Page 69 of Give In To Love
“I don’t actually care if that’s what you think. Your opinion means nothing to me.Youmean nothing to me. Not anymore.”
He stood there, his breaths coming fast and heavy, his eyes boring into mine. Chance tried to grab him and pull him away, but he shrugged him off, never taking his eyes off my face. “You’re going to regret this.”
“Doubtful.”
When he realized I wasn’t backing down, he turned away in a huff, storming back into the bedroom with Chance following. This had been my apartment originally, already furnished before he’d moved in, so the vast majority of his stuff was clothes and his precious beauty products.
Between him and Chance, they made three trips in and out to retrieve everything. On the last trip, he paused, standing in front of TJ, now dressed in one of my hoodies and a pair of my joggers. “Good luck with him,” he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“I don’t need luck. I’malreadylucky to know him. He’s a gift. And the fact that you don’t see that shows just how unworthy of him you are.”
He rolled his eyes and headed for the door, muttering, “Let’s go,” to Chance as he went.
The moment the door was shut, the shaking started. TJ was there instantly, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. I didn’t know how long we stood there like that, but eventually, the shaking subsided, leaving me weary. TJ released me but kept my hands in his. “I’m so fucking proud of you, sunshine.”
I laughed, which had his eyes pinching with concern.
“You never say ‘fuck.’”
“What?”
“Fuck. You never say it.”
“Yes, I do. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
I laughed again, feeling a little unhinged. And then I kept laughing as another thought popped into my mind. “His face when he saw you come out in nothing but a towel—it was priceless.” I pulled him over to sit on the couch. “He couldn’t believe I’d have the audacity. Especially when he thinks he’s God’s gift to men. I genuinely don’t think it occurred to him that I would seek out someone else.”
He cringed. “I’m sorry I came out here nearly naked. It was not a good look.”
I waved him off. “I meant it when I said I didn’t care what he thought. I should have stopped caring about his opinions a long time ago. I know the truth, and that’s all that matters.”
“I really am proud of you. You were amazing.”
My cheeks heated at the compliment. “I think I’m actually proud of myself too.”
35
TJ
On the lastSaturday in September, I rolled into the gravel parking lot of Peggy’s Pumpkin Patch around eight a.m., wishing I’d ordered a large coffee rather than the medium I’d already finished. I stepped out of the car and stretched, reaching my hands to the sky and readjusting my sunglasses. Temperatures were a little on the cool side, but the sun was shining, and a quick glance at the weather app told me it would warm up into the seventies, giving it the potential to be a picture-perfect day.
I made my way to the entrance, then headed past the giant slide and jumping pillows to the stage where our dancers would perform in a little over an hour.
“Hey,” Drea said as I approached. She was sitting on the edge of the empty stage, in the exact same position Jimmy had teased me about last week. “I brought coffees.” She gestured toward the drink carrier sitting on the bench next to her.
“You are a joy and a delight,” I remarked, grabbing one and taking a sip. “Have Selena and Joe arrived yet?”
“Selena’s using the restroom. I haven’t seen Joe yet. But he tends to run a few minutes late.”
“Do you guys perform here every year?”
“I joined the studio my sophomore year, but according to Mandy, they’ve been performing here every fall for as long as she can remember.”
“Is Mandy coming out today?”
“She said she might. I think Jason and Zach are coming too. You haven’t met them yet, have you?”
I tried to recall if they’d been at the bonfire, but I didn’t think so and told her as much.
