Page 59 of All I Need

I bite the inside of my cheek and Walker winks at me. “We have a full day of appointments ahead of us so I probably won’t be around. Linda will be on her best behavior, though, won’t you Linda?”

“You’re saying that to me? By the looks of things this morning, it appears you need to be the one trying to be on your best behavior.”

“What can I say? Ellie brings something out in me,” he says, looking right at me.

“Okay, okay. Enough!” She shoos him out the door. “You said so yourself that you have a full day of appointments. Get on it.”

With one last heated look, he struts out the door, ass looking insanely perfect in a pair of scrubs.

“Eyes up north, Ellie girl,” Linda says, snapping in front of my face.

I press my lips together and shrug.

“It’s good to see him happy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t get me wrong. He’s always a cheerful guy and generally happy, too. But that happiness stemmed from others’ joy. Walker is such a giver and has put everyone else first his entire life. It’s an honorable trait to have but I’ve always felt like that meant he didn’t focus on what he wanted. Until now.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Until now?”

She nods, eyes sparkling. “Until you.”

I lick my lips and look toward the open doorway he just walked through. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

“His happiness isn’t dependent on you,” she clarifies. “He’s just happier with you in his life.”

“We just met.”

“So? I only knew Roger for a few weeks before I knew he was the one. Why should how much time you know someone be indicative to whether or not they bring you happiness or knowing that you want that person in your life? Time is just a number, Ellie. When in your life has more time changed your perception of someone? Trust your instincts. Follow your heart.”

“Yeah, well, neither have been too forthcoming in the past.”

“That’s because you weren’t trusting yourself. Your instincts aren’t wrong. Neither is your heart. It’s your head that’s getting in the way of finding your own happiness.”

“What is it with this town?”

“Pardon?”

“Everyone seems to just… know things.”

Her shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I do know a little about love and trust. And so do you. That trust, though, has to come from within. Find yourself and the rest will fall in line.”

She leaves the break room, her words still heavy in the air.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I retrieve it, wondering if Courtney’s about to ramble again.

Allison: Just checking in on you. It’s been a few weeks and I haven’t heard from you. I know you brought that dickhead’s car back. I’m so sorry it all went down like that. I had no idea. I just want you to know that. I hope wherever you are, you’re able to find your happiness.

Happiness.

That’s the theme of the day, isn’t it?

Me: I’m good and truth be told, I am happy. Probably more than I’ve ever been.

Allison: Really? That’s so good to hear.

---