Page 2 of I Choose You
Tears streamed down her face.
Good tears, right? Happy tears?
She didn’t seem overly happy.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she said, releasing my hand that was still in hers.
“What do you mean? You don’t want to get married?” My heart beat wildly. We had talked about marriage. Not seriously, but those conversations that threw those expectations out there. She had never mentioned that she didn’t want to get married before.
“No, Reid. I don’t want to get married. I don’t want to dothisanymore,” she said, gesturing between us. “Us.”
“Are you… are you breaking up with me?” I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel anything. Not the sand beneath me. Not the wind as it blew around us. Not my heartbeat.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I’ve felt this way for a while now. But I guess it didn’t seem like there was any real reason to break up. Like my feelings changing just weren’t enough of a reason. But they have changed. They’ve been changing for a while.”
“Kayleigh, wait.” I scrambled to my feet. “What happened? Talk to me. Did I do something wrong? We can work this out. We don’t need to get married if that’s what’s freaking you out.”
“It’s over, Reid. I’m sorry.” Turning her back to me, she walked back to the sunset picnic setup, clearing the cans and packing away the blanket. All the while, I stood motionless in the sand.
1
Reid
Was there seriously nowhere to park?
My father’s house had a driveway that could hold two cars, currently full with his beat-up pickup truck and my brother Wyatt’s newer-model pickup right behind him. My other brother Luke’s SUV was parked out front of the house, and for some unknown reason, Maeve must have driven her own car here and parked behind Luke.
Wyatt had finally taken his head out of the sand and realized he was in love with her not long ago. They had been raising a little girl together for months, and he somehow got it into his head that he and Maeve were “just friends” when the rest of us all saw that freight train from a mile away. She was good for him, probably too good for him. But I didn’t know why she couldn’t have had him pick her up on the way over. Save some parking spaces for others.
Even the spot outside of Mrs. Adams’s house was taken. Of course she would have her grandkids over today of all days.
I pulled my truck around to park on the opposite side of the street, two houses down. It was a narrow side street,so I had to leave enough space for traveling cars to weave around the parked vehicles.
My breath propelled out of my lungs like someone had sat on my chest. I needed to get it together. Getting huffy because our sweet-as-can-be neighbor had her family in town was probably not the best attitude to have. I was about to walk straight into the lion’s den, and I already wanted to just turn around and drive home. Three sets of couples, two of which were still new and lovey, waited for me on the other side of that door. Well, the door that was two houses down and on the other side of the street because there was no freaking parking.
As I walked into my father’s house, the delicious smell of pot roast filled the air. The best thing about him now dating the owner of the Downtown Diner was that our Sunday night dinners had definitely leveled up. I mean, he was happier too, so that was nice to see.
It seemed like everyone was happier nowadays.
Wyatt was sitting on the couch in the living room, Jane snuggled up against his chest. Luke and his wife, Juliet, were on the other part of the old, beat-up sectional. Luke and Wyatt were talking over the Patriots’ game, discussing God knows what. Juliet had her head down, scrolling through social media on her phone.
“Where’s Maeve?” I asked, taking a seat next to Wyatt. “I saw her car out front. You two couldn’t have driven together and left some space on the street for me?”
Wyatt side-eyed me. “She had a lunch thing with Josie, so she had to meet me here. Now she’s in the kitchen helping Dad and Sheila with dinner because she couldn’t stand the thought of other people doing all the work,” he said. “And if Icatch you talking to her like that, you and I are going to have words.”
I held in my eye roll. Mr. Protective over here.
“Oh, good. Everyone’s here.” Sheila walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Food’s ready. Come and eat.”
Sheila’s pot roast tasted as good as it smelled. Everyone gathered around the old family dining table, making plates piled high with roast and potatoes, carrots and green beans.
Multiple conversations were happening around me. It was always like that at family dinners. No one could wait until another conversation stopped before starting a new one up with someone else.
“Reid, what’s new with you?” Sheila asked.
“Living the dream.”
“What are you, fucking sixty?” mocked Wyatt. “Seriously, what’s been going on? You’ve been pretty MIA lately.”
