Page 67 of Blame it on the Kiss
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Honor watched Bryce leave and guilt chewed up her insides all over again. She wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong, but hurt had been written all over his face and she hated herself for putting it there.That’s what you do, you bring pain.
“That was him, huh?” Mary said.
“Yes.”
“There’s something going—”
“Yes.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
Mary took her hand and led her to the window seat. “It’s okay, you know.” Honor kept her eyes on their entwined hands. It wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. “Sometimes what’s meant to be happens from loss.”
Honor lifted her head. “You really think so?”
“I do. And I’ll tell you why. This store for one.” Mary scanned the space. “It’s coming along beautifully.”
“Thanks. I’ve named it Driftwood.”
“That’s a fabulous name. I remember you and Payton making huts with it when you were little.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She’s looking down on you, you know. With a smile and appreciation for keeping her in your thoughts.”
“I think about her every day,” Honor said softly. “How have you been?”
“Every day gets easier.” Mary glanced down, gave Honor’s hand a squeeze and then let go. “You got the tattoo.”
Honor rubbed her finger across the ink. The way Mary said,the tattoo, raised goose bumps on Honor’s skin. “Yes?”
Mary chuckled. “You always wanted one. You don’t remember? It was Ally’s Sweet Sixteen, I think, and you and Payton got Henna tattoos. Pay hated hers, but you loved yours and told your mother that you were going to get a real tattoo before you turned twenty-five.”
A rush of memories flooded Honor. She’d forgotten all about that. “And Mom said she’d go with me if I was worried about the needle.” She thought about Bryce and how he’d been there for her with his supportive touch and playful word game.
“I guess you did okay.”
More than okay. Honor gave a small nod.
“Have you crossed everything off your list?”
Honor froze. “What?”
Mary took a deep breath. “I’m here to make a confession. The list Payton wrote was for you.”
“I don’t understand.” Honor stood and wrapped her arms around herself. Mary knew about the list?
“I don’t know everything Pay put on it because she wanted to keep some things private, but the list wasn’t about her like she told you. She made me promise to come see you before your birthday and tell you that.”
The temperature in the room shot up a hundred degrees, and quite possibly the walls were actually closing in. “What are you saying?”
Mary got to her feet. “Payton was dying and she wanted you to live, Honor. She’d watched you close yourself off since breaking up with Lance and she hoped this would be a way for you to reclaim some of your old self. She wanted you to rediscover you could see things through. You’ve always deserved success, Honor, you just wouldn’t let yourself believe it.”
Mary put her hand on Honor’s arm. “And she knew you wouldn’t do it for yourself. But that you’d do it for her. So she fibbed a little.”
