Page 39 of Rematch
By the time she moved back to Baltimore in July, the Rick and Vanessa love affair was over, ending shortly after Valentine’s Day. She hadn’t been home more than a week before he came to see her. She’d told him to take a hike that time—and the next twenty times he’d shown up, issuing apologies she had zero interest in.
The road from there to where they were now had evolved slowly—like a snail’s pace slowly—as Rick persisted. The man who’d only been somewhat present when they were dating had suddenly become extremely attentive and considerate. Something she didn’t given two shits about nowadays.
However, their mothers were best friends, which meant their families did stuff together all the damn time. No longer ghosting her, Rick somehow managed to be where she was. It would have been easier to hold on to her anger if he hadn’t been in her face all the damn time and so…apologetic and nice.
But that wasn’t how things worked out. She and Rick had been thrust together at the summer picnic her mother threw together to welcome her home. Then he’d shown up at one of her parents’ fall firepits with his mom and dad. Their families had also celebrated Thanksgiving together and had plans for Christmas.
Somewhere around mid-October, Chelsea realized that anger took a lot of energy, so she simply let go of hers, even though the same couldn’t be said for Ethan and Allyson. Regardless of her best friends’ opinions—of which they had many, many heated ones—she told Rick she forgave him.
And she did.
But that didn’t mean she forgot. She’d made it very clear they would never be anything more than friends, and while she didn’t say it aloud, that friendship deal was limited to something that was actually more glorified acquaintance due to the fact she didn’t trust him. The trust was dead and buried and there was no resuscitating it. So she would be cordial, nice, and friendly, but that was all she had to offer him.
“I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner Friday night,” Rick asked, leaning in uncomfortably close.
“Dinner?”
“I know you’re busy these days, but I think you deserve a night off.”
Chelsea hesitated for a lot of reasons. “I really don’t have time to go out right now.”
“Chelsea. It’s been ages since we’ve had the chance to do anything together…just the two of us.”
That was true—and by design. All her time spent with Rick was in the presence of other people, their parents or mutual friends…or “unmutual” friends, as in the case of Allyson and Ethan. What he was proposing sounded too much like a date.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Rick seemed to take her rejection in stride. “I understand. It’s just…there are some things I’d like to talk about.”
Shit.
Chelsea didn’t like the way Rick was looking at her. She knew all his faces, and this one told her Ethan was right. Rick didn’t want to just be her friend.
“I feel like we’ve said it all.” She hoped he’d read her tone and cut this conversation off before it veered too far into the danger zone.
“You’re right. We have. So maybe I should just show you.”
“Rick.” Before Chelsea could reiterate all the reasons why the two of them were—to quote Taylor—never, ever, ever getting back together, Rick grasped her shoulders and pulled her forward, his lips landing on hers.
Shock held her still for maybe five seconds before her brain re-engaged and she shoved him away, furious. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
Rick had been all contrite smiles, but her refusal seemed to awaken his frustration. “Dammit, Chelsea! What else do you want from me? I’ve apologized. I’ve been a good friend to you. I’ve brought gifts, helped you and your parents out around the house. I even offered to invest in your business.”
He had, and she’d shut that down hard. “I don’t need your money.”
Rick brushed off her comment. “So you keep saying, but I don’t know what else you expect me to do.”
Expect? She didn’t expect anything of him.
“I’m not making you jump through random hoops, Rick, and there are no expectations. I thought we were reestablishing a friendship.”
He sighed, looking almost dejected, something she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen from him. “I know I hurt you, and I get that you want to punish me, but?—”
“Punish?” Chelsea crossed her arms around herself, freezing in the bitter wind. She really should have grabbed her coat. Figures he’d picked the coldest day of the winter to drop all this on her. “I… No, that’s not what I’m doing.” She didn’t have the energy for this. She was existing on less than five hours of interrupted sleep a night. Her tank was empty, which was probably why she was letting Rick’s comments slip in and sucker punch her. “I’m not trying to punish you.”
He lifted one shoulder, clearly not believing her.
So yeah…she’d handled everything with him completely wrong. Awesome.
