Damn, the inside is just as bad as the outside. Patched up holes scatter paint chipped walls. The windows are dark and mildew stained, while the furniture is as old as I am, worn and weathered. I take a seat on the edge of the couch, bracin’ my elbows on my knees as I wait for Luke to sit down.
“I don’t know how to fight for her without smotherin’ her. It seems like everything I do is wrong. I know I did her wrong in the past, which is the only reason I’m here askin’ for your advice.” A sour taste coats my tongue as I admit defeat. “I don’t know how you got so close to Carly Jo, or why. But she trusts you. A little too much for my likin’ but if I have any chance in hell at forever with her, I guess I need to accept that you’re in her life. Tell me how I’m supposed to do that?” Luke releases the deep pent up breath he’s been holdin’ onto for far too long, and the red in his cheeks melts away with his deep breath.
“Your number one mistake was taking her for granted. Secondly, you thought that just because you had a grip around her, your hold was too tight for her to wiggle from. Yo u seem to have forgot that she’s as tough as nails. You lied to her once before, and when you hid the truth from her causing your accident, you stripped her trust in you. She over reacted because she really didn’t know how else to deal. She thought that if you would have hidden something from her that could consequently cost her the company that it was hard to tell what other secrets you would have left buried.” He explains in a low tone. “She, no” he shakes his head, “we both know that what happened between us was one big ass mistake. Hell, Carly ignoring me for the entire month after was clear enough of a signal for me to know that I had no future with her. I’m fine with that, but I need her friendship. I want her happy, Weston. You are the only one who can make her happy. You just need to see that I’m not your enemy and learn to forgive her and me, like she forgave you.”
“How do you know she forgave me?”
“She was with ya, wasn’t she? She loves your daughter like she’s her own. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Colton. It’s how I wished a woman looked at me.”
“What about the baby, Luke? Wh at the hell am I supposed to do if that baby’s yours?” Luke pinches the bridge of his nose while shakin’ his head.
“Big picture, Colton. Stay focused. The most important thing right now is that you fight for Carly and that she knows how much you love her. She’s sick all the time, and she’s scared because she’s basically doin’ all of this alone. She needs you. That’s what matters right now. You make amends, promise her the forever she deserves then worry about everything else as it comes.”
“Shit, man. Are you serious? Do you not even care that the baby might be yours, or that an other man may end up raisin’ it? Or are you prayin’ that you get to skimp out on raisin’ a kid in this hell hole?” I say, tossin’ my hands about on display of the room we’re sittin’ in.
“Weston, first of all, don’t act like you know me. Just because I came from shit, don’t make me shit. You don’t know the man I am today, only what you see. And we both know you only see what the hell you wanna see. Blind as hell. Secondly, I promised Carly the day sh e told me that she was pregnant that I would stand by her, hand in hand through any storm life brings her, and I always keep my promises. But I also told her that I prayed that baby she’s carryin’ belongs to you. Because you’re the man her heart belongs too.” He says pointin’ his finger at me as his voice escalates. “I can never love her like you can, Colton. So why try? I’m bein’ the bigger man, stepping back and lettin’ Carly have the happiness she deserves. I’ll be a part of Carly’s life for as long as she wants me in it, but as a friend only. If the baby’s mine, I’ll take care of it. But just
“I don’t know how to fight for her without smotherin’ her. It seems like everything I do is wrong. I know I did her wrong in the past, which is the only reason I’m here askin’ for your advice.” A sour taste coats my tongue as I admit defeat. “I don’t know how you got so close to Carly Jo, or why. But she trusts you. A little too much for my likin’ but if I have any chance in hell at forever with her, I guess I need to accept that you’re in her life. Tell me how I’m supposed to do that?” Luke releases the deep pent up breath he’s been holdin’ onto for far too long, and the red in his cheeks melts away with his deep breath.
“Your number one mistake was taking her for granted. Secondly, you thought that just because you had a grip around her, your hold was too tight for her to wiggle from. Yo u seem to have forgot that she’s as tough as nails. You lied to her once before, and when you hid the truth from her causing your accident, you stripped her trust in you. She over reacted because she really didn’t know how else to deal. She thought that if you would have hidden something from her that could consequently cost her the company that it was hard to tell what other secrets you would have left buried.” He explains in a low tone. “She, no” he shakes his head, “we both know that what happened between us was one big ass mistake. Hell, Carly ignoring me for the entire month after was clear enough of a signal for me to know that I had no future with her. I’m fine with that, but I need her friendship. I want her happy, Weston. You are the only one who can make her happy. You just need to see that I’m not your enemy and learn to forgive her and me, like she forgave you.”
“How do you know she forgave me?”
“She was with ya, wasn’t she? She loves your daughter like she’s her own. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Colton. It’s how I wished a woman looked at me.”
“What about the baby, Luke? Wh at the hell am I supposed to do if that baby’s yours?” Luke pinches the bridge of his nose while shakin’ his head.
“Big picture, Colton. Stay focused. The most important thing right now is that you fight for Carly and that she knows how much you love her. She’s sick all the time, and she’s scared because she’s basically doin’ all of this alone. She needs you. That’s what matters right now. You make amends, promise her the forever she deserves then worry about everything else as it comes.”
“Shit, man. Are you serious? Do you not even care that the baby might be yours, or that an other man may end up raisin’ it? Or are you prayin’ that you get to skimp out on raisin’ a kid in this hell hole?” I say, tossin’ my hands about on display of the room we’re sittin’ in.
“Weston, first of all, don’t act like you know me. Just because I came from shit, don’t make me shit. You don’t know the man I am today, only what you see. And we both know you only see what the hell you wanna see. Blind as hell. Secondly, I promised Carly the day sh e told me that she was pregnant that I would stand by her, hand in hand through any storm life brings her, and I always keep my promises. But I also told her that I prayed that baby she’s carryin’ belongs to you. Because you’re the man her heart belongs too.” He says pointin’ his finger at me as his voice escalates. “I can never love her like you can, Colton. So why try? I’m bein’ the bigger man, stepping back and lettin’ Carly have the happiness she deserves. I’ll be a part of Carly’s life for as long as she wants me in it, but as a friend only. If the baby’s mine, I’ll take care of it. But just
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