“I’m here talking to you because I’ve been talking to him and I don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere. I think you both need to swallow your pride and realize you still have each other. This is what Kade was trying to do before he died. He wanted you guys to get along.”
That seemed to sink in. I’d found a chip in the armor. “Kade was always trying to arrange fishing trips or to get us to go to dinner together.”
I smiled. “You can still do that. I’m not suggesting it will be easy, but I hope you guys can find a way to at least be on speaking terms.”
“There’s a lot of water under that bridge,” he warned.
“I know. Like I said, it won’t be easy. You’ve raised a strong, stubborn man.”
“He probably gets that from me,” he said with a quirk of his lips.
“I think you’re right.”
“Where is he? I didn’t see him in the car.”
I chewed my lip. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where he is?”
“No. He’s… well, he’s been staying here somewhere. I don’t know where he is now.”
“I thought you were his girlfriend?” he questioned.
I looked down at the water bottle in my hand. “The situation is complicated.”
“Ah, he already broke up with you. That’s how he is. He’s never been able to stick with a woman for long.”
“It isn’t like that,” I insisted, feeling like I had to defend him. I shouldn’t defend him. He made breaking my heart a habit.
He shook his head. “You don’t have to try and make excuses for him. Xander doesn’t think of anyone except himself. It’s all about making him happy.”
I winced at the element of truth to his statement. “In this situation, I do not blame him. I blame you.”
“Pardon me?”
I was treading on thin ice. “I mean, he feels like he’s unlovable. That’s why I’m here.”
“You want me to get you two back together? Again, you are really barking up the wrong tree, but I’ll give you credit for trying.”
“I don’t want you to help me get him back. I’m saying I want you to help him get through this. He needs you.”
“I have not seen him since the funeral.”
“But I’m sure you could call him,” I prompted.
“Why don’t you call him?”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
“That’s right. You’ve lost him. You don’t know where he is.”
“I don’t but I’m not concerned about that.”
He looked a tiny bit concerned. “Doesn’t he own a house down there?”
The fact he didn’t know told me just how broken their relationship really was. Once again, my heart hurt for Xander. It explained so much about the person he was. “He does own a house in San Diego. It’s a beautiful house right on the beach.”
“He always did love the beach,” he commented.
“Yes, he does. I’m sorry I showed up here. I didn’t know what else to do. I hate seeing him struggle. It’s just me and my dad and we are very close. He says not everyone can be us, and while I believe that’s true, I also think it’s important to at least try.”
“Xander and I have had our differences over the years. A lot of them. I’m not sure we are ever going to see eye to eye.”
“You don’t have to see eye to eye,” I said. “You just need to try and respect each other.”
I knew I was way overstepping. I couldn’t seem to rein it in. I was acting like a mama bear protecting her cub. Xander wasn’t even mine to protect.
“It’s something to think about. I make no promises.”
“All I ask is you do think about it,” I told him. “I won’t take any more of your time.”
I got up, taking the water with me. He walked me to the door and offered a friendly wave as I backed out of the driveway. My stomach was in knots as I drove away. I couldn’t believe I had just done that. If and when Xander found out, he was probably going to be pissed. He was going to be furious with me for butting into his life.
I was ready to take it. I would tell him I did it for him. It wasn’t like he could do much more to me. What was he going to do, break up with me again? It seemed to be his MO. I drove through town, heading back to Portland. My work was done. I needed to get home and get back to my actual work. My boss was going to fire my ass if I didn’t stop calling in every damn week.
No one except Nelle knew about my trip. It was our little secret.
Chapter 65
Xander
I was back. It wasn’t intentional. I told myself it was because my boat was here. That was all. I wasn’t back in Oregon because I felt drawn to the place. It was just the boat.
Running away from home was not all it was cracked up to be. I missed Evie. I missed my house. I missed San Diego. I was a mess. I knew that. I was hot and cold, up and down, and everything in between.
My head was a mess. I wanted Evie. I wanted her more than I wanted anything else. I just couldn’t bring myself to commit to living there. Being away from home had given me a sense of freedom I didn’t know I was missing. My life had been so focused for so long, I didn’t realize I wasn’t really living. Everything with Kade and Evie made me rethink everything I had ever believed.
I debated opening a beer. It was early afternoon, but I was on vacation. At least that was what I was telling myself. I was on an indefinite vacation. I heard my phone ringing and ignored it. But what if it was Evie? I scrambled into the little kitchen and snatched it off the counter.
“What the fuck?” It was my father’s number. Why in the hell would he call me?
I considered ignoring it but the chance there was another family crisis made me answer the call.
“Hello?” I answered. There was a small part of me that feared it would be someone else on the other end. A doctor or paramedic calling to tell me my father dropped dead from a heart attack or something.
“Xander,” my father’s voice came through strong and clear.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, Dad.”
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“Are you in town?” he asked.
“How do you know that?”
“Are you or not?” he asked in his usual gruff tone.
“Yes, I am. I’m not here to bother you.”
“Why don’t you come by the house?”
I blinked and pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure I was talking to the right person. “Your house?”
“Yes. Don’t be an idiot. My house. I’ll be home all day.”
It wasn’t what I ever would have guessed was going to happen when I opened my eyes this morning. “I’ll be there,” I heard myself say.
I ended the call and stared at the phone in my hand. “Well that was unexpected,” I murmured.
I changed into jeans and a shirt without any fraying or holes. My dad hated when anyone left their house looking anything but put together. I wasn’t sure what was coming next, but I figured it was best to get it over with.