Rejected

• NINETEEN •

I followed Elise into her house, I found her husband was beginning to cook breakfast.

"I brought a guest a with me." She sounded upon our entry.

"I'm fine with that as long as you brought the chocolate chips and whipped cream." He replied.

"Kinky." I teased Elise.

She shook her head. "They're for the pancakes you shithead."

I smiled, Vance came over and gave me a one armed hug before stopping to kiss Elise. I was glad that Ellie had a great partner in Vance, I remember when they had hit their rough patch it was kind of touch and go for a little while... but I'm glad they were able to put all of that behind them.

I asked if they needed any help but Vance declined...Elise on the other hand directed us to the island so she could watch her husband cook and we could talk, so I took a seat on one of the tall bar stools and just looked at her as I knew she wanted to only talk about one thing...or person in particular.

"That outfit looks strangely familiar." Elise commented knowingly.

I simply shrugged no point in hiding anything with her, "it's Patrick's."

Vance shook his head but remained silent.

"And the drop off this morning...the remanants of your little booty call?"

"We had some fun last night and that's it." I countered openly.

"But that's not it and we both know it...you let him stay the night, Mariah you've never let anyone other than H and I stay the night at your place and even at that you always made us stay in the guest room...something tells me he didn't stay in the guest room."

I sighed, "we're still working shit out."

"What's there to work out?" Vance finally spoke up on the matter, "if you two are Mates and you enjoy being around each other...then just be with each other."

"It's a little more complicated than that."

He and Elise both shook their heads, "you're making it complicated." Elise put in."

"Do you like him?" Vance asked.

"I mean...-"

"It's a yes or no answer kiddo." He cut me off.

"Y-yeah...uh yes."

He smiled, "and we all know he likes you...to be honest, I think you're psyching yourself out." He said, "now I don't know much about your personal life but it seems like you aren't use to a sure thing, and kiddo I can't promise that there won't be hard choices and difficult moments but trust me when I say that, that shit isn't nearly as important as all the good times..." He said and smiled, "all the laughs, the adventures, the memories, those lazy Sunday mornings when you roll out of bed at 10 in the morning to make chocolate chip pancakes." He said, this time with a wink only for Elise.

I smiled at their loving little moment.

"I do want those things with him." I finally admitted out loud. "But what if everything goes bad, what if our pasts ruin our future?"

He shrugged and this time Elise was the one who spoke up.

"Ry, life is full of 'what if's'...but do you really want to live a life filled with 'I should have' constantly on your mind?"

I looked at the both of them, they were right.

I was the only reason Patrick and I wouldn't be able to go forward.

"There's also that little situation of Harper basically hating him."

Elise made a face, "H is entitled to her own opinions, and I know she has a valid reason for not liking him, but at the end of the day a relationship is between two people, fuck what everyone else thinks or has to say."