Pages of the Past (Bellingwood Book 9) by Diane Greenwood Muir Page A
Authors: Diane Greenwood Muir
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Polly, "Can I close this?"
"Sure. What's up?"
Rachel plopped down into a chair and flipped her hair. It was jet black with hot pink tips today. "I'm going to break up with him. He's an idiot."
"Billy?"
"Yes. Him and that freakishly idiotic friend of his. They're joined at the hip and he can't make a stupid decision without talking to Doug."
"What decision do you want him to make?"
"We're all in our early twenties."
"You're twenty."
"Close enough. Anyway, I don't see why they think it's a bad idea for me to move in."
Polly sat back, a little surprised. "Move in? Above the garage?"
"Sure. I don't take up much room. I'm there all the time anyway."
"What was his reason?"
"He said it wouldn't be fair to Doug and they didn't have room."
Polly pursed her lips, trying hard not to allow a laugh to escape. "Have you talked to your mom?"
"No, not yet. But she'll be fine with it."
"Really? You're twenty."
"She was twenty when she had me."
"Uh huh, and you're exactly the same person as she was back then?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, you've made all of the same exact decisions that she made through your childhood and teenage years?"
Rachel didn't understand yet. "No. But what does that matter?"
"Because you two aren't the same twenty-year-olds. You're two very different people and you should be talking to her about these big decisions."
"But that doesn't let Billy off the hook." She huffed and slammed her arms across each other on her chest. "Maybe I should just break up with him."
"Do you want to break up with him?"
"No, but I'd like to separate him from the idiot who lives with him sometimes."
"I get that, but those two have been friends for a long time."
"Maybe they should just get married then."
Polly put her hands down on her desk and leaned forward. "Okay. When did this whole moving in conversation happen?"
"Last night and this morning."
"You spent the night with him."
"Sure. I do all the time."
"And he told you that he wasn't ready for you to move in."
"Pretty much."
"Did he tell you that he didn't love you?"
"No."
"Did he say anything about breaking up?"
"No." Rachel started unclenching her fists, coming to grips with reality. "I pushed too hard, didn't I?"
"Maybe a little. These two guys have just figured out what it means to live on their own away from their moms. They're having a ball and by the way, they're including you in the fun."
"It's not so much fun anymore," Rachel said. "They quit playing video games with their buddies."
"Why did they do that?" Polly asked. "They had fun."
"I think it's my fault." Rachel's voice got quieter. "I told Billy he was like a kid with all the 'dudes' and the games."
"But you played those games with them."
"I know. I miss it too. But now that I'm working all the time I need more sleep. I can't do those all nighters like we used to do and I work on Friday and Saturday nights. Those are the best nights to game because no one has to work the next day or go to school."
Polly smiled. "So how mad at Doug are you really?"
"I don't know. He really doesn't want to grow up and I think he's holding Billy back."
"From doing what?"
"Going out on his own."
"But it was those two who went out on their own together and that was only last year."
"But Billy has grown up so much."
"Oh Rachel, I'm going to ask you a crazy, crazy question."
"What?" Rachel set her jaw.
"What made you fall for Billy in the first place?"
"I dunno. He was funny and did crazy things. He always made me laugh. He wasn't afraid of anything. If people laughed at him because he was a geek, he just blew it off." She dropped her head.
"All of the things that you've been training out of him this last year? All of the things that Doug is still doing?"
"But I love Billy more now that he's acting like an adult."
"Is that really true or do you kinda miss the Billy who dressed up in a robe and painted a light saber? I know I miss that boy."
"But he can't be
"Sure. What's up?"
Rachel plopped down into a chair and flipped her hair. It was jet black with hot pink tips today. "I'm going to break up with him. He's an idiot."
"Billy?"
"Yes. Him and that freakishly idiotic friend of his. They're joined at the hip and he can't make a stupid decision without talking to Doug."
"What decision do you want him to make?"
"We're all in our early twenties."
"You're twenty."
"Close enough. Anyway, I don't see why they think it's a bad idea for me to move in."
Polly sat back, a little surprised. "Move in? Above the garage?"
"Sure. I don't take up much room. I'm there all the time anyway."
"What was his reason?"
"He said it wouldn't be fair to Doug and they didn't have room."
Polly pursed her lips, trying hard not to allow a laugh to escape. "Have you talked to your mom?"
"No, not yet. But she'll be fine with it."
"Really? You're twenty."
"She was twenty when she had me."
"Uh huh, and you're exactly the same person as she was back then?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, you've made all of the same exact decisions that she made through your childhood and teenage years?"
Rachel didn't understand yet. "No. But what does that matter?"
"Because you two aren't the same twenty-year-olds. You're two very different people and you should be talking to her about these big decisions."
"But that doesn't let Billy off the hook." She huffed and slammed her arms across each other on her chest. "Maybe I should just break up with him."
"Do you want to break up with him?"
"No, but I'd like to separate him from the idiot who lives with him sometimes."
"I get that, but those two have been friends for a long time."
"Maybe they should just get married then."
Polly put her hands down on her desk and leaned forward. "Okay. When did this whole moving in conversation happen?"
"Last night and this morning."
"You spent the night with him."
"Sure. I do all the time."
"And he told you that he wasn't ready for you to move in."
"Pretty much."
"Did he tell you that he didn't love you?"
"No."
"Did he say anything about breaking up?"
"No." Rachel started unclenching her fists, coming to grips with reality. "I pushed too hard, didn't I?"
"Maybe a little. These two guys have just figured out what it means to live on their own away from their moms. They're having a ball and by the way, they're including you in the fun."
"It's not so much fun anymore," Rachel said. "They quit playing video games with their buddies."
"Why did they do that?" Polly asked. "They had fun."
"I think it's my fault." Rachel's voice got quieter. "I told Billy he was like a kid with all the 'dudes' and the games."
"But you played those games with them."
"I know. I miss it too. But now that I'm working all the time I need more sleep. I can't do those all nighters like we used to do and I work on Friday and Saturday nights. Those are the best nights to game because no one has to work the next day or go to school."
Polly smiled. "So how mad at Doug are you really?"
"I don't know. He really doesn't want to grow up and I think he's holding Billy back."
"From doing what?"
"Going out on his own."
"But it was those two who went out on their own together and that was only last year."
"But Billy has grown up so much."
"Oh Rachel, I'm going to ask you a crazy, crazy question."
"What?" Rachel set her jaw.
"What made you fall for Billy in the first place?"
"I dunno. He was funny and did crazy things. He always made me laugh. He wasn't afraid of anything. If people laughed at him because he was a geek, he just blew it off." She dropped her head.
"All of the things that you've been training out of him this last year? All of the things that Doug is still doing?"
"But I love Billy more now that he's acting like an adult."
"Is that really true or do you kinda miss the Billy who dressed up in a robe and painted a light saber? I know I miss that boy."
"But he can't be
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