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“You can’t always protect me, not from three thousand miles away.”
“I know. I’m just glad I was there when that shit with Wentworth took place.”
“That son of a bitch got what he deserved,” I growled.
“Agreed.”
“Did you do anything today?” I asked.
“No. I needed a break. Tomorrow will be hard.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to keep my mind off Edith. I miss her.”
“Me too. Roman wants to clean out her apartment. We want to do it before the end of the month so we can put the place up for sale.”
“This isn’t a good time to sell.”
“I know, but it will sit vacant. Might as well get it on the market.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Lots of memories in that place. We bought it for her and my grandfather after we got our inheritances. My grandmother always wanted to move back to the city. She grew up here. Roman and I chipped in and paid the monthly maintenance. I’m glad she was happy there for a while.”
“I never asked her about your grandfather. It’s only been a few months.”
“She missed him, but he wasn’t doing well. They were considering getting an aide in the house to help him do the basic things like bathing. He had a stroke before the one that killed him. I wasn’t as close to him as I was my grandmother. He worked a lot.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me these things?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry for not speaking of my past. I just wanted a future with you.”
“But I told you things. That’s what couples do. They tell each other things from their pasts. Do you hide things from Jessie?”
He started to chew his lip. “Not really. She knew me in college. I told her things back then.”
“But you couldn’t tell me? That makes me feel shitty.”
I was angry, and I walked to my room with Austin calling after me. His admission made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of knowing his past. He hid things from me. If I had known, I would’ve handled situations differently, and maybe we would still be together.
I closed my door and went to change into something more comfortable. When I came out of the closet in a pair of black yoga pants and a long-sleeved yellow t-shirt, Austin knocked on my bedroom door.
“Come in.”
“You look like a bumble bee?”
“You better watch out, or I’ll sting.”
“I’ve felt your sting before.” he grinned.
“What can I do for you?”
“Let’s order pizza tonight. I’m starved and craving New York pizza.”
“You’re hungry?”
“I didn’t eat much today. My grandmother wouldn’t want us to be sad about her death.”
“I know, but you can’t help but be. You can order pizza, but I’m not sure how much I’ll eat.”
