Page 11 of Forbidden Love
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked as she sat on the sofa beside me. She spread a big, fuzzy blanket over our legs.
“Nu.”
She giggled, probably at my whine. “Do you think maybe youshouldtalk about it?”
“Nu.”
“Well, you’re very mopey for someone who was just asked on a date.”
“He’s really hot, too.”
“I’m still not seeing the problem, babe.”
“And he’s a pediatric nurse.”
“Oh, hotandloves babies? The horror.”
I threw a pillow at her.
“Is his package tiny? Is that why you’re sad? That would make me sad too. ”
I laughed. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it.” I left out the part where I admitted I hadn’t seen anyone’s package. A twenty-four-year-old virgin. Pathetic.
“Does he have eleven toes?”
“No.”
“Eleven fingers?”
“No.” How did I tell her that as awesome as Emerson was, he wasn’t Pike?
“Dallas, what is it?”
I couldn’t stop the sob in time. It burst from my mouth as I curled in on myself.
“Oh, babe,” she said and scooted closer to me. She wrapped her arms around me and rocked us back and forth.
“I have feelings for Pike. It’s so terrible because he’s been so good to me, but I like him. I’m not even excited about this date. I just accepted because I thought it would be a good way to start moving away from my little crush,” I admitted as I sobbed into her shoulder.
She rubbed my back. “Dallas, I am so sorry. I had no idea you were feeling so sad or having feelings for Pike. I wouldn’t have teased you about your date had I known.”
I wiped my eyes again. “ I haven't told anyone. I’m too embarrassed.”
“Why would you be embarrassed? It is absolutely understandable for you to be interested in Pike. Y’all have been through a lot together and the bond between you is strong.”
“He’s older and more established.” I shrugged. “He watched me grow up. He took me in after River died.
“Dallas, none of those are real reasons not to have feelings for Pike. They’re all just facts.”
I shook my head in denial. More tears rolled down my cheeks. I wanted to accept her words so badly.
“Is that why you’re here tonight? Did something happen?”
“He came down to the bar and found out about the date. He asked some questions, and I got so mad with him that I walked away when he was talking to me. I’ve never done that to him before and I don’t even know why I did it. I don’t know why I was so angry.”
“What kind of questions did he ask?” Emily kept rocking us.
“Which bar we were going to, if I was sure I felt well enough to go. He asked Travis to keep an eye out for me, and I was upset because I’d already called Elliot and asked about Emerson. It hurt my feelings that Pike seemed so against me going. Maybe that’s why I was so angry,” I answered. I was struggling to understand all the emotions I was feeling.