was time to get out of the room and stop living in the shadows. I had to face my fears, come what may.
I could recall Trista getting through her terror before by consistently trying to distract herself, always on the go instead of wallowing in the past. As painful as it was, trying to get through day by day was a big step after the kind of trauma I had gone through with Rob. Maybe someday I would get the strength to really confront him the way I wanted to—without fear and without him making me feel as though I didn’t have the right to question anything that happened between us.
Upon deciding it was time to come out of hiding, I set out after taking a long, hot shower to have a light breakfast. I wasn’t sure if the fridge or pantry was stocked with food, but I would double check that before I went to the grocery store and did some shopping.
“Good morning,” Brody greeted me the second I breezed into the kitchen area, and I was a little shocked to find him there.
“You’re up early.” Directing him a pleasant smile, I paved my way towards the freshly made pot of coffee, helping myself to a cup.
“I’ve been up early for the past five days, hoping you’d come out and eat something.” He cleared his throat while I took my time pouring milk and sugar into my java. “Are you ready to talk about what’s been bugging you?”
Damn. He was that vigilant? Impressive.
Pausing, I took a lengthy breath before stirring the contents in my coffee. “Not really.” Not yet, not when everything was too fresh and the wounds still raw.
While he sat at the kitchen bar, I chose to stand opposite him, close to the sink. I was ready to talk about anything else, perhaps Carter’s exciting new opportunity, but Brody was more interested in keeping the present subject alive.
“Listen, I know I was being a dick the last time we spoke here in the kitchen. I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome here, because you are.” He sought my eyes, seeming really concerned about me. “And if you have any reservations about it, Carter made sure to lecture us before he left, telling us that we’d answer to him if something bad happened to you.”
“He said that?” That was a nice of Carter. It really was, and it was going to take some time to get used to.
“Yeah, he did.” Pressing his lips together, his eyes seemed to probe further into me. “Are you all right?” he asked.
God, if he only knew. I wished I could just let all of my grievances out, but given that my relationship with Brody was complicated already, it felt like he wouldn’t be the right person to speak with about it … if I did ever decided to talk about it.
Holding my cup against my lips, I shook my head before I took a sip, hoping I wasn’t going to start tearing up in front of him or having a full-blown meltdown.
“In time, I just might be.”
“You’re still not angry with me, are you? I’m sorry. It’s just been tough, you know.”
“I’m not mad.” Not about him…
“Good,” he reluctantly said before adding, “I was actually wondering if you’d like to come out for dinner tonight.”
I almost spat the coffee out of my mouth as I stared widely at him, perplexed, while he appeared a little impish from the word date.
“Are you asking me on a date?” I cautiously asked, wondering if I had heard him right or if I had taken his intentions differently. I mean, if he was asking me on a date … Well, that would be monumental given that he never had. Everything we had done after he had dated Lindsey was, well, kept in secret. This was a first.
“I guess, if you put it that way, yeah, I’m asking you out on a date. What’s the harm, you know? Good company, delicious food, and some great laughs.”
“I would love to…” I trailed off, wanting to desperately feel some sort of excitement from this new development from Brody. How long had I been waiting for this moment? How often had I imagined and dreamed of this over and over again? I had done it countless times, and now that it was here, I felt numb inside. I couldn’t even sum up a decent, heartfelt smile.
“But…?” he pressed on, quickly picking up on my vibes. “I feel as