Page 72 of Hate the One You're With
“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cunningham,” Em replies, shaking her hand with a nervous smile.
My dad, standing a bit behind, nods politely. “Welcome, Emmersyn,” he says, his voice reserved, though he’s making an effort to be welcoming. I know in the past he saw her as his biggest headache, his worst enemy, and the reason behind his biggest stress-filled phone calls.
There was a time when he probably wished our family never heard of her, let alone that I married her. But now,seeing him try to put all that aside, I realize just how much he’s willing to give her a chance—for my sake.
“Thank you for having me,” Em responds, her voice steady despite the tension.
“Why don’t we all sit down?” my mom suggests, gesturing toward the living room. As we move inside, I can feel the tension, like we’re all carefully stepping around a minefield of unspoken words and past misunderstandings.
We settle into the living room, my parents taking the couch opposite us. My mom folds her hands in her lap, offering Emmersyn a small, polite smile. “I was very sorry to hear about your grandmother’s passing,” she says gently. “Losing a loved one is never easy.”
“Thank you,” Emmersyn replies, her voice soft but steady. “It’s been hard, but I’m grateful for the time I had with her.” She pauses, her eyes flickering with a mixture of sadness and warmth. “She was a complicated woman, but she loved me in her own way. I’m learning to appreciate that more as time goes on.”
My mom nods, her expression softening. “Complicated relationships can be the hardest to navigate. I’m glad you have fond memories to hold onto.”
Emmersyn smiles, and it’s the kind of smile that lights up a room. “I’ve learned that holding onto the good memories makes it a little easier to deal with the tougher ones. And I’ve had Caleb by my side, which has helped more than I can say.”
The tension in the room eases a bit as my mom leans forward slightly. “It’s good to hear that. Family is important, and I’m glad Caleb has been there for you.”
“He’s been amazing,” Emmersyn agrees, glancing at mewith a look that makes my heart skip a beat. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”
My dad, who’s been quiet up until now, clears his throat. “I’m glad to hear that you’re both supporting each other. That’s what marriage is about, after all.”
Emmersyn nods. “Absolutely. And I’m really looking forward to getting to know both of you better. I know we haven’t had the easiest start, but I hope we can move forward and create some new, positive memories.”
There’s a moment of silence, and then my mom smiles, a real one this time. “I’d like that, too.”
As the conversation flows on, it becomes clear that this visit is about more than just formalities. It’s a chance for all of us to build something new, to start fresh.
Chapter Forty-Six
Emmersyn
In all honesty,I never tried to meet Clarissa’s parents. How could I, when I was always the reason she was in trouble? It wasn’t my fault, of course, but that didn’t change the fact that they blamed me. It didn’t really matter—until I married their son. Then everything changed, and I realized just how much they hated me. So what was the point in meeting them?
There was never a good time to even trysmoothing things over. Cal lived in San Diego, and whenever we had free time, we spent it together, trying to make our relationship work. And we did. We were crazy about each other—until Gertrude decided to go full Langley on us and tore everything apart.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I found out what she did, and I’m still not over it. I know I’ll forgive her eventually. But grieving the loss of someone who caused you so much pain while loving you in her own twisted way is complicated. She thought she was protecting me, but all she did was break me.
“You okay?” Caleb asks as we head to the hotel. Tomorrow, I’ll see Clarissa, her husband, and their little monsters. Then it’s back to New York, where we’re still in this strange dating phase. I like this do-over we’re experiencing though.
He’s still the same charming, bossy, flirty man I fell in love with. Well, not quite the same—he’s older. Unfortunately, I haven’t tempted him enough to have sex with me yet.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answer, thoughtful. “Your parents seem to kinda like me.”
“They’ll learn to love you,” he says confidently.
“You’re so sure about it,” I roll my eyes. “I don’t think I’m the ‘bring her to your parents’ kind of girl.”
“I doubt that’s the term, but you are totally the girl-next-door type,” he lies with a teasing grin.
“You’ve always said I’m anything but normal,” I remind him, raising an eyebrow.
“Not when it comes to meeting the parents,” he clarifies. “You made a good impression on them without even trying. I’m hoping they impressed you enough that you’ll want to visit again.”
“I will,” I admit, a small smile tugging at my lips.
“Can we stop worrying about my family now?” he asks, his tone light but sincere.
