Till Summer Do Us Part(119)

“I can see by the surprise in your expression that I might have just hit the nail on the head.” He claps his hands for the ball, and I toss it to him. “You need to speak with your brother, because if you want a shot with Scottie, that relationship needs to be resolved. Chances are he doesn’t want the emotional commitment you’ve enveloped him with.”

“True. I hadn’t thought about it like that. He was bullied as a kid, and I guess I just wanted him to feel secure in himself. He…he wanted to cut out of life early after Dad died, if you get what I’m saying.” I grimace, hating that I’ve just shared something so personal about Mika.

“That would have been extremely traumatic to walk through for the both of you. And now? Where do you think he is emotionally? Does he still need you as his crutch?”

“Well, he’s my brother, so I’ll always prioritize his emotional health.”

He tosses me the ball, and I catch it. “Commendable, but maybe a conversation needs to be had there.”

“Yeah, probably,” I say.

“And then what will you do if there is no need for you to be his emotional guard dog?”

“I, uh…” I drag my hand over my jaw. “I need to think some more.”

“Well, do that. Decide if you’re all in. And if you are, be as honest as you have been while at camp, because your honesty helped Scottie find hers.”

Huh. That’s a good thought to take away.

“You’re right.”

“I know I am.” He smirks, lightening the tension.

I stare at him for a second and then ask, “Why all the sports stuff? Do you really think marriage is like a team sport?”

He chuckles. “Sure, you can look at it that way. You can also see it as something that eases anxiety for some people who might be against a traditional therapy session. It also takes people’s minds off speaking the truth and relaxes them more. Also keeps me busy and entertained. There are many reasons for it, and they all seem to work. They don’t call me the best for no reason. Hell, I was able to bring two people who didn’t even know each other together.”

I laugh. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”

“I’m right about a lot of things,” Sanders says with some cockiness.

“And the clothes?” I ask nodding to his attire.

He glances down at his outfit and then back up at me. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Dude.” I eye him.

“Your point?”

I shake my head. “Never mind.”





At this point, heading to the cabin to talk to Scottie and tell her to come home with me is not going to happen. She has her mind set on leaving, and if that’s what she wants to do, then I’m going to let her do that. What I need to do right now is reassure her.

I open up the cabin door and find her suitcase on the bed, and the sight of it makes my stomach turn. God, Sanders is right. How would I feel if she just ended things right here and now? I know I wouldn’t like it, not one bit, which means I need to have some conversations.

Scottie walks out of the bathroom with her toiletries but doesn’t look at me as she sticks them in her bag. She’s avoiding, and I can understand why. She’s been through a lot the last few hours. I’m sure she just wants to get the hell out of here.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Um, I think I got everything,” she says as she closes her suitcase and zips it up. She pulls the suitcase to the floor and then reaches for her purse. She stuffs a few things in there and then sets it on top of her suitcase.

“When is Denise going to be here?”

“Soon-ish, I think. She started driving when I called her, and she was actually up in New Rochelle for a job, so it worked out.”

“Good.” I stick my hands in my pockets. “Uh, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah, of course,” she answers.

I move over to the bed and take her hand, pulling her down to sit with me. I keep her hand in mine and rub my thumbs over her knuckles for a few seconds before I look her in the eyes. “I think you’re really brave,” I tell her, causing her to look down. I place my fingers under her chin and lift her gaze up so she has to look at me. “What you did back there, telling the truth and apologizing, that takes a lot of guts, and it’s something not a lot of adults can do. I’m really proud of you.”

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

“Which means I need to do the same.” I continue to stroke her hand. “I’m sorry for not answering the question back there properly. I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want to be in a position where I might hurt you, because you deserve to find the right person to make you happy, not bring you tears. Do I think I can be that person? I do,” I say with a nod. “But there is something I need to take care of first, and before I commit to you, I need to deal with that.”

“I understand completely.”

“But I need you to know something before you leave this cabin, okay?”

She nods.

“I need you to know that this is not goodbye. That when you get back to the city, I will most likely be at your doorstep, wanting to see you. Wanting to hang out. Just wanting to talk. I’ve grown accustomed to having you around, and I can’t just go without talking. How do you feel about that?”