Page 15 of Third Time is the Charm
Why didn’t he have a date?No, that wasn’t the question…Why wasn’t he taking Caroline?They were both obviously going to the wedding, maybe they are trying to keep their relationship under wraps, too. Beth sat down numbly on the couch, her brain unable to even imagine the two of them together, it was too painful.
What did Jane mean?Why would she say he doesn’t look like a man who’s moved on? He never looks like anything except pompous and proud.
Could Jane be right? Was she sure that Darcy had moved on?
No, there was no way he couldn’t have. She’d seen Caroline in his apartment with her own eyes – he’d moved on. Now, whether things had worked out with Caroline, Darcy full-well knowing that she was using him, was a whole different story.
That’s what had hurt the most; knowing that he didn’t care about Caroline, knowing that he knew she was using him even if he hadn’t bothered to hear the specifics, and knowing that he’d still gone back to her. There was only one motive he could have had for doing that, and it was to hurt her, to spite her for having spied on him.
Couldn’t he see that she’d already hurt enough just knowing that he’d found out about that?
Beth tried to calm herself; these were the thoughts that could efficiently and expeditiously drag her back down to where she’d been months ago. That’s why she had to remain unwavering in the face of Jane’s words and opinions; she couldn’t let them affect her perception of the situation – that would be dangerous; that would mean hope and hope, with Darcy, inevitably meant hurt.
There was one tear that managed to escape her eyes. It was a tear born from the deepest recesses of her heart, from the fear buried down deep inside there – and it had nothing to do with anything that Jane had said.
She’d admitted to being tormented by Darcy, and the ghost of him in her mind. But, that’s not what she said. No, she admitted that he’d shattered her life, but the ‘he’ that she referred to was the man she loves.
Not loved. Loves. Present tense. ‘Shattered her life’ – past tense. ‘The man she loves’ – present tense.
That was a problem.
It was just a slip of the tongue, that’s all; that’s all she needed to keep telling herself. Opening back up her message to Col, she texted him again.
~We’re all good. I just had to make sure it was ok with Jane, since I originally RSVP’d just by myself.
Grabbing her laundry basket, she opened the closet next to the kitchen to reveal her washer and dryer. Her phone buzzed on the counter with Colin’s response as she tried to shove two week’s worth of laundry into the tiny washer.
-I mean, I don’t have to eat anything if it’s a problem. And I won’t need a seat because I’ll be tearing up the dance floor.
Beth laughed. This was what she loved about Col – his effortless humor and the way it helped her forget her troubles. She just hoped that what she loved about him, would at some point translate into love for him…
~Well, I hope the paparazzi are there to catch photos of that, that’s all I’m going to say.
- Harsh. I am really sorry about that, though.
Closing the lid to the washing machine, she turned the ‘Pause’ off and the machine began to rumble. Biting her lip, the thought about whether or not she wanted to text him back about the photos – that they had been posted.
No – she wasn’t going to start this with how she would react with Darcy. She would hesitate to tellhimout of concern that he’d be upset, out of concern for what he would do. Col was nothing like him and she couldn’t treat him as though he were.
~They posted those photos of us from last night. Not with my name, but my sister in Chicago saw them and recognized me.
Followed by…
~I’m not upset. I just want you to know.
-SHIT, Beth. I’m so sorry. I’ll have my people look into it and try to get them taken down. This won’t happen again. No one is going to know that I’m coming to New York with you.
- I’m going to tell everyone that I’ll be in Philly scoping out the city for a new Contest race.
~ It’s really ok, Col. Whatever you want to do. I can’t hide forever. I’m going for a run – see you Monday!
- I’ll handle it, don’t worry. You’ll be seeing me and coffee.
Beth set her phone down for good, pulling out a pair of running pants and a T. Her mind was fighting her every step of the way – remembering Darcy, thinking about seeing him, wondering about everything that Jane had suggested. She needed to run, if only she could run away from her thoughts. Throwing her hair up in a messy ponytail, she glanced into the bathroom at the vanity mirror one last time.
God, screw you, Darcy.Beth pressed her hands against her eyes, willing them to not water. She headed blindly for the door; this was why she only had that one small mirror, and this was why she rarely ever looked in it.
All she saw was the permanent damage he did to her and even though she kept saying ‘never again’, she just really wished she could forget all the times it was magic.
