I snort loudly, shaking my head at her motherly tone.
“I’m being serious. You have a criminal record now, which means you can’t just go around kicking people’s asses. It’ll be easy to throw you back in prison. Though I’d probably see you more if you were, but I don’t want to see you in that position again. I want better for you because you deserve to have the life you want, Tyler. Don’t make me worry.”
I hear the sincerity in her tone and wish I could reach through the phone and give her a big hug.
“Okay, Mads. I’ll be careful and not cause any mischief. I promise.”
She exhales a deep breath. “Thank you. Now I can sleep tonight.”
Chuckling, I say, “Somehow, I doubt thoughts of me were the reason you’ve been awake.”
“No, it’s your nephew who’s playing hopscotch on my bladder all night long and giving me the worst heartburn of my life. Seriously, I think this kid is gonna come out with a full head of hair.”
Her exaggeration has me cracking up. I imagine their baby coming out looking like Steven Tyler and double over.
“Laugh all you want, assface, but just remember someday your wife is going to be pregnant with your child, and I’m gonna tell her to put you through hell.”
“You wouldn’t dare. You love me,” I muse, opening the gym door. There’s hardly anyone inside, but I still don’t want to be rude and talk on the phone. “Alright listen, I’m gonna work out for a bit, so I gotta let ya go.”
“Fine.” She scoffs. “Even though you left me, I still love you like a brother. Please be careful.”
“I will, and I know. I love you like a pain in the ass sister, too.”
Chapter Seventeen
GEMMA
It’s been a week since Robert and I had our big fight, and after an apology and three dozen roses, he’s back to acting the way he was before his meltdown. Robert doesn’t like unresolved issues, and although he apologized for blowing up about Tyler and my dad, I’m not certain it was genuine. I’m also not convinced he won’t bring it up again. He continues to talk about moving the wedding date, and although I’m hesitant, he’s convinced I’ll change my mind.
I love Robert, and when we started dating, things felt like a fairy tale. Now it feels like we’re together for convenience, and I need to figure out why that is before I agree to marry him in three months. He’ll have to commit to spending more quality time with me before that happens.
“Gemma, darlin’, you look wonderful.” Robert walks into the bathroom as I finish getting ready for the Labor Day parade that’s in a few hours. I’m dolled up in a 1950s A-line dress and apron. I look absolutely ridiculous with my hair flipped out, but the costume goes with Robert’s tiny home float to promote his company.
“You don’t think it’s over the top and too flashy?” I ask self-consciously.
Robert grips my waist, pulling me closer. “No, you look perfect. Very fitting for the part.”
“And what part is that?”
“Being my wife and the mother of my children,” he states confidently. “You’re a natural.”
I scrunch my nose. “I don’t know about that.” Stepping back, he drops his hands, and I grab the hairspray off the counter. “I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”
Things with Robert still feel off, and I know it’s my own conflicting thoughts causing it. I’m the one who’s changed. Seeing Tyler again after all these years still affects me when I thought it wouldn’t. I believed I was ready to move on and jump headfirst into a relationship.
I don’t want to be hung up on someone who can’t reciprocate my feelings, and I’ve struggled with the battle daily since he returned. Avoiding Tyler is impossible, and it’ll only get worse as we keep tap-dancing around each other.
No matter how hard I’ve tried to forget, our history and past can’t be erased. I don’t think I ever got over him or let go of the hope that we’d end up together again.
As I finish spraying my hair, I think back to my junior year in high school when I finally found the courage to admit my feelings. I wrote the letter and was nervous for two weeks while I waited for his response.
* * *
Dear Gemma,
After reading your letter, I’ll admit it took me a few days to decide how to respond. When I read that you were developing “more than friendship” feelings for me, I was partially caught off guard but also happy as hell. I have to be careful about what and how I say this because you’re still under eighteen. But since you’re probably wearing out your bedroom carpet from pacing, I’ll give you some comfort in letting you know that it’s not one-sided.
I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but I look forward to every letter you send me and always get nervous writing you one back. I didn’t date in high school, and I’m worried I won’t be good at it. My home life and childhood were messed up, which was a part of the reason I had to get out of town, but you’ve heard all about that already.
I’ve been gone for three years, and the only thing I look forward to when I return is seeing you again. I’m scared I’ll break your heart, but you make me want to at least try. I can’t promise anything, Gemma, so please don’t get your hopes up.
But for what it’s worth, you’re the first person I think of when I wake up and the last when I go to bed.
Love, Tyler
* * *
That letter had me happy crying for days.
Everleigh knew I had a crush on Tyler, but I didn’t tell her the feelings were mutual until a couple of months before he returned. She wasn’t surprised, considering the way I’d talked about him, and having her blessing lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.
After getting stuck in a little traffic, Robert and I arrive at the float with smiles on our faces. The parade route isn’t too long, and we’ll do a big loop around downtown. I told Robert to buy ridiculous amounts of candy for the kids because it was my favorite part when I was younger. As I look around, it seems like the whole town has already started setting up lawn chairs on Main Street to watch.
Robert’s dressed in his usual suit and tie, and he slicked back his hair with gel to match my 1950s attire. On the outside, we look like the perfect happy couple, but I’m screaming on the inside. My chest is tight, and I feel like the breath has been knocked out of me.
“Darlin’, are you alright?” Robert asks as I try to suck in air.
I inhale and force out a smile. “Yeah, just nerves.”
He rubs a soothing hand down my back and brushes a few strands of hair off my face. “Don’t be nervous, honey.”
Robert helps me onto the float before coming to stand next to me. One of his employees is driving the truck, and soon, we’re moving into position.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I think I ate something weird, but I’m sure it’s nothing,” I tell him with a smile. Nausea rolls through me, and I question whether I’m getting sick, or if it’s something else.
We make it down the first block, handing out full-size candy bars and dollar bills. Robert makes sure his float stands out not just by the way it’s decorated but also by the extravagant things we pass out.