Page 32 of My eX-MAS Emergency

He was correct.

“I insist on at least paying for her room and board until I get a place of my own.”

He started rinsing off the dishes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered.”

“I don’t—” I started to protest.

“I get it,” he cut me off. “You don’t want to be beholden to me in any shape or form. Look at it like you’re doing me the favor. I could use the company.” He sounded downtrodden—lonely, even.

That I could relate to, but he didn’t need to know that. “I don’t want to do you any favors either,” I retaliated.

He shook his head.

“Maybe I’ll just keep her here with me and let Stella deal with it. Where is my sister, anyway?”

Tristan shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“What are people saying at your country club?” I asked with some disdain. If Stella was hooking up with someone, surely there would be some talk.

He looked up from the dishes and scrunched his brow. “I know you don’t have the highest opinion of me, but I don’t spend my days at the country club listening to people gossip.”

“Just on the weekends,” I quipped.

“Only when the golf course is open,” he zinged back.

“You must be in mourning right now, then.”

“I’m doing my best to deal with the tragic circumstances,” he teased.

I couldn’t help but smile. I would berate myself for it later. “At least tell me you know something about this Beckett kid.” I would have to snoop on my sister later. Maybe Jules could help me. I was sure she was a spy or something like that.

Tristan walked back over to the table to grab the serving dishes. He paused to glance at me, his eyes trying to peer into my own, but I refused to get trapped in those babies. “Beckett’s a good kid. His dad is the store manager, and Beckett works there after school, stocking the inventory. And … they are from the other side of the lake.”

That surprised and pleased me. “You mean the best side?”

“I’ll give you that one,” Tristan agreed.

I squinted at him, not believing it for a minute.

He stepped closer to me and leaned in, making it so I couldn’t breathe. “Some of the very best times of my life happened on that side of the lake.”

My heart stopped. He wasn’t allowed to say things like that. “I assume you’re talking about after I left,” I said dryly.

“You know exactly the times I’m talking about,” he whispered before standing up straight and walking back to the sink.

They were times I didn’t want to remember, but remember them I did. Simple, sweet moments like helping my mom plant her garden or making plum jam. Sometimes I would look over at him during those times and knew that wherever he was, that’s where I belonged. It didn’t matter what side of the lake we were on. But … he obviously didn’t agree.

I stood with Poppy, thinking this was a good time to exit. I had played mostly nice for long enough. My heart didn’t need any more reminders of the past. Of him. “I’m going to head upstairs,” I informed him, not daring to look at him. He still had this pull on me.

“Wait,” he said, panicked. “I need to tell you something.”

I took another step toward my escape route. “I think we said enough for today, don’t you?”

“No. I need to tell you why.”

“Why what?” I was confused.

“Why I broke up with you.”

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