Page 7 of No One Else

“Okay, but what do I do about it? How can I make it better?”

“Give her some time to process it. And be prepared for the reality that she might not be comfortable around you anymore.”

I lean back, the gaping hole in my chest widening even further. “You really think she won’t even want to be around me?”

She shrugs her shoulders awkwardly. “I mean, if it was me, I’d be so embarrassed I’d avoid you forever.”

“You tried to do that with me,” Luke muses, slinging his arm over her shoulder, tucking her more securely into his side. “And look at us now.”

Her lips quirk up, a faint wash of pink spreading over her cheeks. “That’s true. But the circumstances were different. And Natalie’s much more straightforward than me. She’s not afraid to speak her mind. Wait and see what she has to say at work the next time you see her and take it from there.”

“You don’t think I should text her?”

“Give her some space.” She reaches out to pat my knee. Again, pityingly.

I run my hands through my hair till it stands on end, somehow wanting the utter craziness going on inside of me to show on the outside too.

“You want a beer?” Luke asks, getting up and heading to the kitchen.

As much as the idea of drinking enough to forget about this night appeals to me, I decline, needing to stay sober for the drive home.

I head out, thanking him for letting me crash their plans so late, and get into my Bronco, laying my forehead on the steering wheel briefly.

My phone lights up with an incoming text and I grab it frantically, in case it’s her.

Samantha:Natalie’s back at her dorm safe. So sorry about everything.

I let out a breath, glad she thought to text me, but still clueless as to what’s going on with Natalie. Will this blow over? Can I pretend like it was all a big joke? Or should I stand by what I revealed?

We don’t work together again until Tuesday, not that I have her schedule memorized or anything, so I’ll just have to spend the next couple days in the dark.

***

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’Sgone?” I lean forward across my manager’s desk until I’m practically on the other side.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Trisha pokes my chest till I get the hint to step back, “but Natalie asked for the next two weeks off to visit family for the holidays.”

“And you just gave it to her?”

She raises her eyebrows at me and I give a muttered, “Sorry,” realizing I’ve overstepped my bounds.

“She does so much around here and we’ll be slow till New Year’s anyway, so of course I approved it. Gina requested more hours anyway while school’s out, so she’ll be taking Natalie’s shifts.”

I internally sigh. “Thanks.”

I head toward the staff locker room to shower after back to back sessions with clients. A small part of me is relieved to put off the inevitable discussion we need to have, but the overwhelming part is dejected that I won’t see her for another two weeks. Did something come up with her family? Last I heard, she was planning on staying at Suncoast for winter break.

Or did she run off because of what happened with me?

Jesus, Evan, don’t give yourself so much credit. She probably went home to be with her loved ones after a devastating breakup. People she can count on. Unlike me. She was right that it was wasn’t fair of me to lay something like that on her so soon after receiving that kind of news from her boyfriend.

I should have been there for her solely as a friend. Kept my mouth shut and let her take the lead on whatever that kiss meant to her.

Was she just blowing off steam that night? Or did it mean something more?

Well, even if it did, it obviously doesn’t now. I blew it. Fucked up.

I stand under the water in the gym’s showers longer than necessary, trying to come up with some kind of explanation for why she should continue being my friend. Because if there’s one thing I can’t imagine, it’s giving up Natalie. Even if it means keeping our relationship platonic, I’ll do it. I need her in my life. Everything is just... better with her there.

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