More of Us ( A Love You More Rock Star Romance #3) - Laura Pavlov Page 0,46
this man so much it was painful at times.
“So, what’s going on with this Richard kid?”
“Nothing. I haven’t even told you about him since Honduras. Why are you bringing him up?” I asked, and we paused to place our orders.
“Cruz might have mentioned it when I spoke to him last. He said he’s really trying to give you space, and then he hissed something about your boyfriend’s nickname being Dick?” Dad said with a shrug.
“Oh my gosh, how often do you talk to him? He’s ridiculous because A. his name is Richard; B. he’s not my boyfriend; C. it’s none of Cruz’s business.”
Dad barked out a laugh. “I think Cruz would beg to differ.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, I did go out with Richard once, but there just wasn’t anything there. I haven’t told Cruz that it’s over because right now I think we both need time, and it keeps a little distance there until I figure things out. He needs to focus on his recovery, and I need to focus on school. I think it’s good for me to be on my own right now.”
Dad studied me before he spoke. “Have you forgiven him for what happened?”
“Yes. I mean, it wasn’t his fault. At least not the part about Dex attacking me. But I need to know that I can trust him again before I jump back in,” I said, reaching for my water and taking a long sip. “Because honestly, when we begin dating again—if we begin dating again—there’s going to have to be an understanding that this is it, this is forever.”
“I get that, and trust is important in any relationships. I had a hard time moving on after Mom passed, you know that. But we can’t always protect ourselves from everything, or we wouldn’t be living.” Dad tore off a large piece of bread and smothered it in butter.
“I know, but you can take precautions to protect yourself from getting hurt, and that’s what I’m doing,” I said.
“To an extent, Jade. You were very guarded for a long time after Mom passed, always a cautious kid about who you let in. And that’s why it was so nice to see you so happy with Cruz. I worried that you might not ever get there. I worried that what happened to Mom had scared you so much you wouldn’t let people in. And what happened to you with Dex was terrifying. Hell, I’d still like to hurt that little shit. And Cruz, well, he messed up really bad. But he’s human, and he’s working hard to right his wrongs, and I commend that.”
“I do too. And I know I can’t control everything that life throws at me. Mom’s death was out of everyone’s control. So, that was a hurt that I couldn’t avoid. But letting Cruz hurt me again—that’s in my control.”
“You can’t protect your heart from everything, or you won’t be living. Cruz didn’t die—he made a mistake. And people mess up. It’s part of life. You can’t avoid that. Now if you tell me that you just don’t love him anymore, well that’s part of life too. And he’ll have to understand that.”
I gasped. “No. Of course not. I love him so much it hurts most of the time,” I said, swiping at the two tears that ran down my cheek. “That’s why he has the power to hurt me so much. Love isn’t always enough.”
Dad reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Loving someone doesn’t mean that you’ll never get hurt, Jady bug. But it means that you love one another enough to get over the hurdles that life throws at you. And trust me, it doesn’t matter who you’re with, life will challenge you at times. So, be with the person that you love the most, and make it work. And right now, if you want to be alone, and figure things out—this is the time to do that. I was terrified for you to go on your own to New York for that interview.”
I squeezed his hand and laughed. “Well, it wasn’t for lack of effort. You sure tried to weasel your way in.”