Page 78 of Whiskey & Honey
“He had no right to do that.”
“Didn’t he? He needed to talk to someone. Ben cares about you, Piper. I think more than cares, and if your reaction to all of this is any indication, you care for him, too. I’d go as far as to say you love him.”
I don’t respond.
“Look, I’m no relationship expert,” she says with a slight hitch in her voice. “But I know a little something about wasting time and taking love for granted. Ben has respected your wishes and not told Ashton about you. He’s also been patient by letting you decide when and if you tell other people about your relationship. You can’t expect him to sit around and wait forever. It’s time to piss or get off the pot.”
I cringe at her choice of words.
“Sorry, too much?” I shrug. “I’m serious though. I won’t go into any details but will confirm that Ben didn’t talk to me about his feelings for you specifically. That’s a conversation you should have with one another.”
I am relieved to hear Ben didn’t talk to her about his feelings. Something about that would bother me more than I’d like to admit. Not that it’s Laurel, but that he’d tell someone something so private before talking to me.
“Now, that we have all of that out of the way. The Ashton angle is a bit of a problem, isn’t it? I don’t know her well but I can see the trepidation. She’s a little scary for such a little thing, isn’t she?”
I laugh with Laurel and have to agree with her. What’s the point in even disputing any of this? “I have to agree with you there, Laurel. I love Ashton like a sister but I am thankful I sit on her good side. That’s part of the problem. As much as Ash loves hard, she can hold a grudge like nobody’s business.”
“Are you afraid she’s going to be angry and not talk to you anymore?” I nod in agreement. “That’s ridiculous!” I startle as Laurel smacks her hand on the table. “Whoops, sorry. It is ridiculous though. Why would Ashton be angry if you and Ben are together?”
“She has this motto of hos before bros. I’ve known her my entire life and don’t know what happened, or when, but she has always made that her thing. She’s backed out of important moments in her life to be with me when I needed her. Ashton and the Sullivans have always been my family and I will not do anything to mess that up. If that means I sacrifice whatever feelings I have for Ben, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Hmmm. I didn’t take you for a martyr.”
“I’m not a martyr.”
“Well, then what do you call it? Selfish?” Laurel squints her eyes at me like she’s trying to figure me out.
“I’m neither a martyr nor am I selfish. Maybe you’d handle things differently but I’m doing what I think is best for all of us.”
“I believe that, Piper. But when it comes to love, isn’t the risk worth the reward?”
That’s all she says before leaving me alone in the kitchen. This has been the strangest day. Breakfast with my ex-boyfriend to get some pseudo apology for sucking at the same title followed up by my … whatever Ben is … ex-girlfriend giving me relationship advice.
Although, some of what she says makes sense. Ben has been patient and he has respected my wishes. He’s given me no reason to distrust him and yet I was quick to assume he was already moving on from me to Laurel in a split second. I let my own insecurities and past dictate how I responded to seeing him with another woman. I don’t want to be that person. As much as I hate the phrase, Laurel may be right. It’s time to piss or get off the pot.
I have a feeling this is going to be a long and strange Thanksgiving.