Walking away, hurt. I couldn’t deny that, but I knew I had to make a clean break now, or when the time came that he did, I would be devastated.
While I didn’t want kids right now, I knew that someday I would. When that time came, there was no way I could go through what my mother had when my father was gone for weeks at a time. I’d already experienced the bitter taste of worry too often.
On the elevator ride up, I thought about the wording of what I might say on a dating site. “Seeking a man who avoids danger and travel—a boring homebody.”
I probably should add “really good at sex,” since I knew it would be impossible for me not to compare every man I’d ever be with to Tackle. Something told me no man would ever measure up.
When I woke Saturday morning, I decided to pack up my stuff and go home. I could use a couple of days with my mother, letting her smother me in helicopter-mom overload.
I was just about to put on my jacket when I heard the intercom buzz. Other than on the rare occasion I ordered food delivery, I never heard it. And since I wasn’t expecting anyone, I ignored it.
The thing rang again as I walked out the door and locked it behind me. Once in the elevator, I stuck a ball cap on my head, fastened my jacket up tight to my neck, and wrapped a scarf around the lower part of my face.
With my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, I stepped off in the lobby. Wait. The lobby? I meant to go to the lower parking level. I turned around to get back on the elevator, but the door had already closed.
I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder at the same time I heard Tackle’s voice say, “Let me get that for you.”
I spun around, tightening my grasp on my bag. “What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping to take you out for breakfast, but thought I’d either missed you or you were still asleep.”
“Breakfast? No. Last night we agreed—”
“To remain friends.”
I pulled him over to the side when one of the other tenants approached the elevator.
“To remain what we were. You’re my older brother’s best friend. That’s it. We weren’t friends, Tackle.”
He shook his head. “Nope. This is
what you said, ‘Let’s walk away while we can still be friends.’ Those were your exact words.”
“You knew what I meant.”
“Sure did. So here I am, inviting my friend out for breakfast.”
I stared up into his big green eyes, wondering if there would ever come a time I could say no to this man and actually mean it.
“Come on, you know you’re hungry.”
I was, actually. More, I was beginning to feel a little nauseous. If I didn’t eat something soon, it might get worse. “Breakfast, and then I have to head home.”
“Not a problem. I’ll be happy to drop you off.”
“What? No. Tackle, you can’t drop me off.”
“Of course I can.”
I folded my arms. “And what do you expect me to tell my mother when she sees your car?”
“Tell her I was in the city anyway, so I offered you a ride.”
“That makes zero sense. I have my car and—”
“Can we eat first and argue about how you’re going to get home later?”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure.”