she shakes her head back and forth at me, her gaze never leaving mine. “Chase, do you really believe they are still in pain? That they walk around all day hurt and heartbroken because you screwed them over in the past?”
When she puts it that way, it makes me sound like a total tool. “No, of course not. They are both happy in their relationships and I couldn’t be happier for them. I always knew Shelly and Matt would end up together. And Dean is perfect for Summer. They’ve both moved on and I’m glad they did.”
“Well, don’t you think it’s about time you move on too?” She reaches out to me, taking my hand in hers. “You need to let go, Chase. They’ve moved on and you should too.”
Tiff’s hand looks so small in mine even though she has the strength of a superhero. “I think it’s about more than just moving on. I think it has to do with forgiveness. I’m not so sure I can forgive myself for what I did to them and I could never forgive myself if I ever hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you, Tiffany. Not now, not ever. And I’m so afraid that I could.”
“Well, if you want forgiveness, you have to ask for it. Shelly and Summer are not bad people. If you want to apologize, do it. But don’t let it hang over your head for the rest of your life.” She lets out a long sigh. “And as for me,” she smiles, “I’m not afraid at all. You’re not going to hurt me, Chase.”
Her beautiful smile is knocking down those walls again. “How do you know?”
“Let me tell you a story,” she says.
“Okay.”
“My last real relationship lasted for three years.”
This revelation surprises me. How did I not know this? She knows just about everything about me and I didn’t know she had a man for three years?
“Greg and I were high school sweethearts, I guess you could say.” Her hands wave in the air as she tells the story, something so characteristically Tiffany, so I can’t help but grin. “You know how I told you I have a big family?” I nod. “Well, they know everything. Like they know that you came over when I was sick because Hilda, my neighbor, told my brothers. News travels fast in this family and they all want to meet you. They probably know you’re here now.”
I look around the room and zone in on the windows.
“Don’t worry. They’re not hiding in the bushes or anything, but my neighbors are like family too and they have my mom on speed dial. They’re total busybodies, always looking to stir the pot.”
“Okay.” I chuckle. “This is weird.”
“Try living it every day of your life.” She shakes her head. “Back to my story.” She claps her hands together. “I had a feeling Greg was cheating. There was just something off about him and I don’t know, I just knew.”
“Did you say something to him? Ask him about your gut feeling?”
“No. I let it go for a while until my brothers confronted him in front of me. They had done a little investigative work of their own and he came clean and told me the truth. He had been seeing someone from work for months.”
“How many brothers do you have?” I wonder if they will be tailing me soon.
“Three,” she says. “But don’t worry. They’ll leave you alone unless you give them a reason not to.”
“Sounds comforting.”
She laughs. “Just let me finish my story.” She smacks my arm. “So my boyfriend cheated on me and when I should’ve been crying my eyeballs out and devastated like any girl would be in my situation, I wasn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because he obviously didn’t love me as much as he should have or else he wouldn’t have cheated. And I guess I didn’t love him like I thought I did if I wasn’t all broken up about it. In the end, I just figured why beat ourselves up over it? Our relationship was over. There was no way I could’ve stayed with him after he was with someone else. It just wasn’t meant to be, so I let go.”
“Well my breakups weren’t as nice and tidy as yours,” I
When she puts it that way, it makes me sound like a total tool. “No, of course not. They are both happy in their relationships and I couldn’t be happier for them. I always knew Shelly and Matt would end up together. And Dean is perfect for Summer. They’ve both moved on and I’m glad they did.”
“Well, don’t you think it’s about time you move on too?” She reaches out to me, taking my hand in hers. “You need to let go, Chase. They’ve moved on and you should too.”
Tiff’s hand looks so small in mine even though she has the strength of a superhero. “I think it’s about more than just moving on. I think it has to do with forgiveness. I’m not so sure I can forgive myself for what I did to them and I could never forgive myself if I ever hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you, Tiffany. Not now, not ever. And I’m so afraid that I could.”
“Well, if you want forgiveness, you have to ask for it. Shelly and Summer are not bad people. If you want to apologize, do it. But don’t let it hang over your head for the rest of your life.” She lets out a long sigh. “And as for me,” she smiles, “I’m not afraid at all. You’re not going to hurt me, Chase.”
Her beautiful smile is knocking down those walls again. “How do you know?”
“Let me tell you a story,” she says.
“Okay.”
“My last real relationship lasted for three years.”
This revelation surprises me. How did I not know this? She knows just about everything about me and I didn’t know she had a man for three years?
“Greg and I were high school sweethearts, I guess you could say.” Her hands wave in the air as she tells the story, something so characteristically Tiffany, so I can’t help but grin. “You know how I told you I have a big family?” I nod. “Well, they know everything. Like they know that you came over when I was sick because Hilda, my neighbor, told my brothers. News travels fast in this family and they all want to meet you. They probably know you’re here now.”
I look around the room and zone in on the windows.
“Don’t worry. They’re not hiding in the bushes or anything, but my neighbors are like family too and they have my mom on speed dial. They’re total busybodies, always looking to stir the pot.”
“Okay.” I chuckle. “This is weird.”
“Try living it every day of your life.” She shakes her head. “Back to my story.” She claps her hands together. “I had a feeling Greg was cheating. There was just something off about him and I don’t know, I just knew.”
“Did you say something to him? Ask him about your gut feeling?”
“No. I let it go for a while until my brothers confronted him in front of me. They had done a little investigative work of their own and he came clean and told me the truth. He had been seeing someone from work for months.”
“How many brothers do you have?” I wonder if they will be tailing me soon.
“Three,” she says. “But don’t worry. They’ll leave you alone unless you give them a reason not to.”
“Sounds comforting.”
She laughs. “Just let me finish my story.” She smacks my arm. “So my boyfriend cheated on me and when I should’ve been crying my eyeballs out and devastated like any girl would be in my situation, I wasn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because he obviously didn’t love me as much as he should have or else he wouldn’t have cheated. And I guess I didn’t love him like I thought I did if I wasn’t all broken up about it. In the end, I just figured why beat ourselves up over it? Our relationship was over. There was no way I could’ve stayed with him after he was with someone else. It just wasn’t meant to be, so I let go.”
“Well my breakups weren’t as nice and tidy as yours,” I
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