Chapter 26
Lacey
I may not be a pro on the silent treatment, but I’m pretty sure when a guy does you wrong, you’re supposed to be the one ignoring his messages— not the other way around.
I’ve texted TJ twice since I unblocked him that day.
Twice.
Someone better call the police and report my dignity as missing .
It was just a “Hey” and a message asking him if he was okay, but still. I felt horrible watching him drive away after Daniel dropped that massive bombshell on him two days ago. I wanted to check in on him. Even though he lied to me. Even though he broke my heart. I still care about his well-being. It’s not something I can just turn off.
The only good thing to come out of this week is the news that Daniel will be moving much closer to me and the kids. He went back to Silver Springs, my hometown, after shit hit the fan with TJ, to finish packing up his things and moving out of the family home.
Then he’ll be moving into a temporary rental a few minutes away from our place. He made it clear his days of only visiting once a year were behind us now that his marriage to my control freak of a mother is ending.
I tap out of my conversation with TJ and throw my phone face down on Dia’s couch. “Tell me the truth. Am I totally pathetic for asking him how he was doing?”
Dia sets our second bowl of popcorn down on the living room table before grabbing a seat next to Finn on the couch. “Pathetic? No. Too nice? Maybe a little. But that’s just what makes you you. You’re a good-hearted, compassionate person, Lace. I’m sure he appreciated you reaching out.”
I scoff. “Right. He appreciated it so much he didn’t even text me back.”
Finn puts his arm around his fiancée’s shoulders and hugs her to his chest. “Yeah, because he’s struggling. News like that will fuck you up. Just give him a minute. He’ll come around.”
I sigh, pulling a blanket over my body. “Appreciate the advice, Mr. I’m-Not-Even-Supposed-To-Know-About-This.”
Finn laughs. “Hate to break it to you, but I’m marrying your best friend. Your drama is officially my drama.”
I desperately needed some girl talk tonight, and I knew when Dia invited me over to her place that Finn would be there. Normally, I don’t mind it, but I wouldn’t want Finn to accidentally bring this up in front of TJ. He’s probably having a hard enough time processing his mother’s lies as it is without the whole world knowing about his family drama.
I chuckle. “Just don’t go blabbing to TJ, okay?”
He nods. “Please, it’s not my first rodeo.”
On that note, Finn smacks a kiss to Dia’s forehead and pushes off the couch. “I’m going to get something to drink. You guys want anything?”
“A glass of water would be nice,” Dia puts in her order.
Finn smiles at her. “Anything for my girl. Lacey, you good?”
“All good, thanks.”
“Thank you, babe,” Dia calls as Finn is walking away. “Now, about his mother. What’s with all the secrecy? Didn’t he say she went away for work?”
“Yeah, but I’m starting to think that’s bullshit. He clearly said he was trying to avenge her the other day.”
Dia winces, putting a pretty clear picture together. “Avenge as in…”
“Yep.”
“If that’s the case and his mom really is dead, then he must be down in the dumps right about now,” Dia deduces.
“I know I would be. I’m still not over losing my dad, so finding out he lied to me my entire life? That sort of news would destroy me.” I let out a groan of irritation and bury my face between my hands for a moment. “I’m still so mad at him, and yet… I can’t stop wondering if he’s okay.”
“Just because he hurt you doesn’t mean you stopped caring. It’s not that simple. And just because your love story didn’t get off to the best start doesn’t mean it can’t have a happy ending.”
The last part of her sentence tugs at my heartstrings, and I laugh to try and conceal the pain in my voice. “Can you even call it a love story if none of it was real?”
Dia’s eyes widen at my comment. “Wow.”
“What?”
“You really don’t see it, do you?”
I frown. “Don’t see what?”
“Girl, I mean this in the nicest, most loving way possible, but are you blind ?”
This is not where I thought this conversation was going.
“It might’ve been fake at the beginning, but now? With the way TJ looks at you? You can’t make that shit up. Lacey, he loves you. It’s so damn obvious to every person who’s ever seen you two together. I know you’re afraid to believe anything he says, but you have to believe your own eyes. That boy is so hopelessly in love with you he doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
Her words knock the breath out of me.
I think that’s what hurt the most about all of this. The thought that everything was a lie, including his feelings for me. Once again, I had to accept that the man I had feelings for didn’t feel the same in return, and that only fed into the narrative I’d been entertaining my whole life.
That I would never be enough.
And I would only ever know unrequited love.
When Aaron blew the lid off this whole thing, a small part of me immediately went, “ Yep, sounds about right .” Because I haven’t allowed myself to believe good things could happen to me since my dad died.
How could life possibly be kind to me… after it was so cruel?
I refused to believe TJ when he said his feelings were real, but Dia is making me rethink everything.
“Look, did he fuck up? Yes. Did he hurt you because he was battling his own demons? Absolutely. But don’t ever say he didn’t care because you and I both know that’s not true.”
I’m speechless, my mind racing with a thousand questions and possibilities.
“I don’t know what to do.” My voice breaks.
“That’s going to be your choice, but if you want my two cents, you can’t make a decision without getting the full picture first.”
