Page 100 of A Me and You Thing
“Quinn... I...”
I interrupt him. I don’t want to hear what he has to say about the morning’s unbearable events. “Let’s fix your hair, girls. C’mon.” They stand on the bathroom stools, and I let them each pick a bow from the drawer. They inherited my fast-growing hair. It’s already well past their shoulder blades, silky and shiny.
I start with Josie. “How about a French braid?”
She bobs her head up and down. “Yes. A bwaid. And red bow.” She holds up the bow to her outfit that has hues of red in it, as if she’s a pro at accessorizing. Oh boy. We have burgeoning little girls on our hands.
Surprisingly, she holds still, as if excited about her new hairstyle. I quickly work her hair into a perfect little French braid. Then I clip the red bow at the end. I do the same for Jordyn. After seeing Josie’s new look, she holds just as still as her sister did. I clip a pink bow on her braid.
Sawyer stands in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the frame, arms folded, watching the entire time. “You look so pretty, girls.”
“So pwetty!” They each give me a quick hug before they run downstairs—a gift better than gold. They’re full of energy and ready to go.
Sawyer’s contemplative. I realize he has been ever since his forty-five minutes in Bree’s room. What happened in there? I literally despise how uncertain I feel.
He glances at his watch again. “I have to go. Our mothers should be here in about an hour or so. Will you be okay?”
“I think I’ll survive.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I hate leaving you alone, that’s all. We won’t be gone long, okay?”
“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say. I feel like there’s a great divide between us, and we’re both pretending it’s not there. Something has changed since his time with Bree. There’s a subtle shift in the air between us. I’m calm on the exterior, but inside I’m panicking. What’s happening?
“I know you’re feeling better, but please relax and take it easy today.”
“I will.”
“Listen, something’s weighing on my mind.”
I knew it. He’s acting strange and on edge. He’s going to say something I don’t want to hear. My inner voice is screaming at me. I wish I could cover my ears, block it out.
He peeks down the hallway, then closes the bathroom door behind him. “I think it’s best if I sleep in the office until Bree moves out. It doesn’t seem right to resume our relationship while she’s still in the house. Know what I mean?”
I know exactly what he means. Now that I know about their relationship, I don’t want to be intimate while she’s down the hall either.
Yet, all I see is that he’s distancing himself from me. All I hear is he’s unsure about us. I’m his wife and I’ve been gone for two years, and he hasn’t made love to me yet. I know he’s worried about my health, but it still strikes me as odd.
I think I’m beginning to understand more than he knows, more than he realizes himself.
I wonder if there’s no going back for us. I’m getting mixed signals from Sawyer Denali, and I’m so confused.
I say nothing.
“Sawyer, it’s time to go,” Bree shouts from downstairs.
“Quinn?”
I stare into his eyes, wishing I could read his mind.
“I know this is...”
“You’d better go. You’ll be late,” I interrupt.
I see the indecision on his face. My Sawyer would’ve flicked off the light and reenacted The Kiss right about now. And I want him to. So much.
But his heart is divided. He’s always been loyal, and I love that quality about him. Right now, it’s not working in my favor though. It’s obvious he’s torn. I know he’s made his choice and I should be pleased. Still, I hate that the choice seems so hard, like a major event in his life. How many times do they need to say goodbye to each other?
At my lack of response, he takes a step back and places one hand on the doorknob. His action feels symbolic. “Please don’t...”
