Page 76 of Wild Dreams

I winced, no longer sure I should have talked to Eli about this at all. He was obviously loyal to Scarlett. "I wanted to talk to you because I don't know what to do."

Eli sighed. "How do you feel about her? Is it casual or something more?"

"I think I might be in love with her." It had to be what these feelings were, swirling in my chest. I hated leaving her that morning, and as much as I tried to bury myself in work, she was never far from my mind. "But I'm afraid it's too late to talk to her."

"It's never too late to tell her how you feel. But what she does with that?—"

"I'm not sure I can go to her until I figure out how to balance work and her."

"Would you be willing to walk away from your job if it meant happiness with Marigold? Because I'll tell you I'd give this up to make Scarlett happy. She's all that matters." He gestured around the room.

Could I walk away from the position? My dad practically groomed me for the job. It was my destiny. Could I step back and let someone else take on that role? Then I thought about what it felt like coming home to Marigold, creating a life with her. Sharing my home with her, watching her walk down the aisle to me, and finally, holding our baby. "I want her."

"You need to talk to your parents. They're the reason why you think you can't have both."

"I think you're right." I did need to talk to my parents.

"I'd do it all over again if it meant always getting Scarlett in the end. She's the prize, the package, my whole damn world. Nothing matters without her."

A thrill ran through my body. That's how I felt about Marigold. She was everything, and I'd walked away because I was scared. "I hope I'm not too late."

"I don't know. She's been hurt like this before. She might not be quick to forgive you."

"We never really talked about the future because I was quick to shut it down."

"You owe it to yourself to explore this with her. You deserve to be happy. I always thought your vow of celibacy was ridiculous anyway. You're not a martyr. You're human, just like the rest of us."

Had I been acting like a martyr? I held myself to a different standard than everyone else. That was messed up, and what example was I setting for other people? You can focus on a job but nothing else? I'd always prided myself on being a good example in the community. What if I wasn't?

I drank the rest of my water. "You're right."

Eli smirked. "Of course I am. I'm your wiser best friend."

"Don't push it." I was grateful to be living in my hometown, working my preferred job, and sharing my life with my friends, family, and hopefully, one day soon, my dream girl. Because when I thought about going on without her, the future seemed bleak.

The next morning, I called Mom and told her I was coming over for breakfast because I had something to discuss with them. I was positive they had no idea what was coming.

I found them in the kitchen, breakfast on the table. There was eggs, ham, and fruit. I kissed Mom, then sat down. "This looks great, Mom."

Mom didn't waste any time getting to the point. "What's going on? It sounded serious."

I sighed as they served themselves, then handed me the plates. "I'm in love with a girl."

Mom's eyes widened, but Dad remained silent. "Who is she?"

"Marigold."

"I didn't know you two were interested in each other," Mom said in a disbelieving tone.

"I didn't see her as anything other than Scarlett's friend until recently. We worked together to keep Scarlett here and then with our book club."

Mom nodded as she dug into her eggs. "You got to know her better."

I nodded. "It turned into something I never expected."

"What do you need from us?" Dad leaned his elbows on the table, his full attention on me.

I looked at Mom. "I saw what you went through with Dad's job, the strain it put on your relationship, and I vowed never do that to another woman."

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