“I care about you, so very much. I don’t want to lose you. Can we just accept that I made you feel unseen tonight, though I didn’t mean to. And that I’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen again?”
“Please just take me home, Remi. I’m not up for this right now.”
He sat there, not wanting to end the conversation and knowing that if he got back on the road, she’d shut down again, using him driving as an excuse to stop talking.
“I know you’re a good man. I know you’d never intentionally hurt anybody. I’m just tired and overwhelmed. I want to go home.”
“We’ll finish it tomorrow, okay?” he asked.
“It’s finished. I can’t imagine anything else that needs to be said. We both know how the other feels.”
“I am genuinely sorry I made you feel like you were being ignored.”
“I know. It’s clear you didn’t even know you were doing it.”
“So, I’m forgiven?” he asked, smiling that little boy smile that flashed his dimples.
“Sure.”
He reached for her hand, but she threaded her fingers together, letting her hands rest in her lap as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Remi’s smile slowly faded as he watched her pull even further away from him emotionally. But he put the car in drive and carefully pulled back onto the dark, two lane highway. Giving her the only thing she seemed to be open to accepting from him right now — a ride home.
“We’re going to be fine, Bailey. And you know? It’s probably a good thing we had this misunderstanding.”
“How’s that?” she asked.
“It reminds me that there are some things we should talk about before too much longer.”
“Like what?” she asked, her eyes still closed.
“Just family things. Everybody has skeletons in their family closets,” he said, laughing lightheartedly.
She didn’t open her eyes or respond, she was fairly certain that whatever family secrets he had to share, they wouldn’t have made a single difference in how she felt about him. Now, though, she was rethinking everything. Especially after the way he’d laser focused on Cristie. To her it was clear, it wasn’t even intentional on his part, he just couldn’t help it.
“And don’t think we’re not having breakfast tomorrow. I’ll be there, just like always. Gotta see my girl to start my day!” he said brightly.
Bailey tried to smile if for his benefit only, but he didn’t see it.
They drove quietly on to her apartment.
Remi pulled up in front of the coffee shop, closed up tight for the night and turned off the engine.
“I can get myself inside. No reason for you to get out of the car,” she said, trying to be as nice as she could, but her tone came across as exhausted.
“You have to go around the back of the building, and it’s nighttime. I’ll walk you.”
“It’s fine, Remi. It’s safe here. Thanks for getting me home. I’m sorry I took you away from your evening with your family.”
“Don’t be. You know it’s more important to see about you.”
“You should hurry back. I know y’all do your parties big at the bonfires.”
Remi grinned. “It’s going to be wild! Havoc and Analise are due a huge celebration. You sure you don’t want to come back with me?”
Bailey, now standing outside the car, shook her head. “Drive safe, Remi. Have fun.”
“Let me see you inside,” he said, opening his door.
