Page 48 of Breaking Bristol

That aside, something else was going on with him. As I drove home, tears filled my eyes because I was angry with myself for acting so stupid and not giving him the chance to explain. Matthew had been through a lot in the past couple of years, and I knew that. He’d been there for me from the first moment I saw him, and when it was clear he needed me to listen to him, I stormed off like a child.

Heidi was walking down the driveway with a piece of mail in her hand as I pulled in. If I didn’t say hi, that would be incredibly rude, so I slowed to a stop and quickly wiped my face as I rolled down my window.

“Hey, Bristol. How are you?” She smiled warmly as she made her way over to me.

“I’m good. How are you?”

Her expression changed when she got closer. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Keen eyes bounced over my face. “Listen, Warrenville’s a small town. Word travels fast, so I know you’ve been seeing my nephew.”

Oh God. She was going to warn me away from him. “I’m sorry, I should have told you and—”

“Your personal life isn’t my business, and neither is his. He knows we know, and Lou and I told him we’re really happy for y’all. I don’t know if he’s why your upset, and you don’t have to tell me if it is or not, but I just want to say one thing.” Her gaze held mine. “To his core, Beck is a good man. You may hear rumors or find out something that you weren’t expecting, and I just ask that you please let him explain before you judge him or end things.”

She was right, Matthew’s and my relationship wasn’t her business, but it wasn’t necessarily bad to hear her sing his praises and affirm what I already knew. “I would never judge a person based on someone else’s word.”

“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” She reached in my window and gave a supportive squeeze of my shoulder. “Thank you. And if you ever do want to talk, I’m always here. I hope you know that.”

“I do now.”

When I got into my house after I drove off, I looked around at the small space and instead of appreciating it, I allowed myself a rare moment of pity. Heidi reminded me of my mother, and as much as I tried to tell myself that leaving my parents the way I did was best for them, I sometimes questioned if it was purely selfish. I was so desperate to get away from Shane that I hadn’t thought about how it would affect the people who cared about me.

I missed my family, and I wished that I could call my mom and tell her about Matthew. She’d love him, and if I told her how I ran out on him today after our disagreement, she’d shake her finger at me and scold me for acting without thinking… Something I did far too often as a child.

I knew I needed to apologize to him, to work this out, but I also wanted to give him some space since I think that was what he wanted in the first place.

It was Sunday, so I treated it as any regular Sunday. I cleaned, did laundry in the tiny stackable washer and dryer, and started a grocery list. After I took a shower, I made a sandwich and went through some work emails while I ate.

Even though I’d tried to stay busy, I was beginning to worry as each minute passed. I didn’t want to smother Matthew, but I also wanted him to know that I wanted to talk and try to make things right. I poured a glass of wine, grabbed my phone, and went to the porch as I contemplated my choices.

It was a beautiful night, but I still brought a blanket with me to sit in the rocking chair. I loved it out here. All the wildlife and nature were almost hypnotic. There were squirrels and bunnies, and I even saw a chipmunk. The sun was setting, and the birds were still chirping while an owl hooted in the distance and vultures swarmed above.

I took a small sip from my glass, and as I was setting it down, I saw a flash of the beam of headlights before I heard gravel crunching. Matthew’s black truck rolled to a stop, and I barely had time to blink before he was coming my way.

My heart missed a beat at how affected I was by his presence.

He leaned his back on the post directly in front of me, and his eyes did a slow sweep of me before they landed on my face. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi.”

He crossed his arms and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I am.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I was a dick this morning.”

“You were clearly upset about something, and instead of talking to you, I stormed out like a spoiled little brat,” I said softly. “I should have stayed so we could have worked it out and moved on.”

His eyebrows were pulled together. “You want to work it out?”

“Of course I do. Whatever it is, we should at least talk about it, right?”

“Whatever it is?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Yes, Matthew. Clearly, you were upset about something.”