Page 66 of Lucy Loves Him Not
“Coffee and Commas is literally a few blocks from you. Where you could have real coffee.”
“I drink that, too.”
“How much coffee are you consuming a day?” I asked, taking a bite of my sandwich.
“As much as feels right in my heart.” He hugged the bottle of coffee close to his chest.
“Your heart would tell you to stop after one cup, actually, if we’re being scientific.”
“I’m not basing this on science. I am basing this on enjoyment.”
“Let me try this.” I grabbed the bottle from his hand. Adam’s eye tracked my mouth as I put the bottle to it and took a sip. His eyes were still on me as I licked my lips after.
He swallowed. “Research findings, Dr. Rhodes?”
“It’s just as terrible as I remember,” I said, breathless. His gaze only now lifted from my lips and moved to my eyes.
The air was thick with heat, unspoken questions, and want pulsing between us. We both opened our mouths to say something, anything, when my phone began to buzz.
I glanced down, moving to hit ignore, but noted it was Gracie’s name on the screen. I immediately slid it open.
“Gracie,” I said before I even put the phone to my face.
“I’m at the hospital,” she cried. “I can’t get through to Mom and I just…I ruined everything…and…I’m hurt.” She sounded like her six-year-old self again. Like when she fell off her bike and cried as I checked her scrapes and bruises.
Adam’s eyebrows raised in worry next to me. He could probably hear her sobs from over the phone. “Gracie, I’m here,” I said. “Take a breath. Tell me how you’re hurt.”
A few shuddered breaths on her line. A sniffle. “I fell during rehearsal. The doctor said my ankle gave out due to exhaustion. My body…” She crumbled again. “I sprained my ankle and just weeks before…I won’t be able to perform. Now I can’t finish my dance intensive. I can’t…”
“Who’s with you now?”
“I’m alone,” she said, her voice small.
“You’re alone?” I repeated.
Adam stood up right then, mouthing,Let’s go.
Itrailed behind Adam as I continued my call with Gracie, figuring out where she was and calming her down enough so she could find a ride back to her apartment. Gracie and I talked as Adam buckled me into his front seat, closed the passenger car door, and started the engine. He knew my sister went to school in Austin and drove in that direction.
It wasn’t until we hung up from our call that I looked around and realized Adam was coming with me. “Adam,” I said his name in wonder. “What are you doing? What about work? We didn’t even discuss this.”
“Gracie needs you,” Adam said nonchalantly. “You were not in a good headspace to drive and needed to get on the road.”
I was confounded. “But the festival?—”
“I have a phone,” he said.
“But you barely…”Know me, know her. But that didn’t feel true anymore. Adam sometimes felt like he knew me better than anyone else now.
“Go on, call Olivia. Try your mom. Order ahead. I’m driving, so you can do what you need to do,” Adam said firmly.
So, I did. Adam was a steady presence driving us along as I called Olivia to fill her in on everything and sent a message to Mom. I ordered a few items to pick up at the drugstore where Gracie’s pain prescription was being filled.
I also fielded another crying call from Gracie, who was trying to figure out what to do about the rest of her classes and the week ahead. The stress and exhaustion that had led to her physical tumble pushed her to an emotional tumble now. Adamhad even quietly listened as I prayed for her over the phone, saying a little “Amen” along with me as I finished the prayer.
After I hung up the last call with Gracie, Adam chuckled.
“What?” I asked curiously.
