Page 51 of Silver Linings
I can’t hear anything happening on the other end of the line, but I would put money on Laurel laying into him. But Jae takes everything in stride, and his grin never wanes while he hangs on her every word.
There were years Laurel would come to visit while I was in school, and the one off year Jae came to Seattle to visit for the summer while apprenticing with an artist based out of Capitol Hill. Jae took to Laurel’s prickly nature quickly, but the same can’t be said for her taking to his happy-go-lucky disposition, but even knowing this, he’s never backed down.
“I hear what you’re saying, beautiful, I do. I just don’t believe you.”
“Must you always hit on my sister in front of me?” I groan.
“Plug your ears then.” He pats my knee like one would to comfort an irrational child.
He listens raptly to whatever she’s saying. “Nah, you just both haven’t come to accept that you and I are endgame. It’s okay, I’m a patient man.”
A few purring mhmms and deep chuckles from his end and what sounds like violent sarcasm coming from the other. “Alright, love, whatever you need to tell yourself. Do you want to talk to Hen before we hang up?”
He pulls the phone away from his ear, and hear what sounds likeof course I do asshole I called to talk to him not youthrough the speaker, and through it all, Jae remains unphased.
“She wants to speak to you.” He holds the phone out to me.
“How benevolent of you.”
I put the phone to my ear and can’t even get a word out. “Your friend’s a fucking idiot.”
“Yeah.” I hear Jae murmurI’m your fucking idiotnext to me.
“I gotta go, but we’re not done with this talk. I’ll call you back. Make sure you answer.”
“Hey Laur?”
“Yeah?” she snaps, a lot frustrated and a little impatient.
“I love you.” A small weight lifts off my shoulders..
A brief pause before she exhales her anger. “I love you too, dickface. Call Mom.”
We both hang up, and I feel not necessarily lighter, because there’s still a lot that needs to be said, but there’s a relief in hearing my sister’s voice for the first time in weeks.
Jae puts his tattooed arm around my shoulders. “You good, man?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Great, because I think we’ve left Faye and Sam alone together for too long, and she’s either killed him or has talked him into investing in Koalas for a Kure while we were gone.”
fourteen
. . .
I’ve worna hole in the already battered shop floor from the pacing I’ve been doing all afternoon. The kiss wasdaysago, and I can still feel a phantom touch of his lips on mine. It has me twisted up in knots, and he’s set to arrive any minute now.
Not that I’ve thought about it a lot.
Why am I nervous?
I have the distinct feeling that being alone with him is a very bad idea if I’m trying to be platonic. Not because I don’t trust him to not cross that line; I somehow know he wouldn’t if I asked. I just don’t think I can trustmyselfaroundhim.
“Hols?” I call out to Holly, who is in the back room of the store, grabbing stock.
She pops out from behind the walnut door, looking harried and out of breath. “Yeah?”
“I know you’re almost off for the day, but would you mind staying after to help us start on the shelves?”
