Page 92 of Blossoms of the Heart
“So, if you didn’t guess yet the friend is Phoebe.”
“No way.” I gasped and feigned surprise.
“Yes way.” She grinned. Something in her eyes told me she was about to tell me something I wouldn’t like. “She’s been through a lot Tai. A bunch of stuff you don’t know about. Pretty bad stuff.”
“Like what?” I frowned and my mind ran to the subject ofMr. Phoebe.
“She got married to a guy who treated her extremely badly and then they got divorced.”
My lungs… my lungs tightened and squeezed.
Phoebe got married? How’d I miss that.
“How did Phoebe get married and divorced and I didn’t know? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
I never even got an invite, but then I couldn’t imagine being at Phoebe’s wedding with mommy dearest.
“You were serving and we didn’t hear from you. Tai there was a bunch of years where all we got from you was a one liner saying.I’m alive, hope you’re all good.”
I frowned again. She was right.
“Plus, we thought you’d lost touch with her. I certainly never thought to tell you Phoebe got married when I was so glad to hear from you.”
Mitsuke wrote back to me and sent packages. She filled it with all my favorite things from Japan.
“Do you know what happened? Why they got divorced. Aside from him being an idiot.”
“There’s a lot, but it’s for her to tell you those parts. All I can say is that he cheated on her.”
“Who is this fool?”
“His name is Jason Wainwright. He’s currently Illinois’s Governor.”
Fuck. Well, well, well.
I can see that guy definitely ticking all the boxes for Phoebe’s mom.
And look what happened.
My grip tightened on the edge of the car as my blood heated. I couldn’t believe what Phoebe had been through and Mitsuke was even saying that there was more.
I straightened up and placed a hand to my mouth.
“Tai, are you okay?” she stood up.
“No, of course I’m not okay? I wished that I’d known all that, but I get why you didn’t tell me. That part’s on me. I should have kept more in touch with you guys, but more so I should have kept in touch with her.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m telling you this now?” The corners of her mouth lifted.
“I can’t deal with riddles Mitsuke. You just dropped a bomb on me.”
“Tai I’m telling you this because Phoebe is back in Japan. Maybe for a few months, maybe longer. Don’t you want to see what might have happened if you guys ever got together. I had to endure the summers of my youth watching you two make eyes at each other. Her sneaking off to find you and landing herself in all manner of ridiculous trouble, sometimes with broken bones just because she was trying to get close to you. Consider this an intervention.”
I grimaced, but had to hand it to her.
“Right. Your intervention has been noted.”
“Cool.”
