Her brows furrow. “Because I promised Macy I would take her son on as an intern. You know how much I detest going back on my word.”
“Wait.” I frown. “Are you talking about Macy Deluca’s son, Kai?”
“Yes.”
“Is he even old enough to intern?”
“He graduates college next spring.”
“Damn. Where in the hell did the time go? Didn’t you babysit him in high school?”
Penelope scowls when she mutters, “Yes.”
“That’s wild. I can’t imagine how weird it is to have him work under you when you used to change his diapers.”
At my statement, something happens I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Penelope’s cheeks turn a deep shade of red. My sister doesn’t get embarrassed. She’d never let herself get into a situation that could elicit such a feeling. For her to be so now piques my interest. It makes me wonder if there is more going on with the Kai situation than she’s letting on.
“Anyway.” She brushes off my comment. “Enough about me. Tell me why you stopped by.”
“Can’t a girl simply stop by and see her sister?”
“Normally, sure. But you never have before, so there must be a reason you did so today.” Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “Please don’t tell me Asa is filing a restraining order against you.”
I roll my eyes. “No, he’s not. And can you stop assuming he will?”
She tips her head to the side and regards me curiously. “Are you still following him around?”
There’s no sense in lying. “Yes.”
As a matter of fact, I was following him today when I decided to give my sister an impromptu visit. There’s really no point in following him anymore. If I want to see him, all I need to do is call or stop by his hotel. I don’t know why I keep doing it. I just feel the need.
“Lucy said you had dinner with him the other night.”
“We did.”
She’s silent for a moment before she asks quietly. “I take it you two are seeing each other now?”
For some reason, her question has me dropping my eyes from hers. My gaze catches on a loose thread on my cut off shorts, and I start picking at it.
“I don’t know if what we’re doing is considered ‘seeing each other’. I mean, yeah, we obviously see each other, but not in the sense you’re implying. We’re more… physical than anything.”
“Taylor,” Penelope calls my name, but I don’t look up. “Taylor, look at me,” she tries again.
I reluctantly lift my eyes and meet hers. I’m surprised when I see compassion staring back at me.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
I know what she’s asking, but I still play dumb. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve obsessed over Asa for a third of your life, and now he’s suddenly obtainable to you.”
My lips twist into a mocking smile. “Don’t worry, Pen. I promise not to embarrass you by making a fool of myself. I’m not forcing my company on Asa.”
A frown line forms between her eyes. “That’s not what I mean. Yes, my and my business’s reputation are important to me, but you’re more important. I don’t want to see you get hurt when he has to leave.”
Her words send a dull ache to my chest. I appreciate her sentiment, but it’s already too late. There’s no stopping the pain I’m sure to feel when Asa leaves Silver Falls. I’ve already gone and fallen in love with the man, and there’s no coming back from that. I can’t imagine going back to simply stalking him from afar, but it’s what I’ll have to do.
“Oh, Taylor,” Penelope says softly, her voice full of sympathy. “What have you done?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, trying and failing—I’m sure—to wipe the anguish from my face. “I’ll be fine.”
It’s not really a lie. I will be fine. Eventually, anyway. It’s just going to suck before I get to that point.
Penelope eyes me doubtfully. “I haven’t been able to get a firm answer out of him. His next tour starts soon. Do you know when he’s heading back home?”
“No. We haven’t really discussed it. I’d prefer to simply avoid the inevitable.”
“You can’t avoid it, Tay. It’ll only hurt worse when it happens.”
I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest. “It’s a little too late for that. There’s nothing I can do to prepare myself for imminent heartbreak.”
“You can always stop seeing him now.”
Her suggestion is ridiculous. I’d rather saw off one of my limbs and soak the stump in acid than prematurely stop seeing Asa.
Okay, so that’s a little excessive, but you catch my drift. No way am I giving up Asa before I have to, especially since I know what it’s like to be with him.
“That’s not an option,” I tell Penelope stubbornly. “I’ll deal with it when the time comes and not a minute before then.”
I just hope my heart doesn’t break into so many pieces that I can’t put it back together.
* * *