Too Hard To Choose

Chapter Twenty-Seven-He needs to back off.

Parker

I arrive home from work, and I am met by Arlo, and Tyson on the sofa.

“Hey.” I greet.

“Hey,” Arlo replies.

“Where is Violet? Shouldn’t she be home by now?”

It is strange she isn’t out here with the guys; she usually is.

“She has been hiding in her room since she arrived home,” Tyson sighs.

“Why? What happened? Did one of you upset her?” I ask, raising my brow.

Tyson shakes his head, “No, we ran into her ex at lunch. He said some things to her. She stood up for herself, but I think they bothered her even if she won’t admit it.”

“Why the f**k can’t he leave her alone? What did he say to her?” I ask.

Tyson told me what happened. It made me want to find her ex and punch him in the face.

“Can you see if she will talk to you and come through for some dinner? We tried, but it didn’t work.” Arlo sighs.

I can hear his concern for her. I thought if she had spoken to anyone, it would have been Arlo.

“I can try.”

I stop in the kitchen and get a bar of her favourite Lindor chocolate and one of her smoothies before I head through. I hate that her ex is still getting to her, and he isn’t even around. He better hope he doesn’t run into her when I am with her, because I won’t hesitate to punch him. Arlo and Tyson have better control than me. I can have a bit of a temper sometimes, but only if someone does something to hurt the people I care about, and I care for Violet.

I knock on her bedroom door and wait to be called in. She does only a second later. When I step in, she is cuddled under her covers, reading.

“Hey, beautiful.” I smile.

She glances up at me. She smiles back, but it isn’t her usual smile. She looks sad.

“Hi.” She whispers.

I stroll over and climb onto the bed next to her, “Please have these. The guys said you haven’t come out for dinner.”

Violet sighs and nods, “Thank you.”

She takes them from me but sets them aside. I can’t force her to eat them.

“Tyson filled me in on what happened at lunch,” I say softly.

“Yeah.” She sighs.

“Don’t let him get to you, sweetness. He isn’t worth it.” I reply, resting my hand on her knee.

“I tried, but he has a point. What sort of person has s*x with three different guys?” she whimpers.

The bastard had knocked her confidence just when she had stopped worrying about it all.

“Violet, his opinion doesn’t matter. What you do is none of his damn business. It doesn’t make you a slut or a bad person. There is nothing wrong with what you have been doing. There is nothing to be ashamed of. He is just jealous and regretting his choice.” I say softly, caressing her knee with my thumb.

She rests her head on my shoulder. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I think I need to stop until I work it all out,” she whispers.

I slip my arm around her shoulder and kiss the top of her head, “You do what you need, angel.”

“Really? You guys wouldn’t be mad?” she asks, glancing up at me.

“Of course not. Why would we be mad? It is your life and your choices. If it isn’t what you want any more, that is okay. We will be happy enough being friends and roommates with you.” I smile.

It is the truth. We wouldn’t hold it against her or try to change her mind. We aren’t assholes. Will we miss it? Yes, of course, we will, because it has been a lot of fun, but that is okay.

Violet smiles back up at me, a real smile. She kisses my cheek, “Thank you.”

“What are friends for? Now, can you please come through and have some dinner? The other guys are worried about you,” I say softly.

“Not right now. I need some time to myself. I will come through at some point and eat, I promise. Tell the guys I am okay, and I will see them a little later.” She says.

I plant a kiss on her forehead, “Okay. Come through when you are ready. Until then, please at least have your smoothie.”

“I will. I promise.”

I left her room after that. She needed some space, and I would respect that.

“Is she okay?” Tyson asks.

“Honestly, I am not sure. She says she needs time alone and time to think. His words are getting to her. Violet said nothing would be happening with us until she worked out everything. She thought we would be mad.” I sigh.

“We would never. It is her choice. If that is what she wants, then we won’t push and will respect her.” Arlo says, and Tyson nods in agreement.

“Yes, that is what I told her. She said she would be through at some point.”

“I should have punched the bastard before he said anything.” Tyson groans, frustrated.

“It wouldn’t solve anything, but I understand the urge, though,” Arlo says.

I nod and head to the kitchen to have some food. The guys have already eaten, and I don’t know where Alison is. She is either still working or at the girls’ place she has been seeing lately. It isn’t like her to spend so much time with someone; she must really like her.

When I re-join the guys in the living room, they seem to be excited about something.

“What are you two getting excited over?” I chuckle.

“We have been talking. How about next weekend, Violet, Alison, and we guys head to the cabin in the woods? We think Violet would love it, and it would take her mind off things. We haven’t been in ages,” Arlo says.

The three of us chipped in and bought it a few years ago. It is peaceful and in the middle of the woods, surrounded by nature and a beautiful lake.

“Great idea! Violet would love it.” I agree.

“Then sort, that is what we will do. We can talk to her about when she comes through.” Arlo grins.

It would be a good place for her to forget about everything for a while. There won’t be too many people around at this time of year, which means it will be quiet. We used to go at least one weekend a month, but we haven’t been in over a year.

“Yes, it will be good for her to get away,” Tyson says.

It takes three hours to drive there. We will need to stock up before we leave. There isn’t much nearby—a bar for drinks and food about half an hour away.

I suggest, “We really should try to use it more. Or at least rent it out.”

“Yes, we should, rather than it sitting there empty. It is a waste because it is beautiful.” Arlo agrees.

We may as well do something with it. It wasn’t cheap to buy, but it was worth it. It is the perfect getaway.