Chapter 20 #2
"She said she was on antibiotics when she had a cough and didn't realize it rendered the pills useless. We should have used condoms, but I didn't know."
"If she stopped taking the pills on purpose?—"
"Either way, this is my baby, and I want to be in his or her life."
"You've really grown up through all of this. You're on the right track, and you're doing the right thing. You just have to trust yourself and your instincts."
"That's not easy."
"It's not. But you have us to keep you in line," I teased.
"I'm glad that you're here. I don't know what I'd do if you moved off the island. I never worried about that before Elena asked you that question at the engagement party."
"That threw me for a loop too."
"I've had a lot of time to think about stuff, and as much as I feel like I need you here, you have to do what's right for you."
"Are you giving me permission to move with Hazel?" I shifted so that my feet were flat on the ground.
"I'm giving you permission to do what's right for you. Whatever that is."
"I'm not sure that I could move off the island. It was upsetting for Mom when Marshall announced he was going into the military after college.
"Yeah, but you have to do what's right for you and Hazel. You're a team now. Don't take that for granted."
Dalton desperately wanted to co-parent, but Oakley was making that impossible.
Hazel wanted to make decisions together, and I wasn't sure I could do the same.
I was the worst fiancé. Somehow the lines had gotten blurred for me, and it was hard to remember that this was never supposed to be real.
It was time to end our arrangement now that we'd both gotten what we wanted. "That's good advice."
The slider opened, and Cooper stepped out. He looked agitated.
"You find something?" Dalton asked.
Cooper's lips pressed into a tight line. "Nothing we can't deal with."
"You think I should get the place?" Dalton asked.
Cooper gave him a tight nod. "I think you should go for it."
"If Cooper gave his seal of approval," I said, "I have to agree. We're not going to find something better than this."
"You're on the beach here too. When your baby is older, they'll love being so close to the water," Cooper added.
"Can you grab Ivy?" Dalton asked Cooper.
"Sure thing." Cooper disappeared inside again.
Then Dalton turned his attention to me. "You and Hazel are the real deal. Hold onto her."
My brow furrowed. "Why are you saying that?"
"You were hesitant about moving off the island with her. But if I were you, I wouldn't want to lose her. You're not going to find another Hazel."
"You're right about that." I'd thought I could at some point, but you couldn't replicate our history, our friendship, or our chemistry.
It was the perfect combination, and I'd be a fool to screw it up.
I couldn't help but think I was already messing things up the last two days by not reaching out to her to apologize and explain myself.
Cooper and Ivy returned.
"I heard you're interested in this place," Ivy said excitedly.
"It's perfect for me and for the baby."
Ivy grinned. "Let's talk money."
Cooper waved me over, and he led the way into the house so that Ivy and Dalton could discuss the offer in private. "You didn't find any issues, did you?"
"Nah. Just the usual updates. We could still find something underneath all of this. You know how that goes."
"Yeah, you never know for sure what you're getting into.
" I couldn't help but think it was the same with relationships.
You think you know what you're doing, and then it explodes in your face.
I thought it would be easy to convince Hazel we were the real deal, but she had reservations, and I couldn't blame her.
I hadn't been all in with her. I'd been holding myself back.
I needed to talk to her.
"Everything okay between you and Hazel?" Cooper asked as he fiddled with the faucet while sneaking glances outside at Ivy and Dalton.
"I need to talk to her and clear the air after what happened at our parents'."
Cooper looked over his shoulder at me. "You haven't done that yet?"
"I never said I was an expert at relationships." And especially not fake engagements. But then again, who is? I was bound to screw up. I just hoped it wasn't permanent.
"Ivy said there's an article online about the library, and how a local construction company is funneling money there because of a certain fiancée."
"That's a mischaracterization of the situation."
"One of the reporters who came to the library didn't want to talk about how good the program is; they wanted to find some dirt."
"Dad's going to be even more mad. But what I don't understand is why anyone would care?"
"I think it has something to do with the article that was in Elena's magazine, and the poll that went viral about us being the most eligible bachelors on the island. Our names were in the news before."
I groaned. "Dad hates negative publicity."
Cooper turned off the water, satisfied it was working. "Do you know if Hazel's seen it?"
I ran a hand through my hair. "I haven't really seen or talked to her since the dinner at Mom and Dad's."
His brow furrowed. "Didn't she walk out? Mom said something about that."
"Yeah, and then Dalton showed up, and we were preoccupied with him." I couldn't believe I hadn't followed Hazel or gone home sooner.
"You should probably talk to her about the article and see if it's going to be a problem for the library. I'd hate to see her program cancelled over something like this."
"Is it wrong to support causes you believe in when your fiancée or best friend is the leader of the program?" I still couldn't get past the idea that the public had an issue with this. It didn't seem fair when we were trying to create something good and lasting.
"I don't know. But it seems like the news likes to tear people down, not lift them up."
"I hate this." I was torn between being there for Dalton, talking to Dad about this, or going to Hazel. Which one was the right thing to do?
"You can go if you need to. Ivy's got this part."
"You don't think Dalton needs me here?"
"He's going to have to start standing on his own two feet here soon. We can't be with him every step of the way, and I think he's getting that. He'll rise to the occasion."
"If you're sure—" I didn’t want to leave my family if they needed me.
"I've got this. Go."
I didn't need any more encouragement. I was out the door and inside my truck, driving toward home since it was time for Hazel to be home from work. I tried calling her first, but she didn't answer.
I just hoped I wasn't too late.