That Thing Between Eli & Gwen

“It’s too warm in here,” Jeremy said, right on cue.

“Should we go outside for some fresh air?” I asked him.

All three of them looked me up and down before their gaze moved to Masoa, who stood, turning to his wife. “Sweetheart, we are heading out.”

“Really? All right, we will join you all soon,” she said as if she was surprised.

Yep, the one I have to really watch out for is her mother. “I’ll be fine, ma’am.”

Guinevere's eyes shifted to me.

I tried my best to silently let her know not to worry. Grabbing my coat, I followed them out.

Guinevere

“Mom,” I said pointedly as I dried the dishes. I knew her; she had something to say. “Just let me have it.”

“First, I want to know: is he a fling, or he does he mean more to you?”

“Do you bring flings home to meet your parents?” I asked softly, putting the plate up in the cabinet.

“If he were a fling, I would say have fun. Let your—”

“Mom, if you say inner goddess...”

She smirked. “Sweetheart, no one has an inner goodness, we aren’t shooting a Pantene commercial. We all just have sexier versions of ourselves. Besides, life is too short not to have fun, Guinevere.”

We are not having that talk. “And if he isn’t a fling?”

“And if he isn’t a fling, I have nothing to say to you, because you will do what you want. It’s who you are. I don’t know anything about him yet. I just know that when it comes to men, your track record isn’t great.”

“I’ve only dated Sebastian—”

“And how many times have you wanted men you can’t have? You used to have a crush on Jeremy, right? But he only had eyes for Stevie. So you just stood there waiting, and he never saw you that way.”

“That was different, it was just a little high school crush.” It had honestly meant nothing; I never even said anything to anyone.

“Wasn’t Eli supposed to marry someone else? He isn’t just with you to get over her, is he?”

I frowned, wiping down a cup. “You make it seem like I wasn’t also in a relationship.”

“True.” She nodded, shaking her hands.

I handed her the towel.

“But when your relationship ended, how did you feel?”

“I was upset, of course, and angry and embarrassed.”

“And you felt free,” she finished.

I stopped, because I had felt that way. For the briefest second right after it happened, I had felt like I could breathe.

“When you truly love someone, when you have found your match and they walk away from you, or you are forced to walk away from them, freedom is nowhere on the list of things you feel, because that feeling comes from being with them, Guinevere.”

“So you’re saying I didn’t truly love Sebastian, fine—”

“I’m saying whether you know it or not, you are falling in love with that man. But is he capable of falling in love with you now, or are you just an escape for him?”