“That’s a large part of it, yes.”
Something changed in Evan just then. Her expression grew firm and her body language changed. Hell, even the atmosphere shifted around us. “So because you have a screwed-up mom and I have a screwed-up mom, does that mean I’m not going to be built for relationships either?”
“What? No! Of course not! Evan, sweetie—”
“Because, by your way of thinking, that’s exactly what it means. Because my mom didn’t love me the way she was supposed to, I’ll close myself off from relationships. I mean, isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now?”
“I—” My mouth gaped open in complete shock. I’d just been played, and stupendously, by a freaking teenager. I narrowed my eyes and pointed at her accusingly. “Oh, you had that one planned down to the letter, didn’t you?”
She blushed but didn’t bother to hide her smile. “I had some help from Grandma.”
I turned my scowl on an unrepentant Georgia as she threw her arm around her granddaughter’s shoulders.
“Word around town all damn week was how miserable the two of you looked every time someone saw you. I don’t know about you, but that seems pretty telling to me, and what it’s telling me is the two of you are sprung for each other. Now, I’m going to give you my two cents, and that’ll be the end of it. You can do with it what you want.”
I braced, waiting for Georgia’s words of wisdom.
“Whether or not you and my boy work out, you won’t be any worse off than you are at this very moment. Love isn’t a guarantee; it takes work. You have to fight for it. The only thing you’re doing by refusing your heart what it wants is losing out on a chance to be happy, and if you ask me, that seems like a waste.”
“You’re not going to find many men better than my dad,” Evan tacked on. “There are a ton of worse out there, but not many better.”
“I know,” I said on a whisper.
Monica came around the counter and took my face in her hands. “I told you, girl. When you finally found the man for you, it was going to knock you on your ass. And I’d be right there to say ‘I told you so.’”
I let out a watery laugh. “I remember.”
“Well.” She leaned in close. “I told you so. Now what are you going to do about it?”