Page 79 of The Broken Heart Playlist
“I can’t believe it either,” I mutter.
She gives a tiny hand clap. “This is so romantic! Your ship name can beGate.” She deflates a little. “Actually, that’s sort of a lame name.”
It’s as though my sister speaks another language sometimes. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s when you put parts of two names together to create a relationship nickname,” she explains. “Like—”
I wave an irritated hand in the air. “I got it.”
When everyone returns to the table, Tess offers to make coffee and Gideon stands to help her. After the two of them disappear into the kitchen, my imagination runs riot picturing them alone together, Tess with her runaway mouth and Gideon with his unquenchable interest. My skin itches, like I’m about to break out in hives.
I attempt to distract myself by helping Aaron and Lisset with the waterfall puzzle they’re piecing together at the table, but it’s not working. After a couple of minutes, I get to my feet.
“I’m just going to check if they need help bringing out the coffees,” I say to no one in particular.
Aaron shoots me a knowing look. “Uh-huh.”
As I approach the kitchen, I hear the murmur of voices and then I hear my name mentioned. I knew it! My steps falter slightly while I debate what to do. Nothing good ever comesfrom eavesdropping. At least that’s Grandma’s claim. I should heed her warning and leave, but the pull of my curiosity is too great.
“You really like Kate?” I hear Tess ask.
Gideon’s voice reaches me, low and quiet. “I really do.”
My heart is pounding. They say something else, but they’re moving around and I struggle to hear. I inch a little closer.
“Have you always had rescue dogs?” Tess asks.
“I have.”
“And the work you do with Uno, it’s helping children to read? Children who struggle?”
“Yes.”
Tess is leading somewhere with these questions. Judging from his short answers, Gideon seems to sense it too.
“Is that why you’re drawn to Kate?”
A weighted pause. “What do you mean?”
“You’re clearly a rescuer,” Tess explains. “I’m trying to understand if you’re attracted to Kate because you’re drawn to broken things.”
My stomach drops. Could there be some measure of truth to Tess’s statement? Am I Gideon’s charity case? I hold my breath waiting for his answer.
“Kate’s not broken,” Gideon says softly. “She may be a little damaged, but she’s not broken.”
“But you want to fix her,” Tess insists.
“She doesn’t need me to fix her,” he replies. “She’s capable of doing that on her own. I want to help her see that she’s strong enough.”
I’m rooted to the spot hearing Gideon’s quiet confidence in me. The man believes in me. He simply wants me to believe in myself.
Something strange is happening to my heart. It’s beating so hard against the confines of my ribcage, as if it wants to break free and soar.
At the table, while we’re drinking our coffee, Tess is telling us about the movie,Where the Crawdads Sing. Apparently, they watched it last night and it made such an impact she feels compelled to describe it to us in detail. It’s almost as bad as people giving a blow-by-blow account of their dreams. Tess is trying to explain the ending, but her voice keeps cracking and tears are pooling in her eyes. “And then Kya is really old and living at her home in the Marsh and there’s her mother and...”
It’s become increasingly difficult to work out what Tess is trying to say. She’s gasping and sniffling and her voice is now so high-pitched it’s beyond the range of human comprehension.
Aaron places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Do you want me to explain the ending?”
