Page 48 of Like A Daydream
“Took long enough,” he says, rolling his eyes.
Andrew lets Danielle step around him, feet crunching through the gravel around the fire, and she takes a seat in one of the empty camping chairs that they’ve set out. She takes the one furthest away, and it doesn’t escape Andrew’s notice that she also folds in on herself as she does.
“Last time I checked, Danielle only lived ten minutes away,” Ainsley says, raising a brow.
“I got lost, okay?” Andrew says, taking the seat next to Danielle. “I took a wrong turn.”
He didn’t take a wrong turn.
He’s always been uncannily good at directions. He just wanted more time with Danielle, so he’d taken a different route back up the mountain.
In his personal experience, what he called “Truck Time” was the best time to bond, and to have conversations. No matter what, the other person couldn’t leave. He’d solved many conflicts with friends by just… taking a drive.
“I don’t believe you,” JT says, raising a brow and looking back and forth between he and Danielle. Ainsley shakes her head, and Andrew takes the chair next to Danielle, wanting more than anything for her to feel comfortable.
“You don’t have to.”
He grabs the leg of her chair, and drags her as close to him as he can. She startles, and he rests a hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll take you home whenever you feel like you need to leave,” he says in a low voice. She nods gratefully, and then lets her eyes drift over to JT and Ainsley. They’re watching both of them, curious.
“I never thought I’d see the day where you’re at my house,” Ainsley says, directing her gaze at Danielle. “Not after Jamie and I got married, at least.”
“I never did, either,” Danielle says, “but I wanted to try. To see what it’s like.”
“What living here is like?” Ainsley asks, raising a brow.
“Ains,” JT warns, voice low as he spears a marshmallow and puts it over the flames.
“No,” Danielle shakes her head. “What it’s like having you guys as friends.”
“We aren’t friends,” Ainsley says, voice sharp. “I don’t know what you think this is, but a truce is all I can give you. And even that is TBD.”
“I know that, and I deserve it,” Danielle says, but she doesn’t elaborate.
“The fact that you’re even here is more than you do,” Ainsley says.
“Ainsley, can you relax?” Andrew says, running a hand over his face. “You said you were going to be civil.”
“You did say that, hot shot,” JT says, lacing his fingers with Ainsley’s.
“I said it but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” Ainsley says, “when there’s been nothing but open hostility for half our lives.”
“I’m not expecting you to forget it,” Danielle says, “I just want to try something different, now. Life has a funny way of showing you what’s worth the effort, and what’s not.”
“Are you doing okay?” JT asks. “I know the last few weeks have been really rough on you.”
“We’re managing,” Danielle says, “Harper is being really brave.”
“So are you,” Andrew says softly, setting his hand on top of hers where it rests on her chair. She shrugs, but doesn’t break the contact. Inwardly, his heart might beat out of his chest. Outwardly, he’s cool as a cucumber. At least, he thinks he is.
“I didn’t lose my mom at six,” she says, brushing over it like her experience doesn’t matter. Like what she’s going through doesn’t matter.
She leans her head on Andrew’s shoulder and closes her eyes, and he feels his heart slam against his ribs. There’s no reason for her to be acting like this, but he can’t say he doesn’t like it.
She goes quiet, releasing a sigh, and he smiles to himself.
“Jamie, your marshmallow is on fire,” Ainsley says.
