Page 41 of Merritt and Her Childhood Crush
I didn’t sleep much after I bolted from the bar. I couldn’t stop thinking about Simon fizzling away into a nonissue, leaving me feeling so … so … I don’t even know. Whatever it is, I’m still feeling it. Merritt is single. This fact shouldn’t have such a strong impact on my ability to function in daily tasks. But clearly, it does.
I only made it through the weekend because Isabelle was with me, and she’s the best kind of distraction. But now that Izzy is back with her mom, the emotions I ignored while we played on the beach and ate mac and cheese and watchedMoanafive hundred times are finally coalescing into more tangible feelings.
For a long time after Cassidy and I first got together, a part of me felt like I was cheating on Merritt. What even is that? You can’t cheat on someone you’re not in a relationship with. And there were a good few years between Merritt breaking my heart and me trying to move on. Not that Cassidy wasjustan attempt to move on. She and I were friends. She made me laugh—a rare feat in those days. Eventually, I convinced myself the deep care I felt—and still feel—for her was love. Even if it was nothing like what had existed between Merritt and me.
But were it not for Isabelle, I wouldn’t have married Cassidy. We both felt like it was the right thing to do, but her feelings were always stronger than mine. In the end, even she acknowledged we were better off as friends, co-parenting in separate households. I was less sad by the breakup of my marriage and more relieved.
I think a part of me knew my heart still belonged to Merritt.
“What are you going to do?” Dante asks.
“She said she wanted to be friends.”
“Is that what you think she really wants? Is that whatyouwant—friendship?”
I cross my arms. “I don’tnotwant to be friends with her.”
Dante regards me like I’m some new species of human he’s never seen. A new,inferiorspecies of human. “Are you serious right now?”
“What—you think I should just ask her out?”
These may be the most terrifying words I’ve ever said in my whole life. I’m sweating. My breathing is shallow. I can’t look at Dante’s eyes so I stare at a spot on his forehead instead.
His eyebrows lift. “Do youwantto ask her out?”
It’s not even a question. But maybe it should be. Because it’s only been a few days since we dealt with the biggest issue in our past. I don’t know how long ago she and Simon broke up, but it can’t have been that long if her sister didn’t even know. And even if she apologized for what she said back then, isn’t there some truth to it? Merritt may not have her job in New York right now, but it’s not like she’s going to find anything comparable on Oakley Island.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” Dante says.
I glare. “It’s not that I’m scared.”
“So, ask her out.”
“I’m not going to ask her out just because you dare me to do it.”
“Good. Ask her out because you want to. Because she’s the only one you want to date. Because it’s about time to break your years-long single streak.”
“Years? Really?”
“When was the last time you took a woman on a date? And your dates with Isabelle don’t count.”
I smile at the mention of my daughter. Dante may be right about my lack of romantic relationships, but dinner dates with Izzy have been more than enough for me. We go out every Friday night to kick off the weekend, which she always spends at my house.
A sudden thought jolts through me. How will Merritt be around Isabelle? I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to consider that.
I can’t believe I’m considering this atall.
“I don’t want to be a rebound,” I say.
Dante scoffs. “You, my friend, are not rebound material. If Merritt’s ready to date, she’s ready to date. Let her make that choice.”
I rub a hand across my jaw. “She won’t be on Oakley long.”
“Have you asked?”
“Don’t need to.” I shrug. “She’s here because of her grandma’s will. But Merritt has to work again eventually. And it’s not like Oakley is a hotbed of job opportunities for people with an MBA.”
“But Savannah has jobs. It’s close.”
