Perfect Fit - Brenda Jackson [52]
“Your father and I are fine, but I’m sure that he would love to hear from you more often than he does. I wish that whatever it is that has you and him at odds would come to an end, Sage. You can’t hold a grudge forever.”
Sage swallowed. “What makes you think Dad and I are in a disagreement about something?”
Her mother chuckled. “Because I know you and I know your father. And whatever it is I can tell it’s bothering him. I also think I know what it’s about.”
Sage lifted a brow and pushed her hair away from her face. “Do you?”
“Yes. It has to be about what’s going on with you and Erol. That’s when this animosity toward your father started. You can’t fault him for wanting to remain neutral in all of this, especially when we think that eventually you and Erol will get back together.”
Sage shook her head. Her mother was wrong on two accounts. Her and her father’s strained relationship had nothing to do with Erol, and the thought that she and Erol would get back together was far from the truth. Why was it so hard for everyone to see, including Gabe, that she and Erol would not be getting back together? Some things between couples couldn’t be worked out, and this was one of those situations.
“He came by on Sunday for dinner.”
Her mother’s words pulled Sage back into the conversation. “Who came by for dinner on Sunday, Mom?”
“Erol. He looks so sad and lonesome without you.”
Will he not give up? Sage thought as irritation flowed through her. Of course her parents felt a special closeness to Erol since he was the first guy she’d ever gotten serious about, and she could appreciate that even now they had retained that close relationship. But what bothered her more than anything was that it seemed Erol was trying to use that relationship in his favor and to his benefit.
“He should have thought about all of this before he took my money,” Sage said through gritted teeth.
“Yes, and I’m sure he regrets what he did, Sage.”
Sage blew out a frustrated stream of breath. “Fine, then I forgive him if that will make him feel better and get him off this guilt trip he deserves to be on. But forgiving him won’t patch up things between us, Mom. I’m here in Alaska because I’ve moved on with my life, and I suggest that Erol do the same.”
“He can’t. He still loves you.”
Sage inhaled deeply, and her lip curled sullenly. Erol must have really gotten next to her mother for her to take the role of becoming his messenger. “Then, I suggest he get over it, because I have.”
For the longest time her mother didn’t say anything; then she said, “You have, haven’t you?”
Sage reached out with her free hand and began rubbing the back of her neck when she felt tension there. “Yes, Mom, I have, but it wasn’t easy. No matter what you or anyone might think, I’m not going through a phase just to make Erol’s life miserable. Nor am I doing the ‘eye-for-an-eye’ thing. It was Erol’s decision, without any input from me, to do what he did. For me it’s not about the money; it’s about trust. I’ve told you that countless times, but you refuse to accept it. What Erol did hurt me deeply mainly because he didn’t care enough to respect my feelings. I cannot marry a man like that. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living with a man I can’t trust. There is no way I can ever get back with him.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Sage waited patiently for her mother to say something.
“I think I believe you, Sage.”
Sage breathed in a deep-gutted sigh. Thank you, Jesus! Finally! “I’m glad, Mom,” she said quietly, fighting back the tears. She knew both her and Erol’s families were holding back, hoping and wishing that she would come to her senses. What they’d both failed to realize was that she had.
“The best thing that you can do for Erol, Mom, is to make sure he believes it as well. Feeding him false hope won’t help the situation. I just hope that with the next woman he becomes serious about, he takes into consideration her feelings with any decisions