“What happened, honey?”
“I thought Owen blew me off on purpose, but the situation was really out of his control. But then he told me the only reason he broke up with me was because he thought I could do better. That’s not fair, though. Who is he to decide what’s good enough for me?” I blow my nose. “I spent years, Mom, years wondering what I did wrong. Why I wasn’t enough. Why he left me when we were so happy and in love. He was everything I wanted.”
“I know. And I agree with you. It’s not right to decide what someone else does or doesn’t deserve. It sounds like he had your best intentions at heart, though.”
“How can you say that? Because we broke up, I moved to New York and almost married Todd. Everything that happened after Owen broke up with me is all his fault.”
“You won’t agree with that after you calm down,” Mom says gently. “But I see your train of thought. If Owen hadn’t broken up with you, you wouldn’t have left Eastwood.”
“That’s exactly what I just said!” I grab another tissue and lean against the back of the couch. “I wish he hadn’t told me. Because now I’m mad and questioning everything.”
“Do you think he cares about you now?”
I nod. “Yeah. I do.”
“Can you forgive him for breaking up with you?”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “I don’t know. I hurt so much for so long after.”
“I remember.” Mom lets out a deep breath. “I wish I had better advice, honey. You’re happy when you’re with him, and people make mistakes in the past. Especially when they’re young.”
I just nod and mop up more tears. Mom puts her hand on my shoulder and stays with me.
“Charlie?” Carly says softly, coming downstairs. “Are you okay?”
I glare at her with tear-filled eyes. “Peachy.”
“I was listening to what Mom said, and I agree.”
“Then we all can agree we don’t know what to do. Great.”
“Only you can decide what to do.” Carly sits on the floor by me.
“That helps me even less. Maybe the only thing Owen and I are good at is hurting each other.” I’m being dramatic right now and don’t care. Not at all.
“You were blaming Owen for Todd, but right now, we can blame Todd for Owen. If Todd hadn’t shown up, Owen wouldn’t have missed dinner. And you wouldn’t have assumed the worst, right?”
“Right.”
“What if he told you about why he broke up with you during dinner? If he said the same exact words. What would you have done?”
I shake my head, trying to really think about it logically. “I don’t know. I think I’d still be upset for having to go through years of my life feeling like I let the only person I ever loved down.”
“But would you go home with or without him?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I don’t know.”
“Look, thinking he knows what’s good for you is shitty. But breaking up with you hurt him too, especially if he did it because he loved you enough to let you go.”
I take in a shaky breath. “I didn’t think of it that way.”
“Good thing I’m here.” Carly smiles. “You should talk to him. Get everything out in the open. If you can’t move past the past, then you can’t go into the future.”
Nodding, I wipe my eyes and smear the rest of my mascara down my cheeks. “Where’s my phone?” I ask. “I’ll call him.”
“No need.” Carly winks. “He’s still on the porch.”Chapter 36OwenThe front door opens, and I spring up, half expecting it to be Carly telling me to fuck off. But it’s Charlie. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying, and it kills me to see her like this.
“Can we talk?” she asks, voice thin.
“Of course.”
She motions to the porch swing and we both take a seat.
“What do you want to talk about?” My heart is beating so fast I fear it might beat right out of my chest. I’d pick it up, dust it off, and offer it to Charlie. It’s hers to keep. It’s always been hers.
“First things first,” she starts. “Do you still feel like you know what’s best for me?”
“No. Though if I were to give you advice right now, it would be to come home with me tonight.”
Her lips curve into a half-smile. “Okay. Did it hurt when you broke up with me?”
“Yes. And I hurt every day since then. I’ve had a void in my heart, Charlie, and nothing could fill it. Nothing but you.”
She nods and looks down at the boards on the porch. “Do you want to get married and have kids?”
“Yes. I do. Part of me was scared to start a family back then too. Being a dad…that sounded terrifying.”
She smiles again. “We were young. I thought I’d want to pop out babies right away but changed my mind too. It would have been hard to finish law school with an infant.”