Page 25 of An Impossible Love
“So,” Tim said the following Monday evening when Emmy finally managed to rearrange their movie night, “You sure you won’t have to work tonight?”
She grinned at him. Instead of going out, they’d decided to stay at home—her home—and watch a movie on her flat screen. Emmy had cooked a simple but delicious pasta dish, and now they kicked back with some beers and a vast bowl of popcorn in front of them.
Tim grinned at her, and in the evening light, it was easy to pretend it was Zach. No fair to Tim, Emmy told herself. Tim nodded at the screen. “You’ve seen this before?”
“Many times. It was one of Zach’s favorites, that’s why I chose it.” She sighed. “Tim, I want to say again how sorry I am that you came all of this way, and Zach… he would have loved to reconnect with you, I know it.”
Tim clinked his beer bottle against hers. “Amen to that, Em. But I still got to spend time with you, and that’s no small thing.” He hesitated. “I can easily see why he fell in love with you.”
Emmy swallowed a lump in her throat. “That’s a sweet thing to say.” She met his gaze and he smiled
“All of it true.”
He reached out to stroke her cheek, but his hand fell away before he made contact, and he looked away, embarrassed. “Sorry. I forget myself.”
Emmy felt like crying. “Don’t be. Let’s be honest here, Tim… thereissomething there. But I don’t know if it’s because you resemble Zach so much—and that isn’t fair to you. You deserve better.” She hesitated. “And there’s… someone. Someone I can never be with, but just now, I need to get over him.”
Tim smiled sadly at her. “Who couldn’tyouhave?”
“You’d be surprised. Look, it would be so easy to fall into a relationship with you, Tim, but it wouldn’t be good for either of us. Besides, your heart lies in Oz.” She grinned at him as he took her hand and squeezed it.
“You’re right, kiddo, I know. A guy can dream, though.”
She smiled at him. “Ha, you wouldn’t like me. If Zach were here, he’d tell you about my incessant eating, the snoring, the cookie crumbs in the bed.”
“Shocking.” Tim was chuckling.
“You’ve seen what I do to fajitas.”
Tim pretended to shudder. “Scarred for life. It was a like a werewolf with a fresh lamb.”
“I know, right? And you haven’t seen me eat steak. That’s not pretty.”
“I bet you don’t even have it grilled—just brought to the table, still mooing.”
Emmy grinned widely. “See, you know me too well already.”
“Plus, the gas. Man, you can fart, woman.”
Emmy cackled with laughter. “Dude, if I had farted in front of you, you would have known it.”
“All that meat.”
“Like an Aussie rancher doesn’t know all about gas.”
“Like sonic booms.”
“Gross!”But they both doubled up laughing. When they had caught their breath, Emmy smiled at him.
“Buddies?”
Tim gave her a fist bump. “Besties, always. Now, let’s watch this movie. I see Alicia Vikander is in this, so at least, when I go home alone tonight, I’ll—”
“Donotfinish that sentence,” Emmy giggled at his mischievous face. “T.M.I.”
“Fair enough.”
“Give me some popcorn.”
“Bossy.”
“Shut up.”
