“Can’t you just change it?”
“No. It’s all set up.”
“What’s the big deal? You call the client and tell them you hadan emergency, push the appointment back, and come with me to look at thishouse.” Nina’s voice took on a whiny edge that annoyed Casey.
“It’s an engagement session, and they’re waiting on the photos tomake the official announcement. I’m not going to flake out on them at the lastminute.”
Nina huffed and practically stomped across the room. “If I’m nottaking a backseat to Jacqueline’s family, it’s your job.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re right. It’s not fair to me.”
“You know how much of my business depends on word of mouth. Ifone client isn’t happy with me it can cost me future business. You can’tseriously think it’s okay for me to call them tonight and cancel their sessionin the morning.”
“What’s really going on, Casey? You’re barely able to make timeto look at houses—”
“I can’t always change my schedule to accommodate you—”
“Why not? You’ve managed to change it more times than I can countthis past month in order to accommodate Jacqueline and Teddy. And when you doagree to look at listings with me, you find something wrong with every one. Doyou even wantto move in with me?” Nina planted her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing withanger.
Casey stared at her, her brain screaming at her to answer, butshe couldn’t force out the words she knew Nina wanted to hear. She couldn’tsummon the energy to argue. She’d spent the last several hours staring at acomputer screen and had been looking forward to a nice, relaxing dinner. Theguilt chewing up her stomach urged her to placate Nina—that maybe she owed herthat. But the realization that remorse might be her only motivator stopped thewords from coming. “Can we not do this now? I’m exhausted.”
“Yes, because every minute that you’re not working, you’re takingcare of Teddy. He’s not even your father.”
“Wow.”
“Oh, don’t be so sensitive. You know what I mean.”
“He’s still my family.” As Nina came back across the room, Caseysurged out of her chair and maintained some distance between them.
“No. He’s Sean’s family. Sean is a grown man.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Here we go again. Because I haven’t raised a child, I can’tunderstand your family dynamic. Maybe the problem is not that I don’t understand, butthat I do—a little too well.”
“What does that mean?”
“Teddy is also Jacqueline’s family. And as long as he’s in yourlife, you’re still connected to her.”
“That’s what you think?” She tried to shove aside the littlevoice calling her a hypocrite. Jacqueline had kissed her. She’d stopped it. She hadn’t betrayedher relationship with Nina—exactly.
“Yes. And more than that, I think you want it that way.”
Casey drew in a deep breath, fighting her instinctive bitingresponse to Nina’s statement. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I said Idon’t want to do this now. If you want to talk about this again later—”
“No. I don’t think I do.” Nina’s voice was flat and Casey lookedup at her, surprised that she might let this argument go so easily.
“Good. Because it’s silly to think that—”
“You don’t understand. I don’t want to talk about this, oranything else, again.”
“What?” Casey let her irritation lace her voice.
“God, I can’t believe this. I’ve just wasted a year and a half onsomeone who was never planning to commit.”
The impact of her words flipped a switch in Casey, injecting herfatigue with anger instead. “Is this where you manipulate me into begging youto stay with me? Because if that’s your plan, you’re going to be disappointedin where this goes.” She was being a bitch—she knew that. But she couldn’t findthe compassion she knew Nina wanted.
“We’re supposed to be moving in together. Is it so wrong that Iwant to know that you would choose me over them?” Her expression of shockconfirmed that she’d expected Casey to protest when she issued her threat. But,like Casey, she seemed unable to back down now.
“It’s wrong that you would ask me to choose you over my son.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I think it was. You’ve never wanted to share me with my family.”
“Teddy is not—”
“Please, do not say that again.”
“I want to be in a relationship where I come first for the personI’m with.”
“Sean will always come first. I’ve never made a secret of that.”Ironically, she knew how Nina felt. She knew how crushing it was to hand yourheart to someone who could never make you their first priority.
“And I could deal with that. But now I’m taking a backseat toTeddy. And Jacqueline—for God’s sake, Teddy is a grown-up. Why do you have toreport in to Jacqueline every night?”
“I haven’t—”
“I think you still have feelings for her.”
Casey laughed harshly. The only feelings she’d had for Jacquelinelately were frustration and anger. Even as she thought it, she knew it was alie. But she owed Nina a bigger truth, anyway. “We were together for thirteenyears. I will always care about her.” She took Nina’s hands in hers, searchingfor the emotions she thought she’d been certain of before this argument. “ButI’m in love with you.”
“Are you?”
“Of course.”
“Then why can you find time to take care of Teddy and have lunchover there every day, but you won’t make time to see a house with me? The womanyou’re in love with and supposedly want to live with.” Nina’s voice roseincrementally both in volume and pitch, and she yanked her hands away at theend as if emphasizing her point.
Casey didn’t reach for her again.
Nina nodded, seeming defeated. “I’ll come back later for thethings out of my drawer.”She drove home the truth with that one word. Casey hadn’t really been able tocommit to her for more than a drawer in her dresser.
After Nina stormed out, Casey played the conversation back in herhead. Nina’s ultimatum felt vaguely like the one Casey had given Jacqueline allthose years ago. She’d pushed Jacqueline, expecting her to cave and drawcloser, and had been surprised when Jacqueline had seemed able to walk away.But she’d just given Nina the same response—because