She’s right. There’s something TJ hasn’t been telling me. I’ve known it for a while now.
Whatever he’s keeping from me is obviously a key part of his story. It’s as though everything falls into place when I look at my best friend.
“I need to talk to him. Get some answers,” I declare.
Dia nods, failing to conceal her smile. “Damn right you do. Now we just have to figure out the when and where?”
“Especially since he’s not answering my messages. I can hardly see myself showing up at his house uninvited.”
Finn pops his head into the doorway, startling me. “You didn’t hear it from me, but the guys are dragging him to Munchie’s for dinner tonight. They’re worried about him.”
I’m not even mad that Finn was eavesdropping. If anything, I’m glad he’s meddling. It might be the only way I’ll finally get some answers.
Dia and I exchange quick glances, communicating with a single look.
I give Finn an appreciative smile. “Then that’s where we’ll be.”
“Maybe you should’ve told them I was coming. What if I’m intruding?”
Dia casts a glance in my direction from the passenger seat. “Would you stop that? You’re not intruding.”
I shift in the back seat of Finn’s car, teetering on the edge of panic. “Still, they didn’t invite me. Feels wrong to just show up.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. The way I see it, the guys invited Finn knowing he would bring me, and anyone with half a brain knows wherever I go, you go , so technically, they invited you, too.”
I scoff. “Not sure that’s how it works, but thanks for trying to make me feel better.”
She laughs. “I’m just saying, if TJ didn’t want you crashing his boys’ night, he should’ve taken five seconds out of his day to text you back.”
“Poor bastard just found out his entire life was a lie. Don’t you think you should cut him some slack?” Finn interjects.
“He’s had days to process. It’s about time he gave Lacey an explanation,” Dia argues.
I wish I shared her perspective. I wish I could just waltz into that diner, demanding answers, but the truth is, whatever anger I felt toward TJ after Aaron exposed his lies has been contaminated by compassion and guilt.
Seeing that look on his face when Daniel told him he wasn’t his father… The absolute betrayal looming in his eyes. It made me rethink whether or not I was the true victim in this situation.
I may have found out the guy I love has been lying to me, but TJ found out the woman who raised him has been lying to him his entire life.
How is it possible to hate someone for hurting you while also not being able to stomach them being in pain?
Finn pulls into the parking lot of Munchie’s a moment later, and I suck in a breath, anticipating TJ’s reaction to my presence.
“Just because he’s hurting right now doesn’t justify him hurting you, okay? He needs to take accountability for his mistakes, and that starts with him telling you the whole story,” Dia reminds me before we all get out of the car.
She’s right. I know she is.
Dia links her arm with mine as we make our way to the entrance. The diner is buzzing with life and chatter when we walk in. As hard as I try to seem relaxed and unaffected, I can’t stop my eyes from combing through the area, looking for his face.
Sure enough, TJ, Theo, and Chance are sitting in their usual booth by the bay window. I notice Bethany is cuddling up to Chance as we approach their table. I remember Chance telling us Heather was full of shit back at the lake house. Apparently, Chance never slept with her, and she made it up, in true miserable bitch fashion.
Glad to see these two worked it out.
“Hey, guys,” Finn says when we reach them.
They all notice us at the same time, their faces lighting up one by one, and it takes every bit of willpower in my body not to look at TJ to soak up his expression.
“Look who changed his mind. Missed us too much, did you?” Theo teases Finn.
“Blame the girls. They were in the mood for greasy food.” Finn makes up an excuse.
Theo smirks, his gaze shifting between TJ and me for a moment. “Right. Food. That’s the reason.”
In case it wasn’t clear, Theodore Cox is a total sucker for a good awkward moment.
Only then do I glance down at TJ. I thought he’d be poking at his food with his fork, desperate to avoid looking at me, so you can imagine my surprise when we immediately lock eyes.
Not only was he already staring, waiting for me to look at him, but he’s also smiling. It’s a small smile, on the timid side, but it’s a smile nonetheless. He doesn’t seem too mad about me being here, so that’s a start.
“Move your asses,” Finn commands, and everyone obliges, scooting over in the booth to make room for us.
I end up sitting right across the table from TJ, which makes avoiding eye contact impossible. He’s right there, looking at me with that hopeful glimmer in his gaze every time I look up.
His eyes are still rimmed with dark circles, and he looks a bit pale, but overall, he appears to be doing better than the last time I saw him.
“What are you guys having?” Chance asks at the same time a waitress comes over to hand us some menus.
I pretend to flip through the pages of the menu, even though I already know what I want—I’ve been craving pancakes since the day TJ and I had some with our siblings, and Munchie’s serves both breakfast and dinner options.
I take my sweet time browsing, attempting to diffuse the tension descending over TJ and me.
I don’t know what he’s trying to do to me with that intense staring, but it’s either going to make me mad or horny—-and I’m not sure which one is worse.
The waitress stops by our table again a few minutes later, and I order the Delight Pancakes. I realize I forgot to ask her for extra vanilla ice cream as she’s walking away. I’d forgotten how much I loved that combo, but having it recently reminded me of why it was my dad’s favorite.
