Page 98 of Sweet on You
“If that’s what he wants, then he’s an asshole.”
Callie nodded. “True. But that’s not what he wants.”
“How do you know?” My throat burned. “That’s what everyone said about Brandon.”
Callie didn’t say anything, and when I looked up, I found her shaking her head at me. “That’snotwhat everyone said about Brandon. I mean, look, I was really young… like, only a dumb kid in high school. But I remember Steve and Cam and Hannah all warning you to take it slowly with him. They told you that Brandon didn’t need to meet up for alimony paymentsin personand that his relationship with his ex seemed really strange.”
Callie stood and slid into the chair beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as I took another bite of my dinner. “I’m not going to sit here and promise you that Lex won’t do the same thing. I’m not a psychic, as much as I wish I was one.” Callie paused. “Holy hell, how cool would that be? If I was psychic? I could do tarot cards…”
I rolled my eyes. “Callie,focus.”
“Right, sorry. Anyway, Lex’s behavior is not the same as Brandon’s. He has a kid with Sarah… she’s going to have to be in his life in some fashion, and if you’re not okay with that… I dunno, maybe youshouldcall it off now. But, for the record… I don’t think you should call it off. Because he’s not doing anything wrong, wanting his daughter to have a mother. And I think Lex is great for you.”
Damn. Just what I didn’t want to hear. Also just what I needed to hear. Because, rationally, I knew all those things. But that jealous, two-headed monster reared its head constantly.
I took a sniff of the vodka, and my stomach immediately roiled. “But the question is, am I willing to be in a relationship again where an ex is a factor?”
Callie shrugged. “I can’t answer that for you. But I do know that lots of people go on to have healthy relationships with blended families.”
It was true. I knew it was true. It just didn’t feel like that could be truefor me.
Callie kissed the side of my head. “Look. Tonight, let’s eat and watch some bad TV. You’ll get some rest and I’ll take care of the gym tomorrow again. Today went smoothly, and you don’t have any clients booked for private lessons tomorrow. You can take the day off. Hang out with Penny and Frost. Do something just for you.”
Do something just for me. I didn’t even know what the hell that looked like anymore.
Callie and I moved to the couch and I dropped my head on her shoulder, grabbing a blanket and tugging it over our laps. My phone buzzed in my hand and I turned it over, seeing a text from Lex.
Lex: I miss you. Can we meet after work tomorrow?
Emotion clogged my throat and I sniffed, typing back to him.
Me:Yes, please. I miss you, too.
With a sigh, I slipped the phone onto the coffee table, feeling immensely better. I needed to apologize to Lex. But I wanted to do it in person.
“Callie, do you believe people can change?”
Her brows disappeared behind her blonde fringe bangs. “I hate that question.” Her face twisted into a frown.
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “Okay, never mind.”
“No, really. Ihatethat question. Yes, I think some people can change. And some people I don’t think ever will. And some people I think will change for certain people they love, but their bad patterns will continue with people they value less. It’s totally different case by case. Like, I don’t believe ‘once a cheater, always a cheater.’ But I think if there’s a long-standing pattern of cheating where the person has been given chance after chance to make a different choice? Yeah, they’re probably not going to change.”
I rubbed my face. “Not exactly a helpful answer.”
Callie shrugged. “It’s true, though, in my experience. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stop believing in all people simply becausesomedon’t deserve second chances. I want to be the person who believes in the world. Who believes in the people that I love. Don’t you?”
I swallowed the robin’s egg in my throat and nodded. My sister was a good person. A trusting person. A freaking much better person than I was, and for someone so young, she was really wise beyond her years. “I do, too. Hey, how’d you get so smart, kid?”
She winked at me. “I had a great role model.”
