Chapter Forty-Eight Balancing Acts #2
“You avoided me at every turn, but Tommy made me think this was my chance to fix things, and I didn’t understand why you weren’t letting me. I did not realize just how angry and hurt you were until you told me not to call you Mali?a.”
“After speaking with Cole, Tommy, and Alex, I realized how badly I had handled everything, how much I had excused my actions and tried to convince myself I had made the right choices and moves.” He kissed the back of her hand and lowered it.
“I gave Jolene an ultimatum, which I am aware is not healthy, but it was needed. Either she accepted my relationship with you, accepted that my love for you is not sexual or romantic, or we ended things immediately.”
“I can’t imagine that went over very well,” Evie murmured, picking up her fork and beginning to eat, relief flooding through her that he had finally stood up for them and their friendship, even if it had taken far too long in her opinion.
“No, it did not.” Thorn chuckled. “She tried crying, screaming, and demanding. But I held firm, just repeating that either she accepted things or she could leave. I gave the ultimatum, so I left the decision to her.”
“And?” Evie looked at him, both hoping that she had left and that she had accepted things, not wanting Thorn to lose the first relationship he’d had in close to ten years because of her.
“She asked for time to think.” He shrugged. “I have made my peace with the idea of her leaving, and if she decides to stay, she may not like who I am going forward.”
Evie let out a soft giggle but linked her fingers through his and squeezed lightly. “As long as you know you don’t have to stay with her if that’s not what you want.”
“I cannot say one way or another if it is what I want.” He leaned back and smiled at her. “I enjoyed our dynamic for the most part, but I realized I was so afraid of losing her that I lost myself.”
He raised her hand and kissed her fingertips before letting her go and picking up his fork to start eating. “And you know you do not have to stay with Alex after that disaster of a birthday party on Friday night, right?”
Evie ran her hand over her head, smoothing her hair back. “God, it was really terrible, wasn’t it?” She was a little surprised at how quickly they’d slipped back into their regular conversation, like the previous five months hadn’t happened, but very happy about it.
“He means well,” she allowed as Thorn chuckled.
“But Nissa said he sometimes behaves like a boy who never got told no enough, and I think she’s right.
He just has this view that if it’s what he wants, it must be what I want too.
His apology texts are full of ‘he’s sorry, but’ and then some reason about why he didn’t realize something.
Like, ‘I’m sorry I got you red velvet cake, but I got them mixed up and thought you hated strawberry shortcake. ’”
“Sometimes explanations after an apology are needed. Sometimes, you just have to take accountability and not give an excuse,” Thorn murmured, pulling out his phone as it rang. “Sorry, it is Tommy,” he explained as he answered it and brought the phone to his ear.
She was half-listening to his side of the conversation but mainly concentrating on her food, trying to eat it before the hollandaise sauce congealed too much and became inedible, when Thorn said something that made her stare at him in panic.
“She is here with me.” He was looking at his plate, using his fork to cut his sausages, completely unaware of her panic.
“Of course she is safe!” Thorn sounded incredibly insulted, and for a brief moment, Evie had to smile at his indignant response. “She is with me!”
“She appears to be fine.” Thorn looked up and raised his eyebrow when he saw her shaking her head frantically. “We’re having brunch at…” He trailed off as Evie added slicing motions across her neck to her head shakes. “Oh. Sorry, Tommy, she is telling me not to tell you that.”
Tommy raised his voice, and now Evie could hear him reminding Thorn that Evie didn’t employ him; he did, and to tell him where they were. Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand for the phone, and Thorn passed it over with a smirk before returning his attention to his food.
Evie put the phone to her ear and sighed as she heard Tommy threaten to fire Thorn if he didn’t tell him exactly where they were immediately.
“Tommy. You need to stop.”
“Evie!” The relief in his voice was so evident that she closed her eyes for a moment. “Please. Come back to the Tower so we can talk this out.”
“I’ll be home when I feel like it,” she told him firmly. “Right now, I’m fixing things with Thorn. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to talk to you, and since I’m sure Alex is there with you, you can pass this along to him, too.”
“Why does Thorn get things worked out first?” His voice was slightly whiny, and Evie narrowed her eyes.
“Because Thorn sent three messages apologizing and asking to talk. You and Alex sent so many over the last four days that my phone froze when I turned it back on this morning.” She took a sip of her orange juice, deadpan.
“What were we supposed to do? You weren’t answering!” She could hear the anger building in his voice and rolled her eyes at Thorn, who was looking more and more amused as he listened to Tommy yell at her.
“I was at a retreat where technology wasn’t allowed.” She explained it simply, and it shut him up immediately. “But since I asked for space and neither one of you could give it to me, you can wait to talk to me.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She pressed the end call button and passed Thorn his phone back.
“Your phone froze?” Thorn tucked his phone into his pocket, and Evie pulled hers out of her purse, tossing it on the table to show him the frozen screen.
“I can’t even reset it,” she grumbled.