Page 31 of The Re-Proposal

My body is tense with sorrow, pain, and ten years’ worth of emotional scab wounds but, somehow, Regan makes me smile through it.

“Yeah,” I say to the cutie. “But they’re problems that can’t be solved.” I glance at Cody. “No matter how hard you try.”

Cody gently draws his niece over to him. “That doesn’t mean you should stop trying, right?”

“Right.”

I scowl.

He smirks and holds a hand out to Regan. “How about I show you where Island hid the good brownies?”

“Yes!” She shrieks.

He places a finger on his lips. “I’ll only share if you get Ris to join us.”

The little girl flies over to me and tilts her head up. Those big brown eyes melt my very present and very loud discomfort.

Please ignore the painful memories you have with my uncle so I can get brownies, her eyes whisper.Please with a cherry on top?

I wrench my eyes away from Regan and spear Cody with them. “That’s low. Even for you.”

“A good businessman knows when to leverage the big guns.” He swings Regan into his arms and she laughs uproariously. “Come on, booger.”

I won’t pretend that seeing Cody with his niece doesn’t affect me. He dotes on her and she adores him. Her eyes shine whenever he smiles her way and she has no problems slipping her hand around his neck as they enter the large—and surprisingly well-organized—walk-in pantry.

Cody pulls out a bag of hidden brownies.

“Share?” Regan offers me a delectably gooey piece.

I smile my thanks, still feeling off-kilter. We’re talking and smiling in the moment for Regan’s sake, but there’s a giant elephant in the room named ‘CODY’S APOLOGY’.

The last thing I expected him to do today was ask for my forgiveness. It took the wind out of my sails and sucked most of the anger from my stomach.

There was a time when I longed for that apology. And maybe, in the back of my heart, I longed for him too. But as much as I acknowledge the sincerity in those words, they don’t change the truth that existed then and still does now.

We’re no good together.

I don’t fit in his world and I don’t want to leave my place to go to his. Trying to be something, to be someone, I wasn’t nearly killed me in college.

Since Regan is watching, I nibble on a brownie for her sake and then jump to my feet. “Thanks for sharing your brownies, Regan.”

“Are you leaving?” She pouts adorably.

“I have work to do.”

“Math?” She arches both eyebrows.

“No.” I move my gaze purposefully to Cody. “I already turned in that paper. There’s no going back.”

“Ris…”

Before he can say anything more, Island’s voice chirps behind us. “IknewI’d find you hiding in here. Cody, Regan’s had more than enough brownies today and I told her she couldn’t have more.”

“Sorry,” Regan says, her face crammed with chocolate.

“Sorry,” Cody says, looking equally sheepish.

“Clarissa, are you ready to meet now? I’ve got a few minutes.”

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