Page 102 of Marry Me

If they were meant to be, it would happen.

The idea that they weren’t was too much to consider at this point.

They’d made it a couple of times a week habit to meet up at Froman’s and catch up. Their short talks had gradually grown longer until sometimes they sat there for two hours or more. Nothing romantic had happened between them, but the connection was impossible to ignore. She reminded herself that Ally could have stopped coming to their impromptu coffee dates, or dodged her when she arrived.

“How many more weeks until your summer break?” she’d asked Allison earlier that week. She’d adjusted her drink order to an iced latte to compensate for the approaching summer scorchers.

“Seventeen school days, but who’s counting?” Allison wore gray pants and a white dress shirt, having come straight from work. She really rocked the outfit, and if they were together, Megan would have been trotting after her like a puppy.

“Not you. Big plans?”

Allison sighed and slid a strand of hair behind her ear. It was longer these days, sexy. “Maybe I’ll go somewhere with sand.”

“I seem to remember it looking good on you.” She’d paused to watch the blush hit Allison’s cheeks, and it warmed her, too. She didn’ttake the reminder of their picnic on the beach any further, but she had a feeling Allison remembered the day as clearly as she did. It had been a fantastic afternoon, one she hoped they’d get to repeat sometime. Maybe.

“Good point. Maybe I’ll look more seriously at a vacation. I could use one. Or I’ll take a cruise to the Caribbean and leave it all behind.”

“You should. You do so much for your kids all year. You deserve to be pampered.”

Allison looked over at her, and she could see the conflict play out on her face. There was more Ally wanted to say, but she was holding back, which of course, Megan understood.

“I do enjoy a good cruise, provided it’s the quiet luxurious kind.”

“You speak from experience?”

“I do. I could show you the ropes. The twenty-four-hour pizza kitchen is not something you want to discover on the last day.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, lost in the fantasy of the two of them at sea. Well, at least Megan was.

“Another life, right?” Allison said uncomfortably.

“Really? Because we have so much left in this one.”

Ally blinked, processing. “It’s not that easy. I can’t seem to trust you. We were on a tightrope together, and you let go.” Her voice was quiet, vulnerable, and Megan more than appreciated her honesty.

She swallowed. Her hands trembled. “I won’t ever let go, Ally. I can guarantee you that.”

“Yeah,” Allison said, glancing away. The moment was charged, and Megan found it hard to breathe. “It’s not that I don’t want to…or that I don’t feel…” It was almost as if she didn’t have the energy to complete a sentence. “I just can’t.”

“I understand.” Her heart thudded dully, and her gaze landed on the table in defeat. And there it was. In spite of the time they’d spent together, their connection, and her patience, it seemed they’d reached an impasse. “I don’t want to let you go,” she said, lost, to the wood grain of the table. Her heart hurt, her head swam, and her fortitude was all but dashed.

“I know,” Allison whispered. “But I think we have to.”

It was a conclusion. It offered no hope, and that meant it was time for Megan to take Allison at her word. “I guess I’ve crashed yourfavorite coffee shop a few times too many. Time I return it to your care.” She stood and slid her hands into the back pockets of her black jeans.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed our talks. It makes things a little easier, you know?”

Megan nodded. “I think that’s called closure. I’m glad I was able to give that to you.” It hadn’t been her intention at all, but she had to glimpse a silver lining in a moment of such utter sadness. “You take care of yourself, okay?” She heard the strangled sound of her voice, indicative of the emotion she couldn’t seem to tamp down.

Moments later, Allison’s arms were around her neck, and she held on to Megan tightly. “I’ll never forget us,” she whispered, which just made it that much harder. How could it possibly be over? The two of them apart quite simply felt like it went against the universe. She closed her eyes, held on, memorizing every detail, and braced for the inevitable moment. When Allison let go. The loss was like a blast of cold, uncomfortable air that left her sad, alone, and hating herself for what she’d done to them. After a final look back, Allison walked out of the coffee shop. Megan sat, grappling, trying to make her brain process the finality of that moment. The room felt dull. Muted, as if the color and life had been drained from her surroundings.

She sat there for what felt like a few minutes or a few hours until she was able to gather herself and her belongings and head to her car. She paused as she approached because there was a woman leaning against it. No, not just any woman.

Allison.

When she heard Megan approach, she turned, and those bright blue eyes, brimming with emotion, told her everything she needed to know. “I couldn’t leave,” Ally said. “I don’t want to leave you.” She reached for Megan, who moved to her instantly, overcome. She took Megan’s face in her hands and kissed her right there in the damned parking lot of Froman’s Coffee, and the world stopped on its axis. All that was left was this magnificent feeling that she was right in the spot she was supposed to be, and those lips—dear God, she had missed them.

“What are you doing to me?” Megan asked, coming up for air.

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