Not tonight.
She didn't feel like dealing with anyone tonight, especially her mother. But, rather than ignore the message, Tory replied, promising to call tomorrow, and then turned on the television. Maybe with a bit of luck, it would distract her until she fell asleep.
On the screen, the opening sequence to the newestLost In Spaceplayed, but Tory barely noticed. Her mind kept replaying her and Duncan's time together, starting with the night of the auction and ending with their conversation tonight.
When she'd been with Grant and Luke, there had been signs of why they were with her. Unless she counted his conversation with her cousins today, she couldn't recall any signs with Duncan. Had he just been better at hiding the truth? Or had she overreacted?
Luke hadn't denied it when she confronted him and given him back the engagement ring. Instead, he'd gone on about how their relationship could benefit both of them. She hadn't addressed the matter with Grant when she ended their relationship, because their parents were such good friends, and she hadn't wanted to make things any more awkward than they were. Ivy's wedding had been the first time she mentioned it. Rather than refute her claim or go on about how they'd both benefit, he'd again come back with his standard “we belong together” line. Although their verbal responses differed, neither had been upset with her. Duncan was another story.
His disappointment and anger had been almost tangible. But was he upset because she'd figured out the truth, or because she had hurt him?
Last night when they'd made love, it had felt like more than a physical act. They'd seemed connected, as if they belonged together. She'd never experienced anything like it with anyone else. Then tonight, she'd seen the pain in his eyes.
Had she imagined the connection last night? Was Duncan as good an actor as his cousin? Or had she let Grant's words get to her and made a colossal mistake?
Answers to all three questions eluded her.
“If he cared, he would've tried harder to convince me I was wrong.” But, even as she said the words, a counterargument formed.
What else could he have said that would've changed my mind?
Tory added it to her other unanswered questions. Ones she wouldn't answer tonight. Or maybe ever.
Leaning her head against the sofa, Tory wished she'd never taken Ivy's suggestion. Hell, she wished she'd never purchased the ticket and attended the stupid auction in the first place.
SEVENTEEN
Friday night,Tory stared into her tea. All week she'd focused on work, and when she wasn't doing that, she was on the computer either shopping for presents for the upcoming holiday or looking at various decorating sites for ideas. Her efforts had paid off, and she'd kept thoughts of Duncan at bay.
Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. She'd managed not to dwell on him all day long. But, at night, in her dreams, it had been a different story.
She had been successful in avoiding him, though. Of course, it helped that she'd worked from home three of the past five days, allowing herself to stay safely tucked away in her home office much of the week. She’d also avoided the gym and the pool just in case Duncan went down there.
But now she had nothing to distract her. If Leah or Ivy lived closer, she’d see if they wanted to get together. She’d already called Sienna, but she had plans with her sister tonight. She’d briefly considered calling her cousin Courtney, but she didn’t feel like driving to Providence, leaving her with nothing to do but stare into her tea while reminding herself that thinking about Duncan was pointless.
Ever since she’d left his condo, whenever she received a text message or the phone rang, she picked up the device, expecting to see his name. Each time it wasn’t him, disappointment struck, followed by the resolve that she'd made the right decision last weekend because his silence spoke volumes. He would've called or stopped by her place if he cared.
While her and Duncan's relationship had turned into a disaster, it had brought about one positive thing. Grant hadn't reached out to her even once. Whether that meant he'd accepted they weren't getting back together finally or he was just waiting until he knew she was single again, Tory didn't know. But since she was no longer seeing her parents next week, it would be a little while before Grant found out she and Duncan were no longer together.
She loved her parents, but it had been music to her ears when she learned their plans had changed. Now she could hold off until at least Christmas to tell them.
Tory drank the last of her lukewarm tea and stood. Hot tea might not solve her problems or ease the pain in her chest, but it didn't cause any new ones either. Plus, it sometimes helped her relax. She'd ingested a lot of tea this week. And while the first cup hadn't helped, maybe a second would do the trick tonight, because she desperately needed to relax.
The sound of wind chimes stopped her in the hallway. Like every other time she heard the sound this week, her heart stopped. Backtracking, she picked up her phone. When she saw the name Ivy on the screen, sadness and disappointment hit her like an eighteen-wheeler going a hundred miles an hour.
He hadn’t called in almost a week. So why would he call now?
“Hey, Ivy.” Tory headed back toward the kitchen. “How was the honeymoon?”
She didn’t want to hear about Ivy and Preston’s honeymoon right now, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to say since they hadn’t spoken since the wedding.
“Fabulous. We didn’t want to come home. Preston and I are already talking about going back in April.”
Preston and Ivy traveled more than any of her other friends, so it did not surprise her there were already planning another getaway. However, their destination and when they planned to go was unexpected. They’d just spent two and a half weeks in Puerto Rico. She couldn't recall them ever visiting the same location twice in a year.
“Is the annual Nelson gathering not happening this year?”
For as long as Tory had known her, Ivy traveled to Florida for the Nelson family get-together in April.