Rebuilding Valley View (Valley View Book #4)

Chapter 25

I don’t want to believe that anything Dean said was true. I told myself that Tyler just misheard the conversation and needed some time to cool off. Tyler wasn’t like any other guy I had been with. He liked me, he felt a lot for me and I know that he wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him. Even when he didn’t return my calls or texts that night and even when he didn’t show up for our standing Friday night date, I tried to hold out that belief in him, even though it was getting even harder.

As much as I wanted to just let things be and make him contact me, I couldn’t resist sending him another message on Saturday. I just said hey, nothing big one way or another. Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday went by without a reply. I decided then that I was giving up on trying to reach out to him. If he wanted to talk to me, the ball was in his court. That Monday I was going to go to the diner for lunch, but when I drove by his truck was there. I chickened out and drove all the way to Harlington and went to the cafe instead.

I stopped by Holly’s bakery after I had lunch and she sat in the back and talked to me. By talking to me I mean she let me cry my eyes out and rubbed my back, telling me that everything would eventually be okay. I wanted to believe her, but before I knew it, it was Friday night again and Tyler was a no-show again. Tiff called me on Monday morning and invited me to breakfast with her and Mason. We went to the diner, she promised it would be safe. I guess Jimmy and Tyler were working out of town all day and wouldn’t be back until dinner time.

Candy sat with us and just when I thought I had no more tears left to cry, I broke down in front of the two of them. Candy was about ready to pick up the phone to call Tyler and ask him what was going on, but I begged her not to. 

Wednesday I drove out to the site to do a general check of things. I text Taryn to see if I could stop by since I was all the way out there and she seemed really happy to see me. She’s only three weeks from her due date now. She said that she’s considered full term so it could be any moment now.

I was trying to remember what Les looked like when she was that far along and I swear she was twice the size, not in the belly, but all around. Taryn looks like she’s all belly, she commented that she’s going to miss her pregnancy boobs, so I guess they must have grown too, but I have only known her while she was pregnant.

Taryn mostly avoided the Tyler topic, but as I was getting ready to go she had mentioned that she thinks Tyler will call soon because he looked miserable Sunday at dinner. I believed her, I had faith he’d call, but he didn’t.

Two more weeks passed as slow as a snail’s pace. Although the girls kept checking on me and making sure to include me in things, I still felt alone and I didn’t feel like I had anybody to really reach out to. I couldn’t talk to Dean because he would just say, “I told you so.” Quinn wouldn’t understand and he’d probably tell Dean which means we’d be back to square one. The girls have been great, but they’re related to Tyler and I’m sure at the end of the day that is where their loyalties lie.

I decided to not let another Friday night go by that I sit at home and feel sorry for myself. If I stay here I am just going to stare at the couch and wish Tyler was here. So instead I decided to head down to The Watering Hole. If nothing else I can get out of the house and have a few drinks.

Every time I had been there everybody was having a good time and the dance floor was hopping. I could at least let loose a little bit and maybe for a few hours forget that my heart was torn into two and thrown on the ground. I’m not trying to impress anybody, I just put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It is cold as hell, but I grab my big winter coat and boots and make the walk to the bar. I head right to the bar and see that Lily is working.