Page 69 of The Way I Am Now
She leads the way down the stairs and to her car. “We’re driving?”
“It’s not too far, but . . .” She lifts her heel in this adorable way that makes her look like she’s about to dance. “Not in these shoes.”
“Are you sure this isn’t fancy?”
“Oh my God, I’m not proposing, Josh!” She laughs as she unlocks the doors.
I get in and buckle up. “I feel underdressed.”
“You’re not, I’m just overdressed.”
“Hmm, well . . . to me, you’re always overdressed.”
“What do you mean?” She side-eyes me as she pulls away from the curb. “I never dress up.”
“No,” I tell her, reaching over to touch her bare knee. “I mean, overdressed as in you’re always wearing too much.”
She gasps, pretending to be scandalized. “Well, I never!” She lets her hand float to her heart, and I notice it’s wrapped in a bandage. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Miller.” She laughs. “Or at least have the decency to wait until I’ve proposed.”
“Okay, mind officially out of the gutter.” I take her hand and try to see around the bandage. “What the hell happened to your hand?”
“Oh, nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “Just had a little kitchen accident.”
“Did you cut yourself?”
“No, it’s like a tiny burn. It’s fine.”
“Are you sure? That doesn’t look tiny.”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m tough, you know. I can take a little burn.”
“I know you’re tough.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the outside of the bandage, kind of shocked at how upset I feel to know she got hurt in any way. “But still.”
She takes her hand back and touches my face as she glances over at me. “You worry too much.”
“Get used to it,” I tell her. “That’s my whole shtick.”
She smiles but doesn’t say anything. And I’m watching her so closely, I don’t even realize the car has stopped until she turns to look at me and says, “We’re here.”
“Here?” I look out my window. “Wait, we’re going here? The Flaming Bowl. I love this place.”
“I know,” she says with a tiny giggle. “That’s why I brought you.”
We walk in a few minutes before eight. Eden gives the host her name, and we’re directed to the bar area to wait until our table’s ready. I reach for Eden’s hand, but she tenses up and gently pulls away. “Shit, sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s okay,” she says softly, and moves to the other side of me, offering her right hand instead. “I’m not going to break.”
I see Eden look behind me and grin, but before I can ask why, I hear two distinct voices, one in each ear, say in a whisper, “Surprise!”
I jump and spin around. Dominic and Parker are yelping and shouting, “Oh my God, your face!”
“Did you see it?” Parker exclaims, pulling Eden in for a hug as she hands off a bunch of balloons, strings tied together, floating over our heads.
“What . . . what is this?” I ask.
“It’s your surprise birthday party!” Eden shouts, throwing her arms around me.
“My birthday isn’t until next week.”
