He Said I Was Slow to Commit While He Was Slow to Tell Me About Her Chapter 14

He Said I Was Slow to Commit While He Was Slow to Tell Me About Her Chapter 14

That evening, I came home and heard voices in the living room.

I took off my shoes and walked in.

Garrett was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee.

When he saw me, surprise crossed his face.

Then he smiled as if nothing had changed.

“You’re back.”

My parents sat nearby, both looking uncomfortable.

Our families had been close for more than twenty years. Garrett had grown up in and out of this

house.

My parents could not quite bring themselves to throw him out.

“Mm.”

I set down my bag and sat across from him.

Garrett put his cup on the coffee table.

“Avery, I came to take you home. We’ve been apart this long. You haven’t missed me at all?”

I looked at him.

He still wore the same expression, the one that said he could not imagine a version of my life that did not circle back to him.

I stood.

“Let’s walk.”

He followed me outside.

I spoke first.

“Don’t come here anymore. My parents are too polite to ask you to leave.”

“Avery.”

I raised it over my head.

“Avery, don’t…”

I let go.

The mug hit the pavement and broke into pieces.

“I’m not going back.”

Garrett grabbed my arm again, furious.

“Why? Are you angry because I didn’t come get you sooner? I was busy. And you blocked me, which,

made me angry too.”

“There’s no why.”

I cut him off.

He went silent for two seconds.

Then his tone changed.

“Did Stella say something to you? You don’t have to listen to her.”

“She didn’t say anything.”

“Then how…”

I looked straight at him.

“Garrett, whatever is happening between you and Stella has nothing to do with me.”

He froze.

Under the streetlight, his eyes looked as bright as they had years ago whenever he said, with complete certainty, that I was the only woman he would ever want.

Then he smiled.

“Now I know for sure. You’re jealous.”

He sounded relieved, as if jealousy meant I still belonged to him.

“Go pack your things. I’m taking you home.”

I stepped back.

“I have something important tomorrow.”

His smile faded.

He studied me for a few seconds, then finally gave in.

“Fine. When you’re done, I’ll come get you. But you better not…”

A bike courier came around the corner too fast.

Garrett pulled me back on instinct.

I lost my balance and hit my knee against the concrete edge of a planter.

Pain shot through my leg.

The fabric of my pants tore, and a small scrape was already darkening beneath it.

“Watch where you’re going!”

Garrett shouted after the cyclist, then crouched beside me.

His brow tightened.

“I’m taking you to urgent care.”

He had barely stood when his phone buzzed.

He looked at the screen and hesitated.

The name “Star” flashed there.

He did not answer, but the conflict on his face was obvious.

“There’s an urgent care two blocks from here,” I said. “I’ll take an Uber.”

Garrett looked at me, phone still in his hand.

Then he clenched his jaw.

“Be careful. Text me after someone looks at it.”

I nodded.

He called a car and opened the back door for me.

His phone rang again.

This time he answered.

“What’s wrong? Don’t cry. Slow down.”

The door closed.

From the back seat, I watched him stand on the sidewalk with his head tilted toward the phone.

His attention was already somewhere else.

I looked down at my knee.

It was swollen and stiff, but I could still walk.

I let out a breath.

As long as it would not affect tomorrow’s wedding, that was all that mattered.