I haven’t been paying attention to the guys’ conversation, but I’ve caught a few words here and there, all of them about basketball.
At first, I think it’s just boy talk per usual, until Chance says, “I hear the drafts are coming up. How are you guys feeling about that?”
Theo and TJ deferred entering the NBA draft last year, both for personal reasons. Theo was still struggling mentally after his breakup with Ashley, and TJ, well, no one really knows why he chose not to do it.
Word on the street is scouts have been at their games for a while now, and TJ, Xavier, and Theo have all been referred to as potential top picks for NBA teams. I have no idea how any of it works, but I do know that everything will change once they get drafted.
From media appearances, to signing a bunch of contracts, to entering the NBA summer leagues in July and training camps. I only know any of this because it was all Theo talked about last year before he thought things through and decided to wait a year.
In other words, getting drafted means leaving Duke and starting a whole new life.
What would this mean for TJ?
Would I ever see him again?
I scold myself for even wondering about our future.
As far as I know, it doesn’t exist anymore.
Theo, who’s sitting next to TJ, elbows him in the ribs. “About that. Coach looked like he was going to flip his shit when you missed the first half of practice yesterday. You have got to stop showing up late when you go see your…”
Then nothing.
Theo doesn’t finish his sentence, stopping himself. I notice TJ making a face, his eyes the size of golf balls. It’s clear he’s thinking, Dude, shut the hell up.
Theo was talking about his mom, wasn’t he?
TJ keeps showing up late to practice because he’s been going to see his mom. Isn’t she dead? It sure sounded like she was when TJ said he wanted to avenge her.
Maybe he’s visiting her grave?
None of this is making any sense.
Theo obviously knows a hell of a lot more than I do about TJ’s personal life. I get that they got pretty close when they lived together, but it stings that he’d tell Theo and not me.
Theo clears his throat. “Anyway, how was everyone’s spring break?”
The group goes along with Theo’s topic change, discussing their vacations in detail. The guys spend the next half hour making small talk and cracking jokes, while I’m still stuck on Theo’s slipup and trying to sort out the million scenarios spinning in my head.
My overthinking is drawn to a close when the waitress sets my pancakes down in front of me.
I salivate at the smell, my stomach screaming at me for neglecting to fill it with food since this morning. I grab my knife and fork, ready to dig in.
“I’m sorry for the delay. Your orders will be right out,” she tells Finn and Dia and then turns to me. “Do you need anything else, sweetheart? More syrup, maybe?”
I open my mouth, about to tell her that I’m good, when TJ’s voice cuts through the air.
“Could you bring her some vanilla ice cream?”
I nearly drop my utensils.
“Of course, I’ll be right back,” the waitress says before retreating to the front.
Warmth spreads throughout my chest.
He remembered.
From that one time we ate pancakes together, he remembered.
Even I didn’t remember to ask for it.
My gaze finds his, and I give him a shy smile. “I… Thanks.”
TJ nods. “Of course.”
There’s a beat of silence, the tension hovering in the air holding us captive. Neither of us looks away, almost like our gazes are fused together.
“It’s getting hot in here, isn’t it?” Dia asks Finn.
It only takes Finn a second to catch on. “Oh, hm, yeah.”
“We should go get some fresh air,” Dia declares.
“Good idea. We’ll come with,” Bethany chimes and takes Chance’s hand as she rises off the booth.
Theo, witnessing his friends’ stunt, immediately picks up what they’re putting down and pushes to his feet. “I have to take a leak.”
On that note, our friends make themselves scarce, leaving TJ and me alone at the table.
Smooth.
A laugh rips from my throat. “Their acting skills need a little work.”
TJ smiles. “I’ll be sure to tell them that before I thank them for getting me alone with you.”
Damn.
I’m going to need a second to recover from that one.
“I… I’ve been meaning to reach out since…” He stops himself. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“It’s okay, I get it.”
“No, it’s not. I should’ve answered your texts. I was in a bad place, but it’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
“Lacey, I…” He stops again.
Then he’s scooting over to my side of the booth without a warning. He only stops once our thighs are touching.
The proximity sends my heart into a frenzy, and the butterflies in my stomach go bonkers, but I do my utmost not to let it show.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think this past week, and it made me realize that I’ve been a hypocrite.”
His puppy dog eyes are even more disarming from up close, and I instinctively glance down at my fingers to shield myself from the effect he has on me.
“All I’ve found myself thinking about since I fucked this up is how I could get you back.”
I make the mistake of looking up at him. Just like that, I’m a prisoner of those eyes and the feelings pulling me under.
“I know the only way I’ll be able to do that is by getting you to trust me again. But how can I expect you to trust me… when I’ve been too much of a coward to trust you ?”
I’m pleasantly surprised that he came to that conclusion on his own.
“Now, before I continue, I just want you to know that there’s no pressure whatsoever. If, afterward, you still don’t want me in your life, I’ll understand, and I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
Afterward ?
“What are you saying?”
He pauses as if to gather the courage necessary to keep going.
Then he says the one thing I never saw coming.
“I’m saying I want you to meet my mom.”