“It’s fine, Remi. I just thought this was something that it’s not.”
He thought about that for a moment. “What, this? Us? Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah. But it’s fine. I understand.”
Remi guided the car to a stop on the side of the road, put it in park and turned toward Bailey, who was now looking back and forth between the darkened night, the trees and shadows, and Remi.
“I’m genuinely sorry, Bailey. I don’t know what I did, but it obviously affected you so much so that you’ve pulled away from me. That’s nothing I ever wanted.”
Bailey seemed to sink lower into her seat as she stared ahead. “I’m not angry with you, Remi. I have no right to be. Just disappointed, and a little confused.”
“Over what, Bailey?! I’m still sitting over here running over the evening in my head, trying to figure out what I did.”
She turned her head to look at him, focusing in on his eyes, looking into his as intently as he looked into hers. “You really have no clue, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” he said, shaking his head.
She laughed softly, shaking her own head as she looked forward through the windshield again. “That makes it even worse. You’re not even aware.”
“Bailey…”
She looked his way again, her patience now about to be stretched to its limit. “I’ve tried to speak to you since the reception started. Nothing special, just chit chat like we usually do. But you haven’t heard anything I’ve said for the last three hours or so.”
He kind of jerked his head back as he reacted to her statement, thinking it was ridiculous. “I’ve heard you. We’ve been talking.”
“Not unless I spoke your name repeatedly, or asked Tempest to get your attention. And she had to call your name sharply to get you to look our way.”
“I don’t remember that. I’m not saying you’re exaggerating, but I don’t remember a single instance of that. I’d never treat you that way, you mean too much to me to not be my focus when we’re together.”
“I thought so, too. That’s where the disappointment comes in.”
Clearly flustered, he looked around a few times as though he was searching for anything else that could contribute to his defense. Finally he reached for the shifter to put the car in drive so they could continue on their way, but at the last second, he pulled his hand back. “Okay, so if you’re so sure that I wasn’t paying attention to you — ALL EVENING — then what was I doing instead?”
Bailey smiled sadly at him. “Staring at Cristie.”
“That’s crazy! I was just surprised to see her, I had no idea she’d be coming in with her parents for the wedding. That’s all.”
“And I get that. I do. But when it went on for three hours, no matter what she was doing, who she was speaking to, where she was standing, and no one could get your attention without an unreasonable amount of effort to break the concentration you watched her with, I decided that it was best for me to just go and give you the freedom to do whatever it was you felt drawn to do.”
He opened his mouth a few times, but closed it again before any words at all came out. He knew he’d been a little distracted with Cristie, but still doubted that it had been as obvious, or intrusive even, as Bailey said. “I think maybe you’re being a little sensitive. Yeah, I was surprised and glad to see her, but I don’t think it’s as over the top as you’re saying. But I get it. I should have been more attentive. I’m sorry I made you feel like I wasn’t paying attention to you. I was wrong for anything I did to make you feel that way.”
“Thank you for saying so. But I’m not just being sensitive.”
“It’s okay if you were. I care about you, and if I felt like you were focused on another guy instead of me, I’d be more than a little put out myself. It’s okay.”
“I’m not put out, Remi. I’m just making some realizations.”
“Then add this to your realizations… I’ve never felt about anybody the way I do you. I’ve had a thing for you for a long time. Do you really think I’m incapable of making my own coffeeand breakfast? I come in to the shop every single day, and have for more than a year, because I want to see you. I wake up thinking about you, and it makes me smile. I really honestly care about you.”
“You weren’t behaving like it today. If you’d told me this yesterday, I’d have been over the moon. Today, I think maybe you’re not in touch with what’s shifted inside you. Something has, and honestly I’d rather it happen now than before this goes any further.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” Remi asked, growing more upset.
She hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure what I’m doing. I just know that something’s different than it was. Maybe you honestly don’t see it.”
“I think you don’t see what’s right in front of you. I…” he’d meant to declare his love for her, but found that he couldn’t make the words come out. “I…”
Bailey watched his face as he struggled to express himself, almost certain he was trying to say ‘I love you’, but just couldn’t make himself do it.
