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When nothing but silencebeside me, her hands frozen over the flaps of the box ere unpacking that had just come into her store She stood like that for just a second before she smoothed her hands down her swollen stomach and nodded decisively
“You knoas going to ask you why there was some kind of tension between you two Guess I don’t have to do that now, huh?”
She chuckled wryly, the corner of herup in a half-smile
My heart stopped, butof its own volition
“I…I don’t have any excuse, really, Allie I’m sorry I’m so, so completely sorry, and I really never ot drunk one night when I was feeling sorry formy head as I felt tears threaten
Soft, sht ht blue ones of my future sister-in-law
She sighed, her thu away the tears that had just started to fall “Chloe, don’t cry You didn’t do anything wrong Brandon and I were done at that point I’ your nephew I’m not mad…I won’t lie to you and say it doesn’t hurt a little…but I’m not mad”
The tears began flowing faster downperson standing in front of me? How could I have hurt the person who has done so much for me ever since I showed up unannounced and buried under a e?
A sob bubbled out fro to break down completely I didn’t deserve to break down in front of Allie…she was the one as hurt I deserved nothing
Allie groaned and pulled htly and the da me cry on her shoulder, literally And as shitty as it was for me to do, I let her do it, and I cried Hard
When the storm of sobs had finally slowed, she pushedto catch my breath and wipe my face
“Okay I think that this is a perfect time to just close up shop, head over to your house, and have soain before shaking her head and sonna have a special sundae and I’urt”
I gave her a watery smile and nodded We shut down the store and headed to Allie’s, er, my house It was still so weird to say my house, and even weirder to hear Allie say it, too, especially because not too long ago, it was Allie’s house I guess I’enerosity of Allie…I mean, I had nowhere to stay when I showed up on Luke and E a house and I could always crash with hi Instead, I ended up at Allie’s house in her spare room, and when she moved into Jackson’s house, she’d handed me a piece of paper that turned out to be the deed to her house I tried to refuse, but…I finally gave in and took it for what it orth; a chance to start over fresh on my oo feet, which is exactly what I came here for I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly
I left LA a broken and batteredto the little town of Phillus, Ohio where my brother had decided to relocate Initially, he’d come to see his best friends, Luke and Brandon, but one look at Allie and hisa house, and now he and Allie are engaged and expecting my little nephew in a little over two months Of course, their story was a little et the idea
Half an hour later ere sitting on rab special sundae items The first time they’d handed me one, I was a little skeptical Strawberry daiquiri wine cooler over strawberry frozen yogurt? Yeah, not a coood But lemme tell ya, it is yummy!
I took another bite of , pathetic look Allie shot my bowl as she spooned up her own bite of boozeless fro yo She scowled as she shoveled it into her mouth on a huff
We ate in silence for a h “Look I know I said it hurt earlier when you told me you kissed Brandon It’s true…it does hurt But I have no right to be mad at you, and like I said, I’m not mad at you Brandon made his choice to walk away froave up, didn’t fight for him, and do you knohy?”
I shookto bri from hers
“I didn’t fight for him because I realized that, deep down, I knew the love I had for Jackson was so much deeper than the love I have for Brandon But I’uess, because if he hadn’t walked away, I would have kept him with me, and honestly, that would have probably ruined ussomeone would have ended up unhappy and, in the end, ouldn’t even have the friendship that we do I couldn’t bear that Besides Emma, he’s my best friend”