Tell Me Something (The "Something" Series Book 1) by Aubrey Bondurant Page A

but it isn’t always as simple as that. You lost both your parents at a very pivotal time in your life—”
    It was easier to keep a handle on my emotions when I wasn’t getting sympathy. “Josh, I appreciate what you’re trying to say, but I don’t need you to try to psychoanalyze me anymore than you’d want me doing it to you. I’m not saying I won’t have moments where I’m sad about things because I know I will, but this is something I need to do for myself. No one else can help me with it.”
    “All right. I won’t say anymore. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things and if this works for you, then I’ll respect that.”
    “Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief that this conversation was over.
    “Haylee, I don’t want to get married again, ever, or have children. I walked away in Mexico because I don’t want to hurt you. I should have been resilient enough to have let you go to your room and not used the key, but instead I called Mark and—”
    Putting my finger to his lips, I confessed, “I’m really glad that you called Mark. And I’m glad we’re clear on what it is you want and don’t want. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to get married someday and have kids, and I mean plural because being an only child when you lose your parents sucks. But before doing any of that, I want to go to law school, get a job, and settle somewhere—which means I don’t want a long-term relationship to derail that plan in the meantime.” At this point in my life just the thought of anything long-term petrified me. This was not a complication I was ready to deal with at this point in my life.
    “So we figure this out until you leave for school next fall?”
    “Considering we both want different things and are heading in separate directions, I think it would be good to have an expiration date up front.” In my mind, I reasoned it would be nice to know when something was going to end as opposed to having the rug dragged out from under me. Losing both parents had taught me that nothing was for certain and time went by in the snap of a finger.
    Drawing back, he stroked his thumbs under my eyes and wiped away the residual tears. “I need to catch a plane to Hong Kong.”
    Frowning, I got up from the couch only to be pulled back down.
    “I needed some time by myself to process,” he maintained, searching my eyes.
    I knew I wasn’t hiding the fact that I was upset very well. “How’s that working out for you?” Considering he had essentially followed me here, I think it went without saying that he was a walking contradiction.
    “Look, it wasn’t personal.”
    Rolling my eyes, I felt all of the anger from this morning return. “It sure as hell felt personal that after a night of your face in my hooha, the next thing I have is a note saying you’re leaving me in Mexico.”
    The corners of his mouth twitched. “Hooha?”
    My gaze narrowed. “That would be what you take from that sentence. Bottom line is you hired me to be your travel secretary while Nigel is unable to do so. Then you leave me to do the walk of shame back into the office. What was I supposed to tell Nigel? What was I supposed to think? It sure as hell felt personal.”
    “What is a walk of shame?”
    Looking closely I realized he wasn’t kidding. I got up, and took a deep breath. “Google it. I’m not going to take the time to explain it as you have a flight to catch. I’ll see you back in New York.”
    “All right, maybe I will google hooha, too, while I’m at it,” he smirked, pulling out his phone.
    I busied myself gathering two of the hard sided suitcases I’d seen in the back and packing them with several coats and a couple more of my mother’s gowns to include her wedding dress. I don’t know why I wanted it with me, but it just made me feel better to have it in my possession. I finished up and found him still engrossed in his phone.
    “All right, according to the urban dictionary, a hooha is also known