But it’s still hard to believe that Poppy truly ever wanted to be with me. And it’s agonizing to think that she doesn’t know what to think about me now that I wasn’t honest with her.
“I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” I mumble.
“I’m trying to look out for you, that’s all. Women like Poppy”—Tricia clicks her tongue—“they breeze into town, make swooping changes, charm the pants off of everyone and their mother, but then they’re gone again before the dust settles. I mean, she bounced from Holland to you, right? Didn’t you find that odd? She was using you.”
I grind my jaw, but it doesn’t stop my stomach from lurching. I don’t believe that about Poppy. Irefuseto believe that about Poppy.
Tricia is watching me, and I know she sees my insecurities plastered all across my face. After all, we dated for several years. She knows the complex I have about never being good enough. She reaches out and pats me on the arm. Her contact turns my blood to ice.
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
With that, she turns on her heel and strides away.
She gets in two steps before I come to my senses, all sorts of thoughts and feelings and emotions cascading to the surface and pressing against my mouth. “Tricia, wait a minute.”
She turns and raises a sculpted brow.
“You hurt me,” I say.
She opens her mouth, an uncertain glow flickering in her eyes, but I hold up my hand. I need to say this.
“All those years ago, when you cheated on me, you hurt me.”
“Please don’t.” She darts her head around, apparently still terrified that someone will find out her secret.
“I’m not going to out you, but I want you to hear me out. You hurt me when you cheated. You hurt me when you drug my reputation through the mud. When you lied about me to everyone I care about. I never understood why, when all I’d ever done was try to protect you.”
Tricia is dangerously close to tears. I hate making women cry, but I can’t bring myself to stop now.
“I was hurt. By you. All those years ago. And I let myself keep being hurt because I didn’t think I deserved anything better.” I steady my breathing. “Until Poppy,” I add. “So yeah, I’m going to hang the twinkle lights, and I’m going to make this spot gorgeous because she wanted it like that. You don’t have to worry about her hurting me, Tricia. Take those concerns elsewhere. Because Poppy Kasper does the opposite of cause me pain. I’d hang the moon for her if that’s what she asked. I’d rearrange every single star in the sky for her.”
Tricia is slack-jawed and staring back at me.
My chest heaves.
That felt good.
“That’s all,” I say. “You can go now.”
She blinks. “Um, okay. Right. Whatever.”
She stalks off.
I shake my head and am about to get started restringing lights when a slow, golf clap breaks out from the tree line. I squint into the dusky night as a figure approaches.
“Holland?”
“The one and only.” He steps in front of me. “Bring it in, man.” He pulls me into a bro embrace, slapping me on the back. I wait for him to release me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he squishes me firmly into a full-fledged hug. It’s a little awkward because I’m holding this string of lights, but I manage to get my arms out and around him and hug him back.
Eventually, he pulls away.
I release the breath I was holding, but I suck it right back in when my eyes catch on Collin.
He steps out of the shadows behind Holland, and from his stunned expression, I know in an instant they both overheard my conversation with Collin’s sister.
“Tricia cheated on you?”
“Collin, I—”
