“’Night.” Again, I willed him to kiss me, wanting desperately to taste his lips for just a minute. His face lingered close for a bit. I thought he might cave. But he stepped back.
I took that as my cue, making my way outside and slipping into my parents’ backseat.
I glanced over my shoulder as we pulled away. Thayer stood in the doorway watching as the car got further and further away. The pit in my stomach was one I’d created. And, I was the one who could do something about it.
19
GISELLE
I lay awake in bed for a long time thinking about the events of the night. Was Thayer crazy? Bursting into the women’s room like that. Asking me to move in with him and my brother like that would ever happen. I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t love his attention. I mean, he looked damn good on stage staring at me as he quietly let my brother do his thing. Unfortunately, he was currently back at home with the women’s Canadian snowboard team.
I grabbed my phone from my nightstand. Despite Thayer’s current situation, I knew what I needed to do. My fingers began texting.
I know I should be doing this in person, but I feel like I need to get this off my chest. I owe you so much for all you’ve done for me. You gave me my career. You gave me a place to live. You gave me your love.
I paused, urging myself on.
I hope you don’t think I haven’t thought about this, because I have. I think
Just say it, Giselle.
The cursor continued blinking, taunting me with the expectation of what needed to come next. I flipped the phone face down on my stomach and considered how I should say it. I think it’s time we break up. I think we’ve grown apart. I think you care more about your work than me. I think we just don’t make sense anymore. I think I love someone else.
My phone vibrated. I flipped it over and found a text above my unfinished text to Gino.
Thayer
Open your window.
My heartbeat quickened. I placed my phone on the nightstand and crawled out of bed. I hurried to the window and threw back the curtains, expecting to find Thayer standing down below on the driveway. But, he wasn’t there. Hoping to get a better view, I unlocked the window and pushed it open. When I poked my head outside, I found Thayer somehow balancing on top of the garage with his fingers gripping my windowsill.
“Hey,” he said, like it was normal to be scaling my house.
“You’re gonna fall,” I whispered.
He pulled himself up like it was nothing. I stepped back as he climbed through my window. “Do you know how many times Kason and I snuck in this window while you were away at college?” he said, closing the window behind him.
“Yeah, well, we didn’t have alarms and cameras back then,” I said.
“Fuck,” he cursed.
“Nothing’s ringing yet.”
He walked around my room, inspecting the photos on my dresser and flipping over the one of Gino and me so it lay face down. Something about the jealous act sent my stomach flipping.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well…I saw the look in your eyes when Kason danced with Shay tonight.”
I narrowed my gaze. “What look?”
“The one that told me you would’ve liked to dance too.”
“So, why didn’t you ask me to dance?”
He cocked his head to the side. “What would you have said?”
“Probably no.”