Page 112 of The Other Side of Paradise
She sighed, hard, but she didn’t do a very good job of sounding aggressive—clearly justsadunderneath it all. “There’s nothing to bedone,” she said. “She’s made her decision. I’m not—”
“How can shemake her decisionif you never asked her?” I said, leaning against the door. “She’s waiting for you, you’re waiting for her. Brooklyn—I’m begging you. I donotwant to stand around and wait as she wallows in this and finally settles for some mediocre person who’s going to make her miserable. What are you both soafraidof?”
“It’s not that I’m afraid, it’s just…” She grimaced, gripping the door tighter. The emotions played out in a war over her features, and I saw a flicker of nerves there before something shifted behind her, and I looked past her to where the back door slid open. My chest tightened at the sight of Allison coming in with a stack of dishes, a tired look on her face but stillsobeautiful, and I felt like I’d been away from her for months.
“Hey.” She called out to Brooklyn as she crossed the room, forcing cheer into her voice. “Who are you talking to… oh, shit,” she said, stopping when she saw me, eyes wide, mouth falling open. At the sight of me. I wasreallyinto that. “Oh… uh… hi…”
I thought I was just coming here to yell at Brooklyn. But maybe I was getting something even better. “Hey,” I said, smiling sweetly at her, easing up on the door. “Sorry for dropping by unannounced. Ryan and I… had some shit go down. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
“Oh…” Allison took a minute processing what I’d said, before she jolted to awareness, coming out of the dreamy state. “Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Okaywas a relative concept. I was about two seconds from crying for one million different reasons, some of them bad, someof them good, some of them just that Allison was here. I settled for, “My family fucking sucks. I’ll figure it out. Whatever.”
Brooklyn stepped out of the doorway to let me in, taking the dishes from Allison’s hands. “You can go ahead and kiss her now,” she said, and I almost laughed, especially when Allison went purplish and glared daggers at her.
“Brooklyn—”
I snorted, seeing her death glare, and I stepped into the house, my heart warming up at the sight of her. Suddenly all those questions had very easy answers. “You know,” I said, reaching out and brushing back a lock of her hair, and she blushed furiously, looking at me like I was a divine figure, an angel wreathed in holy light. I was into it. “You’re really fun to be around. I’m supposed to be picking up dinner for me and Ryan right now, but if you’re free to come into town with me, I bet she’d understand if I took a while.”
Allison fumbled for a second before she said, blurting it out as one word, “Um—I don’t want to get in your way.”
I almost laughed. Brooklyn put a hand on her back. “Allison, babe, the girl’s asking you on a date,” she said. “Say yes.”
“Um.” Allison looked like she was ready to die on the spot. I gave Brooklyn my best, most loving eye roll.
“You’re so nosy, getting into other people’s business.”
She grinned. “It’s what bartenders do.”
“I’d love to,” Allison blurted, breathless and wide-eyed. “To go into town with you, I mean, and, um… yeah.”
“Great,” I laughed. “Get your shoes on and get in the car. Please for the love of god don’t dress up, I’ll look awful next to you.”
“You look beautiful. I mean, you always do. I mean…” I don’t think Allison was even hearing herself, still lookingincredulously at me. I grinned at her, just beaming from being in the same room.
“You can compliment me more in the car, okay? Brooklyn…” I gave her a look, as serious as I could manage, gripping my hands tightly. She looked away.
“You’ve made your point,” she sighed. “Go on your date.”
“I know Imademy point, but did youhearmy point?”
“Heard you loud and clear.”
Ugh, she was still blowing me off. But Allison tugged on my sleeve, pulling my attention back to where she smiled at me, and then when my gaze met hers, faltered and looked down at my collar.
“BB’s been going through it,” she whispered. “She usually… needs a second alone to come around.”
“Mm.” I sighed, looking up at Brooklyn. “I’ll be seeing more of you, I’m sure,” I said, and she rolled her eyes with a small smile. I took Allison by the hand before Brooklyn could make another dismissive comment, and with Allison making a noise like she was dying, she held onto my hand and stumbled out after me, only barely pausing to put her shoes on.
“Oh—your car,” she said once we got out into the front driveway. “I mean, your rental. You don’t have it. Um—”
“I just called an Uber to get here. I’ll get another.”
“No—we can take my car. I can drive you. I mean, I want to drive you. I mean, I can…”
I turned, looking at her, my chest surging at the way she looked, out here on the stoop, the wind tossing her hair around her face. Just me and her, two independent adults—our own people—who could do whatever we wanted.
“Well, aren’t you chivalrous?” I said, beaming so hard it hurt, and she swallowed, looking at me through her lashes.
