Page 44 of Cloudless
Birds sing a happy song in the branches of the surrounding trees as the chaos of the cafe melts away into a distant dream. I wipe the condensation from my cup onto the hem of my shirt. My voice is quiet as I admit, “I like him. It’s just…”
Her body turns toward me. “It’s just what?”
“It’s just not fair to him. He deserves someone who can give as much as she gets. That’s just not me.” My voice fades into nothingness as I whisper, “It can’t be.”
She’s quiet for so long, I begin to believe she’s not going to say anything. With a sigh, she finally says, “He doesn’t talk to anyone about our dad.”
A humorless laugh escapes me as I run my finger over the rim of my plastic cup. “He must talk to someone about it.”
Her voice is serious as she shakes her head. “No. He doesn’t. He’s never talked to me about it or his friends. I mean, I lived it with him, so I know a lot of what happened. Wyatt knows a lot too, since he was there for most of it. Dax and Mace know some things, but nothing like what I overheard him telling you today.”She blows out another breath as her voice grows quiet. “You’re special to him, L.”
My fingers drift from the rim of my cup to the face of my watch. “He’s special to me, too. I won’t take advantage of that.”
She nods her head slowly. “I know. He wouldn’t trust you with his heart if you didn’t deserve it.”
I scoff. “He hasn’t trusted me with his heart.”
A smile lifts her voice. “Maybe not yet, but he’s on his way.”
My mind grasps for a way to change the subject. “So, what’s going on between you and Wyatt?”
Her eyes grow into saucers. Her back straightens so fast, she almost drops her drink. “What makes you say that? Nothing is going on between us. We’re just friends. Always have been, always will be.”
A laugh erupts from me as she rambles. “Friends don’t look at each other like that, Ellie.”
She hangs her head in shame as she groans. “It’s just a little crush, okay? I keep hoping I’ll outgrow it or something, but have you seen the man?” My laugh only grows as she shifts her weight on the bench. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It’ll go away someday. It has to.” Her eyes grow wide and pleading. “Right? I mean, I can’t crush on my brother's best friend. We grew up together, for crying out loud! He saw what I looked like when I had braces and before I learned how to fix my eyebrows!”
I clutch at my stomach as I laugh so hard it's almost silent. She swats me on the arm as she gives in to her laughter. “Hey! It’s not funny!”
I wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes. “It kind of is, though. I mean, it’s one of my favorite book tropes.”
Her eyes light up. “You like to read?”
I nod as I wipe my tear on the hem of my shirt. “Love it. I used to read a lot more before, well, before. Now it’s hard to find the time.”
She taps her finger against her chin. “So, what would your tropes be, then?” She ticks a list off on her fingers as she thinks. “Definitely strangers to friends to lovers. College hockey romance for sure. Oh!” She snaps her fingers. I can practically see the hearts in her eyes. “He falls first! That’s such a good one!”
My face heats with her insinuation. “He has not!”
A mischievous glint fills her eyes as she pats my leg like I’m a child needing comfort. “You just keep believing that, honey.” She takes a gulp of her drink that is worthy of the world's worst brain freeze.
Alrighty then. Time to change the subject. “Why are you calling me ‘L’?”
She rolls her eyes like it’s the silliest question. “Friends have nicknames for each other. Obviously. And I’m not about to start calling you Sunshine.”
Friends.
What a nice thought.
By the time my hour is up and it’s time for me to go to work, we’ve talked about our favorite books and exchanged phone numbers.
A sense of friendship, which I didn't think was possible to develop so quickly, has replaced the heaviness that marked the beginning of our conversation.
As we rise to leave, her words are barely audible beneath the pressure of the hug she gives me no choice but to partake in. “I like you, L.”
Tears spring to my eyes as a sense of belonging washes over me. “Yeah, E. I like you, too.”
CHAPTER 20
