Flawed Perfection (Beautifully Flawed, #1)

Chapter Forty One

A few hours after Adam and I arrived home Tara texted me she did indeed have a concussion. She hadn't said much else to me, and I wondered if she was as mad at me as I was. On Tuesday, two days after the disastrous volleyball game, she still hadn't spoken to me. I looked for her when I got into work, but she was nowhere in sight. I distracted myself in with my daily tasks as I worried about how she was feeling and why she was ignoring me.

I sat staring at the different font options I had up for the branding plan for yet another company when a knock came at the door.

"Can I come in?" Tara asked as I turned and looked over my shoulder at her.

"Sure," I replied as I took her in. She was dressed more casually than usual in black slacks, a white pinstripe button-up and ballet flats. The white of the shirt didn't help the pallor of her face. She sat down in the chair slowly.

"Saturday—" she began.

"Look, Tara, I'm so sorry that happened. Adam didn't mean for you to get hurt," I said.

She smiled softly as she sighed. "It's not really Adam's fault. Bobby was being an ass, we all know that."

"Still, he feels awful, and so do I. I should've—"

"Warned me? I've known for years there was a feud between the two of them over you. It didn't stop me from sleeping with Bobby, or falling head over heels for him," she said, pausing to shake her head at my open mouth so I wouldn't interrupt. "I knew exactly what I was getting into, Riv. I'm stubborn—so is Bobby. I know he cares about me, and I can't pretend I know what's going on in his head about you, but I do know he cares about me. That's enough, River, whether or not you agree with it."

"I just want you to be happy," I replied, my eyes falling to my keyboard before they met hers. "I don't want Bobby to hurt you, especially not because of me."

"You took a risk with Adam, didn't you?" Tara asked, her eyes obstinate as she locked them on mine.

I smiled and nodded.

"I took a risk with Bobby. It's a risk staying with him, but I think it's worth it. I can't go back now, Riv. I really do love him. I've been in god knows how many relationships, and not one of them have been serious—you know that. You have to admit this one is different."

"Yeah," I said.

"I need you to tell me the truth when I ask you this. Do you think it's different for Bobby too?"

I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. I knew it was. The way they looked at each other and tolerated one another's flaws showed they did love each other. There would be no other explanation for dealing with someone's shit than that. You love them all the more for it, even if they drive you crazy.

"I've never seen him so torn before," I said.

She got up and leaned over to squeeze my hands. "Then let's hope that means this is different. Maybe we can all be happy then."