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“I was going to tell you that day, but you didn’t have time for me. You were too busy with work. And then you didn’t even give me a chance to explain before you fired me.”
“Fine. We both lied to each other and should have been honest. Let’s just move on.”
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I lied, yes. But that was to my boss. When I fell in love, I knew I had to come clean to you. But you, you knew you were lying behind my back and did it, anyway.”
“You know, I’m getting the feeling that you want to stay angry with me. I’m just fooling myself that you want more.”
“I want…” I looked down.
“What do you want, Frances?”
I wanted to not be afraid of losing myself again. There, I admitted the crux of the problem to myself. I was afraid that if I got into a relationship again, I would lose all the independence that I’d gained. I felt it with Colton. I would do anything for him—I would give him all of myself.
I couldn’t go through that again. Not when I’d come this far.
“I just can’t,” I said, and pushed past him and ran straight into the bathroom.
Pressing my back against the tiled wall, a sob squeezed through my throat. Tears streamed down my face and I didn’t bother wiping them away. My heart broke. But it wasn’t Colton who caused this ache. I did. It was my choice to keep pushing him away and I had to live with my decision.
A long while later, someone tapped on the door. “Frances, are you all right?” It was Paul. “Colton left. You don’t have to worry about him.”
Walking up to the sink, I cleaned up my makeup and stared in the mirror. I didn’t have to worry about Colton anymore.
He was gone.
It was poetic justice that words meant to comfort me just tore my heart in half.
Colton
I stared at the bathroom door that separated me from Frances. I willed her to come out.
I wanted to tear the door down and go after her. Instead, I grabbed the casing on either side of the door and dropped my head. Squeezing the wood between my fingers, I was surprised it didn’t crack.
Why won’t she fight for us? Did I imagine her feelings for me?
I’d recognized the fear in her eyes when I’d shouted at her and knew I needed to back off, to give her some space. So, I pushed off the door and walked back upstairs.
“Let’s go,” I said to Ryan, walking past our table. I didn’t even bother looking at the other guy. He was insignificant.
I’d driven to the restaurant and parked less than a block away. But I threw my keys at Ryan. “You drive,” I barked.
Catching the keys in mid-air, he said, “I guess things didn’t go well downstairs.”
“No. They did not.”
I dropped into the passenger seat and stared out the window.
“What happened back there?” asked Ryan once he started the car.
I sank further into the passenger seat and crossed my arms. I thought that would signal my disinterest in discussing the matter with my brother, but he didn’t take the hint.
“Colton?” He turned to look at me. He wouldn’t let it go.
“Nothing.”
