The Way I Hate Him by Meghan Quinn

Author:Meghan Quinn [Quinn, Meghan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-31T18:30:00+00:00

“Uncle Ry Ry,” Mac says, tugging on his hand. “I think I had too much pie.” Ryland turns toward her where he’s sitting at the dining room table and places his hand on her belly.

“Are you full?” She nods.

“I feel sick.”

“I told you a third piece would have been too much.”

“But I needed to eat my piece and a piece for Chewy Charles and a piece for Mommy.”

“I understand,” Ryland says. “How about we rest you on the couch, and then we can make the cookies when you’re feeling better?”

“Can I watch a show?”

“Yes.” He glances at Aubree. “Can you help her out?”

Aubree stands, patting her stomach. “I could use the rest too.” Together, they walk off to the living room, leaving me alone with Ryland.

We didn’t mention anything about the early morning wake-up call when I arrived at the grave earlier. He explained to Mac that he ran into a door, and that’s why his face was bruised and he had a stitch above his eye. She asked him why on earth he would run into a door, and he told her it was because he wasn’t paying attention.

Meanwhile, I felt Aubree staring me down, not necessarily angry but confused. I think we’re all confused at this point. We were able to honor Cassidy. I silently sobbed as I watched Mac hug Cassidy’s gravestone for what seemed like forever, telling her how much she misses her. I thought my heart was shattering all over again. It’s not fair. This little girl needs her mommy. At the glass beach, Mac picked out a few stones for the collection she started with Cassidy. We then made grilled cheese sandwiches and had pie at the farm. It’s exactly what Cassidy would have wanted.

All the while, the awkwardness from this morning floats over us, and now that Mac is off in the living room with Aubree, I know it’s my time to talk to Ryland.

“Can we talk?” I ask him.

“Yeah,” he says, surprising me. I thought I’d have to work a little harder to get his attention. But I’m sure he’s emotionally exhausted and has no fight left in him. He looks so exhausted.

He stands from the table and brings the empty plates to the sink before nodding toward the back porch. Following him, I open the squeaky screen door and step out onto the small back porch with a view of the potato fields.

He sits in one of the white wicker chairs, and I take a seat in the other.

He doesn’t give me a chance to speak as he starts the conversation. “Are you seeing him?”

I shake my head. “No. But I’ll be honest, Ryland, it’s not from my lack of trying. He wouldn’t make a move. He’s told me no several times.”

He glances up at me. I can see anger in his expression, but there’s also heart-wrenching pain. This has been a weird day for him. “You were trying . . . given everything between me and Hayes?”

Yeah, this won’t be

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