Page 62 of Give In To Love
“Thomas made it sound like it was more serious than that. He said?—”
“Wait.” Sammy interrupted Rafi. “This is the guy you went to Chicago with, right? And you spent the entire Christmas break that year moping over him? Didn’t you tell me his name was TJ?”
I swiped a hand over my face. I hadn’t given Sammy all the details of my relationship with TJ, but after he’d walked in on me crying on Christmas Eve, I’d been compelled to fill him in on the basics. “He went by TJ back then. And yes, he’s back in town. You remember Mrs. McGee, our old landlady? TJ’s her grandson. She’s having some health issues, and he’s staying with her for a while to help.”
He frowned like he was trying to puzzle it all out. “Okay, but then what was he doing at the bonfire? He’s not from Astaire originally, right?”
“Drea invited him. She thought the two lovebirds should meet up.” I glared at Rafi. “What?” he asked.
“Do you ever know when to stop running your mouth?”
“No. Not really.” He shrugged good-naturedly, taking a sip of his beer.
“Why? What don’t you want me to know?” Sammy narrowed his eyes like he was trying to figure out some secret I wasn’t telling him.
I released a heavy sigh. “Look, I’m not trying to hide anything. You just get…kind of pushy when I talk about anything relationship-related. It stresses me out. So sometimes I don’t tell you things. Because it’s easier.”
He yanked out his hair tie, smoothing back his shoulder-length hair and putting the hair tie back in. It was a surefire way to tell that he was agitated, but I could see the hurt in his eyes too. I knew my brother loved me, and those protective instincts ran deep after all we’d been through, but I was twenty-five—a grown-ass adult—and I needed him to let me handle my own shit. Even when it meant I’d gotten myself into a long-term relationship with a cheating narcissist. Goddammit.
“I’m sorry, Jimmy… I just… You know what? I’m not sorry, actually.”
Will put a hand on Sammy’s shoulder. “Baby, maybe we should?—”
“No,” he said to Will, then turned back to face me. “I won’t apologize for caring about you and wanting what’s best for you. You’ve been dating that asshole for what? A year? And I haven’t said anything about him since last spring. I’ve stayed out of it like you asked, even though it kills me to watch you wasting your life with him. And now I find out from this idiot?—”
“Hey!” Rafi interjected, but Sammy ignored him, continuing his tirade.
“—that this TJ guy’s back in town and now…” Sammy paused, running out of steam. “I don’t even know… Is it a big deal that he’s back? What about Steven? Can I ask that? Or am I beingtoo pushy?” He crossed his arms and stared at me with a face full of attitude.
I rolled my eyes. “Are you done, drama queen?”
“Don’t get bitchy with me. You’re the one with the secrets.”
“I told you, I’m not trying to hide anything. I’m just…private.”
He continued to stare at me, eyebrow raised in challenge. Will looked back and forth between us, and I knew he was trying to decide whether he should intervene. He didn’t like conflict any more than I did.
“Let’s sit down.” When he hesitated, I unleashed a little of my own attitude. “Sit your ass down, Sammy Clark, or I’m not going to tell you a goddamned thing.”
“Damn,” Rafi muttered, to which Elise shushed him.
“Jesus, I forget how sassy you can be sometimes,” Sammy mumbled but sat as requested.
And then I told them about TJ and what he’d meant to me. I didn’t go into every detail because some things weren’t any of their business, but I let them know that my relationship with TJ had been more serious than I’d let on and that I’d let him go so he could pursue his acting dream.
“Okay, so what about now?” Sammy asked when I was finished.
“What do you mean? He’s here to help with his grandma. That doesn’t have anything to do with me. And besides, I’m with Steven.” At least I was for now. Breaking up with him was future Jimmy’s problem.
“That’s it? This, like, love-of-your-life guy is back, and you’re just gonna, what? Be with Steven and pretend he doesn’t exist?”
“I never said he was the love of my life.”
Sammy rolled his eyes. “You didn’t have to.”
“Since when are you such a romantic?” Rafi asked.
Sammy glared at him, but I didn’t miss the way he leaned into Will, who had one arm around his shoulder.
