Page 11 of One Hundred Lights
I should bail on tomorrow. Cut this thing off at the knees before it runs away on me.
Or, because that idea seems dreadful, I could work on squashing any of my remaining feelings for him. Yeah. Just run a giant dump truck over whatever lingering yearning remains in my sad little heart.
I’ll go see Reese this weekend. It might take a hundred years, but I’ll put in the time to make her understand how sorry I am. How much I miss her.
I’ll start downloading dating apps and find my real true love.
Yeah, that’ll work.
6
ADRIAN
Wednesday, December 13
Britt climbs into my SUV, bundled up in a puffy coat and thick scarf, phone in hand.
“Okay, I have a list. Let’s start with the two big box stores across town.” She keeps her eyes fixed on her screen.
I patiently wait for her to make eye contact with me.
Finally, she looks up. Her gaze falters when it meets mine. “Are we going?”
“Yeah, we’re going.”
“Sorry, that came out rude.” Her cheeks pinken.
“When you get into an Uber, please look up and make sure you’re in the right car.” I smile at her, my eyes roaming her familiar face.
She’s only sat in the front seat of my car a few times. The last time—not long before the airport event—she’d had a second drink after we worked out, so I drove her home. She’d sat next to me that night and laughed extra hard at my jokes. She’d let her hand linger on my forearm, and...
Oh, fuck.
How did I never notice?
But it’s all ancient history now.
I lift my chin toward the cup holders. “I got us coffee.”
The color deepens on her cheeks as she stares for another beat before looking down at the steaming beverages.
“Thank you.” Britt picks up a cup and takes a sip, her eyes squinting with pleasure. “Perfect. We’re going to need a lot of coffee to get through today.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s a challenge. We’re Team Light Finders. Or, uh, Team Light It Up? You’re better at the branding stuff. I’m just a numbers guy.”
She rolls her head to me and blinks a hundred times, one for each box of lights we need to locate. “We’re just looking for lights. Okay?” But there’s a twinkle in her eye.
“All business. Got it.” I nod.
“Let’s go then.” She gestures to the road.
We’re quiet until we pull up to the first store five minutes later.
“How’s Jackson?” I follow her through the parking lot, entering the store side by side through sliding doors.
“He’s great.” But she crinkles the sides of her face for a brief second, and I’m not sure I believe her. “Oh, this way.” Britt directs us to the seasonal displays. “My ex and I are doing well co-parenting. It feels like we finally figured it all out. It only took four years.”
I grunt. How long will it be before Reese and I are like that? It doesn’t help that at fourteen, Chelsea is a fully functional mini-adult, so Reese and I don’t have to exchange a ton of information.
