“Are you okay, hon?” I look up at her and see wide eyes of concern. Concern from a mother, not a boss. And I consider lying. Or brushing it off. But she gives me a sympathetic smile with her voice low and gentle. “I heard about you and Asher.”
And then my chin trembles like I’m going to cry. Well, I’m not. Not here at the office. I press my lips together, grab a tissue, and dab at the corners of my eyes. Oddly enough my desk is the only desk with a tissue box on it.
I try to avoid my mother’s gaze, only to find my sister’s. The same sympathetic look is in her expression.
It’s like being cornered, and the truth slips out before I know what I’m doing.
“I’m afraid,” I admit, balling up the tissue, and then check to make sure nobody else will overhear. It would be fine if Autumn did, but there are three other people here and they don’t need to know. It’s not their business and if they knew, it would be the whole town’s business. “I’m afraid that if I give my heart to him again, he’s going to break it.”
Shoot. Now it doesn’t matter that I’m in the office. It doesn’t matter that I’m at work, or even that my mom is standing here. Hot tears slip down my face, trickling from the outer corners before I can control it. I’m embarrassed by the tears, but at least I’m not alone. My mom rubs my back. It’s silent at least. And over quickly. I don’t even know how or why, but I’m a complete mess today.
Because I know I am not a match for Asher Hart and he’s probably going to break my heart again.
I’m not even aware Autumn’s beside me until her hand is on my shoulder.
“Oh my God, Bri, what’s going on?” She joins my mom in hovering over me, worried. “Is this the Asher thing?” She keeps her voice hushed but still, I’m sure the office is going to figure out there’s something going on. To hell with it. I don’t care if they think I’ve lost it. It is what it is.
Pulling more tissues out with a vengeance, I answer my sister, “Yes. I’m scared to get back together with him. If I give him my heart and he breaks it all over again, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Autumn laughs, her voice low. “I don’t think you ever took your heart back. So you might as well give it a shot.”
“What?” I stare up at her and she gives me a sad smile even though her eyes are hopeful. “You never took your heart back, Bri.”
She has a point. Even though we broke up, part of me always belonged to Asher. I couldn’t keep him out of my dreams or the random thoughts I’d have throughout the day. Everywhere I went, there he was.
So I thought there was really no point in avoiding home, when it was the only place I wanted to be. There was no point in making things harder for myself by not taking the job at my mom’s office, when he would be here too. The only way I wouldn’t have come home, would have been if he’d moved on.
“Can I forgive and forget? Do I even need to forgive him and forget? Can’t we just move on together?” I don’t know why I list the questions and all my mom does is say, “Oh, sweetie.”
It’s quiet a moment while the two of them share a look.
“Have you talked to Renee?” Autumn asks.
I shake my head. She messaged to check on me but I asked her for space.
“’Cause you didn’t want to tell her?” she guesses and I only nod. She gets it. I’m grateful my family gets it. Renee understands too. “She’ll be there if you need her,” Autumn says and I already know that. Just like I’m there for her … if ever she had something to say about Griffin.
“He’s a good guy, Brianna. I’ve always thought that.”
“He broke up with me.”
Mom arches an eyebrow. “It sounded pretty mutual, from what you said.”
“We were both unhappy.” I take a deep breath and toss the used tissues, vowing that I’m done with crying. “But he was the one who ended it.”
“Please,” Autumn says. “He is a cinnamon roll puppy dog who might as well follow you around panting. That’s just who he is. He’s always been like that and he always will be.”
My mom laughs and I can’t help the little bubble of laughter that escapes from me even though it sounds pathetic.
“Honestly, Bri?” Autumn puts a no-nonsense expression on her face. “He would pee circles around you if he could.”
“Okay.” My mom raises a hand. She admonishes my sister, “That’s very crude, Autumn.”
The two of us laugh, though, very much in spite of myself.
Autumn shrugs. “You okay, Bri?”
“I’ll be fine.”