Page 33 of Embracing the Change

Yes, it gutted him.

Because he couldn’t give that back.

That wasn’t true, he was in love with her too.

Hopelessly.

He just couldn’t follow through with it.

Because…not again.

Never again.

“After I finish these, I’ll make your bourbon,” she said while reaching for the rum.

And thank Christ she was strong, and kind, and smart, and could look out for herself, or what they had could be ruined.

They’d find their way back to it.

She just needed to save face.

And he needed to give her space.

It would be painful for them both, and that killed him.

But they were family now, thus it was unavoidable, and they were both the kind of people who, for the ones they loved, would suck it up.

“I’ll have a mojito,” he replied.

She nodded her head and didn’t reply.

Her phone lit up, and the screen said Ex Calling.

His neck got taut.

“Who’s that?” he asked, even if he knew exactly who it was.

She glanced at her phone, then said, “Ignore it.”

“Who’s that, Nora?”

She looked at him again. “Ignore it, Jamie.”

“Is it Roland?” he asked, and again he knew it was, because he knew the man had been sniffing around her all too frequently of late.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

“It doesn’t.”

“It does,” he asserted. Then he stated, “Fuck it, I’ll find out myself.”

He grabbed her phone, took the call and put it to his ear as she cried, “Jamie! What are you?—?”

“Castellini?” he demanded.

“Oakley?” Castellini queried.

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