Page 67 of It Couldn't Be You
“Why is that?” I asked as it thundered outside my window. “You’re the absolute best girlfriend. Just ask your adoring boyfriend.”
“I feel like I shouldn’t be spending my Valentine’s Day here in Sweet River. I’m actually thinking about buying a ticket to Vancouver. I could easily take tomorrow off work and fly out today and surprise him. He’s so busy with work; it’s impossible for him. But I could do it.”
“Katie,” I said, not wanting to ruin the surprise but at a loss for how to thwart her sweet idea. “You don’t have the cash for a spontaneous flight to Canada, do you? Wasn’t that one of the main reasons you didn’t do that in the first place?”
“I could swing it,” she said, warming to her own idea. “If ever a guy was worth a romantic gesture, it’s Terrence.”
“Are you sure Terrence is even free? If he couldn’t take the time off to fly out, isn’t he too busy for a visitor?” I was trying to put a crack in her growing resolve.
“That’s the point—he could work, and I could be there for his free moments. I could make a romantic dinner or something. I could even make it for him inhiskitchen. That would be really romantic, wouldn’t it?”
“What if…” I was grasping. “What if he doesn’t like surprises?”
“No, he’d love it. He’s a big spontaneity guy.” She took in a deep, excited breath. “I think I should do it. There’s a flight around noon. I was scrolling this morning. I have a few hours to get to the airport. I could—”
“Wait, Katie,” I said loudly, dropping my makeup brush.
“Why?” She sounded startled.
“I need you,” I squeaked. “I was really looking forward to…our time together today. I just haven’t been alone on Valentine’s Day in so long… I just…I need…you.”
“Em?” She sounded confused. “You haven’t… I hadn’t realized how important our plans were…” I hadn’t shown any signs of being heartbroken lately. I had been doing fine. I had barely put effort or much thought into our faux plans either.
“I was just looking forward to getting brunch and then going and seeing that movie together. I already bought our tickets and everything,” I said, trying to sound sentimental. I had only purchased one ticket to that movie.
“Well, okay, yeah, you know it’s not like he’s expecting me or anything,” she said. “It was just an impulsive idea. I’d love to spend the fourteenth with you.”
I breathed a silent sigh of relief as we sorted out what time I would be there to pick her up for our brunch plans that were out of town, which she thought was silly when we could just go to our favorite place downtown.
When I picked her up, she ran out her door in a red sweater dress similar to the cream one I was wearing. A light rain fell overhead as she held her purse over her topknot as protection. I could tell she was still doubting her choice to stay in town and not fly off to Vancouver, as she sadly mentioned that she hadn’t had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day since junior high. She made a pathetic joke that she should’ve known she’d still be spending it with friends.
Then quickly added, “No offense.” I was mildly offended. Though, I, too, would rather have spent my Valentine’s Day with a handsome guy than with her.
She started to question me when I told her our out-of-town brunch place was an hour away. “Why are we going so far for pancakes?” We zoomed toward the lake.
By the time we were almost there, I could tell she had suspicions but was afraid to get her hopes up. She was questioning me but disguising it by pretending she was just making jokes.
“What, did Canada Man send some special gift out here or something? Haha, just kidding. Just kidding!”
At the parking lot where Terrence had set as our meeting place, he stood leaning against the car with a single red rose in his hand, resting against his chest. She was silent as we pulled up beside him. I parked the car and turned to look at her, and her eyes were brimming with tears.
“I’ve just never…” But she didn’t need to say anything else because I knew.
I had been with her all these years, wondering why no one had ever noticed that Katie was, well, Katie. Every guy should have been buying her a single red rose and flying across the countries to kiss her on the lips. I realized now why they hadn’t been. None of those boys we met along the way were Terrence. The one she was about to book a flight for, too.
I squeezed her hand and said, “And you almost flew off this morning.”
She wiped her eyes, chuckling. “This is why you were beingsoweird.”
He knocked on the car door. She pushed it open. “There she is,” he said in a sing-song voice.
She threw herself into his arms, and he swung her around. It was sprinkling rain overhead while they kissed, but they didn’t care at all.
Twenty-Four
Idid treat myself to a brunch, all for me. My parents were off on a weekend getaway. Katie was off having rainy Valentine’s kisses, and I was pouring strawberry syrup over a pile of pancakes and enjoying every single bite. I had two caramel lattes and cherished every sip.
I was walking from the café toward the movie theater under the thick gray sky when I spotted him. A tall curly-haired man standing outside the theater looking up at the movie posters while leaning on one crutch—though I was pretty sure he was still supposed to be using two.
