Page 38 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
“Do you think I’m shallow?” She keeps talking before I can reply. “Of course you do. You pretty much said so at the park the other day. It’s what everyone thinks of me, and maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m just a surface-level person and that’s why no one ever looks deeper. What are you doing?”
I keep my mouth shut until I bring the car to a stop on the shoulder, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles are white. “I’m making sure you know that I’m not just saying this to say it,” I mutter, taking a deep breath before I turn to look at her. “Micah, you’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met. I know it took me a few days to accept that I haven’t been the most personable person, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been fascinated since the minute I stepped into Ember. You’re not surface-level. You’re not shallow. I made myself a whole list of questions to ask you on this drive, knowing full well that they won’t cover even a fraction of who you are.”
Oh no. She’s crying. I didn’t mean to make her cry. I was trying to make her feel better, but I probably said too much, and now she—
Micah unclicks her seatbelt and throws herself over the console until she’s on my lap, arms wrapped around my neck in the world’s most awkward hug. Does that stop me from hugging her back? It should. I don’t like hugs in general. But the instant Micah tugs me forward so she has space to get her arms around me, it spurs my own body into motion, pulling her closer to my chest. I tuck my chin over her shoulder and let my arms find a comfortable position at her back.
She’s tiny. I knew she was small, but holding her like this makes me realize how much bigger I am. How fragile she is. She’s not the sort of person who needs protection, but I want to protect her anyway.
She starts giggling long before I’m ready to let her go, but the embrace loses its magic as soon as her laughter bubbles up. “I’m sorry,” she says, inching back against my window so there’s a bit of space between us. “That was a little crazy.”
“I probably deserved it.” That doesn’t really make sense, but it makes her smile. So, whatever.
“I guess I’m just feeling out of whack after that whole thing with Lila this morning.”
“You don’t have to defend yourself.”
“Thanks for being my friend, Fischer.”
Friend. That’s good. That’s what I should be, even if I’m starting to think I want more than that. There are too many reasons why she’s better off without me, and it looks like she doesn’t think of me beyond friendship anyway. At least now I know where I stand for sure.
She bites her lip, making me wonder how permanent her lipstick is. She always wears such bold colors, and I never see it on her coffee cups. Would it come off if I…
I grit my teeth. Nope. I’m not going there, even in my thoughts. To Micah, we are simply friends, and it needs to stay that way. Friends don’t think about kissing the other person’s lipstick off, even if it’s getting more and more tempting the longer she sits on my lap.
Clearing my throat, I tuck my arm under her legs. “We should probably get going,” I explain before lifting her off my seat and back into hers.
“Okay, Superman. Geez, how strong are you? You just picked me up like I weigh nothing!”
I fight my smile. “I didn’t—”
“Why do you do that?”
“What?”
She points at my face. “Why don’t you let yourself smile? I’ve known you for almost two weeks now, and I haven’t seen you smile even once.”
Why doesthatmake me want to smile? Despite what she’s saying, I fight the amusement that tugs at my lips, if only because now I know she wants something. I’ll give it to her eventually, but I’m going to be strategic about this. It’s not that she needs to earn anything from me—that would be ridiculous—but I want to be prepared for her reaction.
“Maybe I don’t have anything to smile about,” I tell her as I nod to her seatbelt. As soon as she’s buckled, I pull back onto the highway.
She scoffs. “That’s just stupid. Everyone has something to smile about.”
“Not me.”Lie. Just hearing her voice is reason enough. Experiencing her optimism. Knowing that this project with the lodge might actually succeed because of her. “Name one thing I should smile about.”
Though Micah groans, as if she’s never met anyone as stubborn as me, she has the most adorable grin on her face. “The sun.”
“It’s too bright.”
“Your car.”
“Bradley Properties owns the car.”
“Your job.”
“I hate my job.”
“Do you?” She cocks her head, more curious than surprised. “Because I’ve actually wondered about that. You’re good at it, but you don’t seem to enjoy it.”
