Page 34 of Forgettable in Every Way

“That’s him, but we’re just friends. Not even that,” I hastily said. It was weird discussing Simon with my dad. We’d never discussed boys or men before. For all my parents knew, I could have joined a convent and pledged a life of celibacy. It wasn’t a bad thought. I would keep my options open.

Dad flashed me a meaningful look. “I heard you t-t-talking about him. You l-l-love him.”

I blew out a large amount of air that sounded like a maniacal laugh. “Love is a word for it.” I once read love is like a toothache. It doesn’t show up on an X-ray, but do you ever know it’s there. If only there were a dentist who could yank that diseased tooth out of my soul. Would insurance cover that?

“He knows how you f-f-feel about him?”

“More than likely.”

“And you think he’s the k-k-kind of man who would so c-c-callously keep coming around, knowing your feelings?”

“Well ...” I had to let Dad’s question settle in. If I was being honest with myself, the answer was ... “No.” It didn’t seem like Simon’s style. I’d never known him to be cruel. You know, except for ripping my heart out. But maybe he didn’t know the damage he’d done. Had he never looked at the photo album?

“So, he d-d-doesn’t know how you feel?”

“I don’t know,” I said, exasperated. Dad was confusing the heck out of me.

Dad chuckled. “T-t-tell me why you fell in love with h-h-him.”

That was easy. “Because for nine months he texted me good morning and good night. And in the middle of the day, he would always send me some weird random fact, like Scotland’s official animal is a unicorn.” I felt so loved and seen. But then suddenly, like the flip of a switch, it ended.

“Is that t-t-true?” Dad asked.

“It is.”

“Unicorn. How very odd,” Dad said, as if it were the strangest thing he had ever heard. “Any other reasons for l-l-loving this g-g-guy?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “He brought out this side of me I didn’t know existed. I really love that girl,” I choked out. “I miss her.”

Dad stopped and tilted his head. Such a look of fatherly adoration filled his features. “I h-h-hope you find her for your s-s-sake. But just so you know, the girl in f-f-front of me is one in a million. I’m proud of who you’ve b-b-become. M-m-maybe someday you’ll even trust your old man enough to tell him what you d-d-do for a living.”

“Maybe.” I grinned.

“Maybe someday, this Simon will b-b-be worthy of your t-t-trust too.”

“That’s not going to happen. I trusted him before and it didn’t work out so well.”

“Take it from an o-o-bli-vious man,” he had a difficult time saying. “Perhaps Simon didn’t realize the trust you had placed in him.”

“Not to be callous, but don’t you think as my dad you should know the kind of trust I placed in you?”

He hung his head. “You’re r-r-right. I should have. And m-m-maybe Simon should have too. But sometimes we need to be c-c-called out and shown what’s right in f-f-front of our faces.”

“I tried to tell him once. I can’t do that again. Besides, he just wants friendship.”

“Perhaps he d-d-doesn’t know he has another option.”

Even if he did, I knew he would never pick me. “It’s not an option anymore.” Clearly, the man didn’t want me. I’d heard nothing from him ever since Calista had sent him away. It made my decision easier, so I was grateful for the distance, even if it hurt.

“If you say so,” Dad said conspiratorially. “One thing r-r-running my own b-b-business taught me is that just b-b-because you don’t see the option on the t-t-table doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That sounds like a line from some business guru trying to sell a book.” I’d read several before starting my company. Most of them came off like used car salesmen with catchy lines but no actual substance in them.

Dad laughed a rumbly laugh. “It’s no l-l-line, honey. I do know a thing or two about b-b-business and m-m-men.”

I knew some things too. Foremost being that I wasn’t going to wait around anymore for Simon to make me an offer. Love was off the table.

Simon

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