“I know.” Where was Lily going with this?
“For him to sleep with all of those women, even while you were planning your wedding, was reprehensible. He didn’t only damage your trust in men. He damaged your trust in yourself. The reason you continue to lump all men in the same category as Ben is that you’re afraid to trust your instincts.”
Rose gasped. The truth of what Lily was saying was a sucker punch to her gut. Why hadn’t I realized it before?
She braced her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. Rose felt sick. “For Pete’s sake, Lil. Do you really think so?”
“Of course I do.”
“That son of a—”
“The good news is your self-confidence is coming back.” Lily pulled her bowl of chicken noodle soup closer. Rose caught a whiff of its seasonings.
“Can I get you ladies anything else?” Their server appeared with the bill folder.
“Nothing for me.” Lily gestured toward Rose’s untouched burger. “But we’ll take a to-go box.”
Rose returned her attention to Lily as their server disappeared again. “What makes you think I’m getting my confidence back?”
Lily seemed surprised by Rose’s question. “You’re going to the reunion by yourself.”
“You think that’s a good thing?”
“I think it’s a step in the right direction.” Lily dug into her purse for her wallet.
Rose took the bill folder. “I’ll put this on my card.”
“This is for my part of the bill and tip.” Lily gave Rose her money.
Rose put Lily’s money in her wallet and tucked her credit card into the bill folder. The server appeared on cue. She left the to-go box and took the bill.
“Iris thinks I should go with Van to the reunion.” Rose transferred her burger and what was left of her fries from her plate to the to-go box.
“One step at a time.” Lily’s tone became chiding. “But if you and Iris spent less time telling each other what to do and more time listening to each other, you’d find your conversations much more pleasant.”
“You’re probably right.” Rose drained her glass of iced tea.
The server returned with Rose’s card and receipt. She thanked them for coming before vanishing again.
“Of course I’m right.” Lily collected her purse. “You’re both bullies, and you both always think you’re right.”
“We don’t bully you.” Rose followed her sister from the restaurant.
“That’s because I don’t let you.”
The restaurant was in walking distance of both of their downtown offices. On the sidewalk, Rose prepared to part ways with her sister. “What did you mean by ‘one step at a time’?”
“The first step was finding the confidence to go to the reunion by yourself.” Lily adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “The second step is allowing yourself to fall in love with Van.”
“What?” Shock rocked Rose back on her heels.
Lily gave Rose’s forearm a quick squeeze. “He’s a good person and seems to genuinely care about you.”
Rose shook her head. The thought of taking that risk was overwhelming. “I don’t know, Lil.”
Her sister smiled. “Trust your instincts, Rosie. This time, listen to your heart and tell your head to shut up.”
She watched Lily disappear into downtown’s lunch crowd. Rose was still reeling from Lily’s insights but her sister was right. She’d blamed herself for making the mistake of trusting Benjamin. That error in judgment was the reason she no longer trusted her instincts. And it was the reason she was afraid to love Donovan.