Page 14 of All I Need

“You saying I’m not special?” I joke.

He stares at me for a moment. “Pretty sure you know that’s not what I meant at all.”

His phone chimes with a text and he looks down at it, types something out quickly then looks back to me. “Grayson’s heading over to Miss Polly’s with his mom.”

“You’re not going?”

His eyes bore into me, probably wondering why I care. “My stomach is no match for Miss Polly either. I’ll be there. Besides, I heard mention of mac and cheese and can’t pass that up.” He winks and my stomach drops. His pickup starts up with a loud roar and he shifts into reverse. I step away just as he lifts a hand to wave at me and drives off.

“Ready?” I jump at the sound of Polly’s voice behind me.

“Yup,” I say and march around to the driver’s seat, ignoring her knowing look.

“Holy crap, Ellie. You’re never leaving. For real. You can’t deny me the chance to eat your macaroni and cheese again,” Grayson groans as he rubs his stomach after his fourth full plate of food. Lunch has been surprisingly relaxing, though Walker was a little less talkative than I had expected him to be. At least based on our first meeting where he seemed perfectly fine with injecting himself right into my life. But since we sat down, he’s barely spoken a word and hasn’t looked at me once.

“He’s right, girl. It was incredible,” Willow says, grinning at me.

“Everything was great as always, Miss Polly. Thank you for having me,” Walker says still not looking at me. He picks up whatever plates he can carry, bringing them to the kitchen. I hear water run then the sounds of plates clinking against each other. He returns empty handed and stops by Polly’s chair, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I really hate to eat and run, but…”

“What? No! We haven’t had dessert,” Miss Polly presses, moving to stand up while giving Walker a weird look.

“You know I usually can’t resist dessert but I’m afraid I really need to head out.” His eyes finally meet mine. For a long moment he looks at me, his gaze drifting over my face. “It was… nice seeing you again, Ellie. And meeting you. See ya around and um, well, take care of yourself, okay?”

He gives me a low wave and then he’s gone.

An awkward silence settles around the table when the door slams.

Willow turns to her son and asks, “Why did he have to leave?”

He shrugs. “How should I know?”

Polly goes to the kitchen and returns with a flat round Tupperware container. “Grayson, how about you take this pie home with you and your mom. We’ll clean up here,” she says, seeming to dismiss them as well.

He looks at Willow quickly before snatching it up off the table with a wide grin. “You got it, Miss Polly. It won’t go to waste.”

“I have serious doubts it’ll even make it home without you digging in,” she teases him.

“I’m not an animal. I can wait—until I get home and have a fork, at least.”

Everyone around the table shares a small laugh. Miss Polly’s face says just how much she loves the fact that Grayson enjoys her food. The way she interacts with him makes it clear that they share a lot of history together.

Willow pulls me out of my chair and hugs me tightly. “I hope you let Miss Polly talk you into staying. She’s got my number. Make sure she gives it to you no matter what you decide to do.”

I swallow down the emotion threatening to clog my throat and return her hug. The last twenty-four hours have been a roller coaster of emotions. Two people I thought I could trust with my heart ended up being the ones who broke it all over again. I feel like I’m experiencing the worst case of déjà vu. Something I stupidly thought I’d never have to go through again.

It’s a stark reminder not to let others into my life—or into my heart.

I can’t believe I allowed myself to act so stupidly and have no clue where to go from here. I was living in Gary’s home so I don’t even have a place to live when—if—I go back. I’ll have to, obviously, so I can get my clothes. My own car. Return his. Which, thanks to Walker is undamaged. Though, it would have been a lot more fun to see the look on his face if I’d have returned it otherwise.

I step out of Willow’s embrace. “I have no idea what’s going to happen but I’ll let you know.”

“I’d like that.”

Willow and Grayson finish saying their good-byes, leaving me alone with Miss Polly. I begin cleaning up the table to distract myself and avoid the talk I know Polly is dying to have with me. I begin filling the sink with hot, soapy water and start soaking the pans.

“He hurt you.” I turn off the water, rest my elbows on the edge of the sink before I stand straight and slowly turn around and look to Miss Polly who’s leaning a shoulder against the door jamb to the kitchen.

I swallow and nod my head, my hands dripping sudsy water onto the floor.

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