Ethan?"

"No. But I was just over there and while I was there, Tricia called."

His body stiffens and he sits up straighter. "What did she want?"

"She said she's been calling you. Leaving you messages. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you didn't need to know, and I knew telling you would just upset you."

"You didn't call her back, right?"

"I was going to, but no. I decided not to."

"Well, she's not giving up. She called to ask if I'd talk you into calling her back."

"Why? What does she have to say?"

"She wants to know how you're doing. I told her it's none of her business and then I told her to leave you alone." I look him in the eye. "You can't call her. I know you want to, but you just need to ignore her. She had her chance with you and she blew it. And in the process she ruined my—" I stop, wishing I hadn't said that.

"Ruined your life," Mike mutters, looking down the table.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just—"

"It's okay. I know what Tricia did changed your plans. That's the main reason why I won't call her. I can handle her hurting me, but the fact that this ended up involving you, ruining your life, pisses me off. I'm having a hard time forgiving her for that."

"It didn't ruin my life. It just changed the course of it for awhile. And I'm okay with that."

Actually, I'm not okay with it but I'm not letting Mike take any of the blame for this. I'm not letting him feel guilty. My having to leave nursing school and move here is all because of Tricia and what she did. It's not Mike's fault.

"What else did she say?"

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