Page 166 of Made Better Together

His face gives nothing away as he walks into the hall. “I needed time to think.”

Okay. Anxiety immediately rears up again. “So it didn’t go great?”

His face twists into a pained expression, his hand running through his blond hair. “Can we…is it okay to talk in your room?”

I don’t want to have a serious conversation in the hallway either. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Once we’re in my suite, he strides right to my bedroom. Bree isn’t around, presumably in her own room.

Connor beats me into my space, but I follow right behind him.

“Can you sit down, Eden?”

I immediately do as he asks. “You’re kind of scaring me. Did something else happen when you talked to Dad? Or Grace?”

He doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stares at the floor, looking like he’s doing a calculus problem in his head.

“I don’t want to do this.”

“What?”

“I—you shouldn’t have to…” He cuts off his sentence. What has him struggling so much? It can’t be good.

“Was Dad okay? Your position at the Waves still safe?”

He breathes in and out, and finally makes eye contact again. “Yes, it’s fine.”

“Things with Grace, was that hard? Or did she listen?”

“She understood. She…we’re alright.”

Could he be more vague? “Then what’s⁠—”

He stands straight. “I don’t want to break up.” His voice is more confident than since he arrived.

I’m so confused. “Okay, I don’t want that either.”

He shuts his eyes. “Let me start at the beginning. I—your dad said some tough things to me. About how our relationship affected you.”

“Like what? I mean, obviously the secret keeping wasn’t great, but you’re the one who’s had to deal with the consequences.”

He makes a fist by his side, then releases it. “Like, putting you in a position to lie to your parents. Distracting you from everything you need to do. I…”

“You didn’t do any of those things alone. I chose to be in this relationship. I agreed to the secrecy.”

“I know.”

Not to mention it diminishes all the best parts of us. “You’ve given me so much, Connor. I feel more…myself than ever before. I—with us together, it’s like...I’m becoming the person I’m meant to be.”

He blinks before responding. “I…that’s amazing to hear you say. I feel the same.”

I try to calm down, softening my voice. “Good.”

“I just…your dad had me seeing things from a different perspective on the way here. Made certain points that I hadn’t considered until now.”

“Alright?” I connect the role Dad played today better, this second time Connor mentions the impact of his words. Now I’m upset that Dad interfered after our conversation, but I park that issue while I focus on Connor.

“I convinced myself we should end things so that you’re not weighed down by us. By me.”