“And you do?” Emma asks. “That’s a little condescending, no?”
“Yes, I do,” I answer. “We talked about it, and we both realized there wasn’t anything for us after our time out there.”
“So, it did happen!” Rosy says.
Letting my shoulders drop, I mutter, “Fine. Yes. It happened. And now it’s over. Can we all please move on?”
“No,” they all say at the same time.
“We want you to be happy,” Rosy says. “And if that cute little princess makes you happy, you should be with her.”
“And what? Give up everything I love, only to start to resent her for it?” I say. “Or ask her to give up her life for me, so she can be the one with the bitter taste in her mouth for the rest of her days? Besides, I’m finally home for once. Isn’t that what you wanted?” I ask Rosy. “To have your Cuddle Bear here full-time?”
“Not if he’s going to pout about it,” she says, wrinkling up her nose.
“Yeah.” Harrison nods. “I’d rather have you off globe-trotting than have you sitting here whining.”
“I have a broken leg.”
“And a broken heart,” Rosy says.
“No, just my leg,” I answer. “You know what? I told myself if I made it out of there alive, I was going to be a better brother from now on. And a better uncle.” I look at Rosy. “And a better Cuddle Bear.”
That ought to work. Rosy can’t resist her Cuddle Bear. She’ll flip to my side now.
Huh, that’s weird. She’s not smiling and peppering my cheeks with kisses. Instead, she’s giving me a dirty look.
Harrison nods his head. “Yup. He’s scared.”
I start to object, but he holds up his hand. “I’m not judging you. I totally get it. It was the same with Libby and me. One of us had to give up their life for the other. It’s a tough call.”
“Good thing she made it,” Rosy says.
“Well, not really.” He shakes his head. “If she hadn’t wanted to move here, I would have dropped everything and left. And as much as I would have missed everyone, I wouldn’t have regretted it for a second. Sorry guys, but that’s the truth.”
I scoff. “You would have hated living in Valcourt.”
“No, I would’ve been happy because I’d still be with her. So your situation is complicated. Big deal. Every relationship comes with some sort of puzzle to solve. But together, you find a way to make it work, because that’s what love is.”
Rosy sniffs. “He’s right, Cuddle Bear. Take Darnell and me. He loves to fish, and I love to stare at hot younger men, but we found a way so we can both get what we need.” She means her husband goes fishing every day while she’s at work gawking at the Fed Ex guy when he comes by.
“Yeah, I’m glad that works for you and Darnell, but our situation is not at all the same as yours,” I say. “I have nothing to offer her. I’m not rich, I don’t even have my own house, let alone a castle. She’s a princess, for God’s sake. And I’m … nothing now.”
“That’s ridiculous. You’re handsome and smart and sweet,” Rosy says, swatting me on my knee. “Plus, you’re a big TV star.”
“My career is over. I had to be carried out of the jungle. By a princess. Not exactly the right kind of image for a guy who spends his life teaching people how to survive in the wild. The humiliation can be felt around the world, and the show hasn’t even aired yet. That’s just from a thirty-second news clip.”
“Well, that’s that then,” Emma says, getting up. “We tried.”
Rosy stands as well. “Yup. He’s determined to spend the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself.”
Harrison stands and picks Clara up under her armpits and settles her on his hip. “Sad, really. You had so much potential. And you were this close to having it all,” he says, holding his forefinger and thumb an inch away from each other. “If you only knew how to play this, you could end up boosting your career and getting the girl.”
I sigh and fold my arms across my chest. “Thanks, but I don’t need advice from people who know nothing about television.”
“That’s too bad, because I was going to say you should lean into it,” Harrison says, adjusting Clara’s hat. “Go public and tell the world how amazing she is, and that you’re not ashamed that you needed her to rescue you.”
Emma shakes her head. “That would never work. He’d have to set aside his giant man ego to do that.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Rosy adds. “It’s hopeless.”
“Okay. Got it, thanks,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I’m a big conceited coward who knows nothing about anything and needs the three of you geniuses to gang up on me and tell me how to live.”
“Screw it!” Clara yells suddenly, then claps her hands.
“Exactly, Clara,” I say, smiling at her. “Exactly.”
Harrison steps out of the pool. “Nap time for baby.”
“Have a good nap, Clara,” I say.
“Oh, I meant you,” he answers, before he walks away.
“I’ll come along,” Emma says, getting up. “I need to talk to Libby.”
The three of them disappear around the side of the building, leaving me alone with Rosy.
She stands and pats me on the cheek a lot harder than necessary. “Everybody makes mistakes, Will. It’s what you do to bounce back from them that shows who you really are.”
33
Hiding Your Inner Warrior Princess
Arabella
“Did you call him yet?” Tessa asks, as we lay by the indoor pool watching Xavier, the buff manny, play with the twins in the water. Normally this whole scene would make my heart beat a little faster, but today, nothing. I’m dead inside, as I have been since I stepped on that plane a month ago. I haven’t tried to reach out to Will, which is a good thing, since he hasn’t contacted me either, and I really don’t need the humiliation of being told twice that he doesn’t see a future between us.
Rolling my eyes, I say, “For the last time, I’m not going to call him. We have nothing in common.”
“You mean nothing other than wild bonobo sex and being totally in love with each other?”
“I never should have told you anything.”
“Why not?”
“Because you won’t let it go,” I say, picking up my glass of lemonade and having a sip. “He’s the one who said it wasn’t going to work. And since then, he’s done nothing to reach out to me. If anything were to happen, it would be his move.”
“Oh, my God. What is this? 1820?” Tessa asks, taking a bite of a celery stick. She’s been on a diet for over a year now, and it’s starting to get to her. “Maybe if you wait until the next leap year, you can propose to him then? It’s only another four years.”
My mobile buzzes and I see Mrs. Chapman’s name come up on the screen. “Hello?”
“You have exactly forty-two minutes until your hair appointment.”