Page 137 of Unlikely to Stay
“What about me?”CC asked, trying not to sigh.She knew exactly what her friend wanted to talk to her about.CC had been pretty close-mouthed about everything since her fight with Brant.She didn’t want to burden her friends with her problem.
“Youknowwhat about you,” Breckin replied.“Why did you let the love of your life walk out the door?”
“He made his choice,” CC said, hoping it was enough.“And it wasn’t me.He didn’t even tell me he was applying for jobs.”
“In all fairness, Cees,” Breckin said, folding an adorable pink onesie emblazoned withDaddy’s Girlin rhinestone letters, “He hadn’t taken the job when you found out about it.”
“I heard him say it was going to be niceworking with her.What part of that doesn’t mean he was going to take the job?”
Annie threw another pink onesie at Breckin’s head.“Don’t let all her baby love hormones get to you, Cees.He should’ve told you.”
“I’m not saying he shouldn’t have told her,” Breckin said, pulling the onesie off her head and sticking out her tongue at Annie.“I’m just saying she probably should have talked to him after.”
“There was nothing left to say,” CC said with a frown and a sigh.
“You could’ve at least let him explain.Given him a chance to choose if you told him how much you wanted him to stay.”
“He made his choice when he applied without talking to me.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?Didn’t he try to talk to you before he left?”Breckin asked.
“Yes, but it was pointless.What was there to say?He was leaving.He took the job.End of story.”
“But it doesn’thaveto be the end of the story,” Breckin insisted.“Love is all about compromise.”
“What is with you?”CC asked.“Laughing, crying, believing in the good of humanity.I can’t keep track of all your roller coaster emotions.”
Breckin pushed off the ground with one hand and held her belly with the other.“Oof.I’m so fat I can’t even see my feet anymore.Griff had to shave my legs last night,” she replied, ignoring CC’s snarky comment.
“Apparently, crying’s out and loving’s in.Griff told me she’s in love with everything now.With love of people and life, with the blue of the sky, with the bird that sings outside their bedroom window at the ass crack of dawn,” Annie replied.
“Just wait until you two are pregnant.I’m gonna give you so much shit.I can’t believe y’all are my best friends.”Breckin opened the top drawer of the distressed black dresser and placed the pile of onesies she had folded neatly inside.
“You love us and you know it,” Annie said with a smile.
“I do.I really do,” Breckin said, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Good lord!Enough with the pregnancy hormones!”CC said.“I can’t take it anymore!Have you decided if baby girl is going to be a Gwendolyn or Bellamy yet?”
Breckin shook her head.“No.Griff said he wanted to wait until he saw her.Then he’d know.”
Annie rolled her eyes.“Men.”
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten our conversation, Cees,” Breckin said.“I may have baby brain but I can remember a conversation about my best friend losing the love of her life.”
“Are you going to let this go?”
Breckin crossed her arms over her chest and rested them on her substantial belly.“Not until you let out all your emotions.It’s cathartic.”
CC sighed and willed herself not to cry.She had just told Annie at the baby shower she wasn’t going to cry anymore yet here she was about to blubber like a baby.
“He thought he needed to move to the city to be close to his mom.My life is here.I didn’t want to be the one who made him choose.If hedidchoose me, there would come a time he’d get angry and blame me for making him stay.Especiallyif something happened to his mom.He’d never forgive himself.”
Breckin took a long drink of her bottle of water sitting on the top of the dresser.“Did you ever think about moving with him?”
“Like I said, my life is here.My shop is here.My friends are here.I just opened a freaking gym.I’m not leaving.”
“Did he come say goodbye at least?”