Page 22 of Choosing Forever
“No, but the process could help show her why she should.”
“You want me to use this as a way to get back in her good graces?”
“We both know an approval from my dad won’t do much more than kick-start the permit process for a renovation. So, we’ll need the town to help build it. Volunteer or some shit like that. The fire station could help, right?”
“I’d have to talk to Caleb before answering that. But still, I don’t know if the town cares enough to try.”
“They will.”
“She’s not coming back to me, Bryce.”
“Don’t.”
I shake my head, the constant throb behind my ribs growing in intensity. “It’s been eight years.”
“And you’re still lost without her.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, I glance up at the ceiling. “It doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself that she’s gone, I still want to bring her home to me.”
“It’s not too late to try.”
“It was too late the moment I let her go.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“You’re supposed to be the doom-and-gloom one of us. Go back to that,” I mutter.
“That’s the way I prefer things, but you’ve decided to steal my entire personality today. Give it back and we’ll see.”
“Can we just talk about this more later?”
“If that’s what you want,” she relents, albeit reluctantly.
“I need to shower before Abbie gets up.”
Nodding, she glances at the time on her phone. “Yeah, Daisy’s already awake.”
“Go have breakfast with her before she heads to work,” I tell her, pushing off the couch. “And thank you. For coming to watch Abbie and for this. I’m sorry that I couldn’t . . . I can’t talk about it all right now.”
“Don’t apologize. You dealt with a lot tonight already.”
“Yeah. It was a night.”
“I love you,” she says, startling me.
Bryce has said that to me plenty of times over the years, but ever since she’s fallen in love with Daisy, it’s been more often. The sunshine woman she now calls her fiancée has brought my icy best friend out of her shell in the best ways.
I offer her a hand and tug her up before stealing another hug. “I love you too.”
“I’ll keep you posted. Don’t ignore me when I text, or I’ll come back over here and kick your ass.”
“I believe you.”
“Good.” She shoves out of my arms and gives my cheek a pat. “The mustache looks good, by the way.”
“Garrison told me it looked like a rat on my lip.”
“Garrison lacks taste.”
