Page 132 of A Lesson for Laurel

Laurel shivered. She hated when women used tears like that. Easton looked uncomfortable and she almost wished he hadn’t put it on speakerphone.

“Not my problem. Not to be a hard ass, but the truth is, we weren’t right for each other. Because if we were, then I would have been able to give you what you were looking for or you would have been more clear. We would have tried to work it out, and instead, you went looking for it from someone else.”

“I’m sorry,” Rachelle said. “I really am. I ruined it, didn’t I?”

“I’m not sure what you want from me, but this conversation is over with. You made your choice and your decisions. If you hadn’t, I think we would have ended up here anyway. It wasn’t meant. Have a good life, Rachelle.” He hung up after that. Her eyes went wide. “Too harsh?” he asked.

“Nope,” she said. “You had more patience than I thought you would.”

“I meant everything I said.”

“Why did you put it on speaker? Did you think I wouldn’t trust you?”

She did. She trusted him. She wasn’t going to fight with him again about this. She just wanted him to let her know about the last conversation with Rachelle, nothing more.

“I know you trust me. I had no idea what she was going to say, but I wanted you to see how I handled it. I wasn’t even worried that you wouldn’t agree with it.”

“Nope,” she said. “I would have hung up after a minute, but you and I are different. You talk more than me. You would have wanted to know if you could get some more information. I still think you worry about what went wrong or what you could have fixed.”

“See,” he said. “That is why I love you. I learned that if I love someone enough then I can give them all of me. That is what I did with you. I didn’t with her.”

She smiled. “You were comfortable with her.”

“That hated word,” he said. “But yes.”

“No comfort level here,” she said. “Not like that. I love you so much and that is why I can be myself too. I’ve let you see all of me so that means I’ve given it to you too.”

He ran his hand down the side of her face. He didn’t often show this soft side. “You look stunned right now. Why?”

“You’re not normally loving.”

“I am with you. Maybe when I do this it just means more. We can have fun and be serious at the same time. The best of both worlds, don’t you think?”

“I do,” she said. “That is what we’ve got.”

“We do,” he said. “And if we continue this way, we can get through anything.”

“Broken appliances and all,” she said.

“Sweaty and stinky bodies too.”

“I didn’t stink two days ago,” she said, laughing.

“You did,” he said, holding up two fingers in a pinch. “Just a little.”

Which might have explained the cringe on Philip’s face. She laughed. “You like me all hot and sweaty.”

“I love you that way,” he said. “As long as I’m the only one that gets to see it in the future.”

“Absolutely!”

EPILOGUE

Three Weeks Later

“I’ve beento two weddings with you in just four months. How many more are there going to be?” Easton asked three weeks later when they got back to her place after Daisy and Theo were married.

“Who knows?” she said. “I’m sure Aster’s when he sets a date. Dahlia and Sage are the only ones not married, but I’m positive Dahlia isn’t going to do anything big.”

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