Page 110 of Love Not Qualified

But even with the woman gone, she swallowed her words and sunk into her food. Occasionally, she glanced up to me, but didn’t initiate conversation, nor reply to what I said.

I didn’t need her to. I was aware winning her back wasn’t going to be an easy task and I still signed up for it.

So, I watched her struggle to eat her dinner with no idea of how the night was going to end, but ready for the long road ahead. Going back in time when she’d only take a bite of her food, I realized she was doing so much better now. Even if she never finished her portion, she started to eat in the real sense of the word.

FORTY-ONE

HAELYN

“I can’t picture you in a dress,” I said through tears, my stomach hurting from how hard I was laughing. I wiped the corner of my eyes with my fingers as he peaked at me with a shake of his head.

We were on the busy streets of Los Angeles, walking on our way back home after the successful date we had. He insisted we take the car, but it was such a beautiful night to spend it in a car. Plus, that gave us more time to talk.

While the idea of buying time just so I could hear him speak about his past terrified me, I chose to think about that later instead of now.

“They did my makeup while I was asleep,” he continued. “Then they shaved my whole body and woke me up when they were done. Apparently, Kai and Kiaran pranked Ryker that he had a date,” Tristan continued by retelling the memory of when he was a kid, a low smile playing on his lips. He opened his hands. “If you didn’t figure it out by now, I was his date.”

I laughed even harder and when I could form proper words, I spoke. “But why did they do that while you were asleep? It would’ve been easier if they asked,” I asked as we turned left on a street.

“Because I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”

I raised a brow. “So you went through with it?”

“Well, I had makeup on and shaved legs. The dress was the only thing missing and since everything was already done, I thought why not?” He shrugged. “But I did land a few punches in their stomachs before dressing up,” Tristan added.

“The way I would give my life to see you like that.” I smiled, picturing a younger version of him. Less of his muscles. Less of his seriousness. “It seemed like you were a lot more… easygoing. Now you’re all tense and so intent with your words.”

I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes, seeing his brows lowering into a frown. His head was pointed at the pavement under our feet.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. It was wrong of me to compare a past version of him with who he was now when I knew all too well I was a completely different person than Haelyn who was living with her parents.

Before I could apologize, he spoke first. “I know. But I guess it was easier for me to be like that when I was surrounded by people I grew up with. My brothers knew when to leave me alone and when to push. I can’t be that way with a stranger and just hope they won’t be offended by my attitude or jokes.”

“You’re right,” I agreed.

And he was. There was no way I could act around a new person the way I did around Merielle. She knew my humor, we had our own twisted jokes and we sometimes peeked too deeply into each other’s love life. I couldn’t picture sharing that kind of information with anyone else.

“You’re lucky to have your brothers, you know?” I elbowed his arm, catching my bottom lip between my teeth. He threw me a curious glance. “There’s nothing like family and even if your father passed, you should hold onto your brothers. God knows I would do anything to get mine back.” The words flew out of my mouth. Tristan was still watching me. “Don’t get me wrong, I’mthankful I still have my mother, but there’s something about that sibling bond… it’s unbreakable.”

I didn’t know how close he was to his family, but if I was in his place, I would visit them at every chance possible. Or maybe I was thinking that way because Nash was no longer at reach and unlike others, I knew how valuable time was.

But it was too late now.

He was silent for a few beats and I had a feeling he chose his next words carefully. “What happened to your brother? I remember reading something in the file about it, but there’s no one to know the story better than you.”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to ruin the good mood,” I said, raising the corner of my mouth even if I didn’t feel like smiling. It was already ruined for me.

Tristan had no intention of making me sad, that I knew. But I couldn’t bring myself to be otherwise when it was about Nash.

“You won’t,” he assured me. “Not if you want to get it off your chest.”

I laughed. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”

Tristan nodded, and our feet synced, slowing in speed on the dark street. I wasn’t sure of what to do. After all, not too long ago this man betrayed me and giving him this piece of me would mean accepting what he did. And I wasn’t ready for that.

“When you want to talk about it, I’ll be here to listen.” He stopped in place and I followed him, staring into his eyes. Tristan seemed sincere, but my heart wasn’t prepared to listen.

He was waiting for an answer, an assurance. It was written all over his face. “Thank you.” It was everything I could give him.

---