Page 118 of David

“I mean…”

“I know what you mean. I lived in different places and moved here for James. I like this place a lot and wouldn’t say no to living here permanently, but there’s no point in planning for that just yet. I might be gone in a few months. I also travel a lot. Who knows what the future brings?”

“Do you plan to leave?”

“I don’t have plans for the near future,” he says, jaded.

It’s hard not to notice his expression.

He shifts his eyes to me.

“What about you?”

His stare slides down while I ponder an answer.

“I like your dress,” he says, and I instinctively tug at my hem to cover my thighs.

He pushes his gaze up.

“What are your plans for the future, Elizabeth?”

His voice is serious, and I feel like I’m interviewing for a job.

‘Where do you see yourself in five years from now?’

That sort of thing.

To that, I’d say… I don’t know. Working at an archeological site, maybe? Trying to become a teacher? Running Maggie’s shop? Or maybe waitressing at some fancy place downtown?

Writing books for a living doesn’t even make my list.

My lack of inspiration is a serious drawback, despite being here with the man who inspired Rain’s story and propelled her career into the stratosphere.

“Honestly? I don’t know…” I say quietly. “It’s hard for me to see that far into the future. I had a dream at some point, but realizing it now seems far-fetched, so I might need to reconsider it.”

“What kind of dream?”

I weigh my words.

“I can’t tell you. It’s too close to my heart, and I don’t know you that well.”

Flashing a smile, he looks away.

“It’s a fair point.”

A few more seconds pass.

“You shouldn’t just discard that dream of yours. Our dreams have a way of finding us long after we stop thinking about them.”

“So I’ve heard,” I say, and his eyes come to me. “I’m not too trustful of that, though.”

I take in a long breath.

“Have they come back to you? Your dreams?” I ask, and he thinks about his answer for a second.

“It’s hard to say. Some did. Some didn’t. I’m not expecting much overall. And things have been great, I have to say,” he says in a serious voice. “And then I got to meet you,” he adds, his tone lighter.

“Too bad we can’t be friends.”

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