Page 41 of No Time for Traditions

“Nope. You don’t come to my class like a flailing whale and then refuse to tell me what’s wrong.”

Brittany rolled her eyes and zipped up her jacket. The cold winter air mixed with her sweaty body made her nauseated. Or maybe it was Alice’s interrogation.

“Everything went wrong back home.”

“Really?” Alice wrinkled her forehead and tossed her blonde and pink ponytail over her shoulder.

“Yeah. Like with my family and Greg.”

“Whoa. Hold the phone. Who’s Greg?”

Brittany dropped her head and groaned. “A guy.”

Alice gasped. “Tell me more.”

“All that matters is that I misread him. I trusted him when I shouldn’t have.”

Alice shifted her bag of mats to one hip and hugged Brittany with her free arm. “Do you like him?”

Brittany nodded, her chin quivering. “I do, but I shouldn’t.”

“Oh, Brit.”

“And the day I left, he tried to tell me he loved me.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “Do you think he does?”

“I mean . . .” Brittany shrugged her shoulders. “I would’ve wanted him to say that until I found out about the sale.”

Alice squinted with confusion.

“You’ve heard me talk about my grandparents and all the time I spent at their farmhouse, right?”

“Yeah.”

“When I got home, I found out my family is selling it. But that’s not the worst. It was already under contract, but they didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry, Brit.” Alice gave her shoulder a squeeze.

On the short walk back to their apartment complex, Brittany filled Alice in on how she’d planned on making everyone in her family fall back in love with the farmhouse. Then she told her about Greg and how he fit into it all. She ended with two days ago, when she’d found the title on his desk and got in a fight with him before leaving. By the time they reached their apartments, Alice knew everything. Well, except for the fact that Brittany also managed to write one third of a pretty marketable novel.

Alice set the mats down and fished for her keys as Brittany unlocked her own door.

“Hey, Brittany?”

“Yeah?” Brittany turned around before entering her apartment.

Alice leaned into her own open doorway, arms crossed. “Clearly, I’m not the relationship expert, but I think it might help if you give Greg a chance to say what he wanted to say.”

Brittany stared at her feet. Alice didn’t know Greg like she did. And while Brittany wanted very much to give him the benefit of doubt and hear him out, she couldn’t. She’d done that once, and it had left her heartbroken. She looked up at Alice and sighed. “I wish I could, but I don’t think my heart can take any more.”

Alice nodded. “I get it. If you want, you can come in and eat all my vegan ice cream.”

Brittany laughed. “Thanks, but I’ve got a pint of the real stuff waiting in my fridge.”

Alice laughed as well. “Just know I’m here if you need me.”

Brittany smiled. “I know. And thanks.” She went inside and shut the door on what had been yet another day of letting Greg control her thoughts and emotions.

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