Page 76 of Electric Blue Love
“You’ll always be my family, Court. If it weren’t for you…” her voice broke and I kicked her back under the table.
“I’m excited for you, kid. When’s all this happening?”
“Soon. Sometime this month hopefully. We’re going back tomorrow to try and nail down dates and find a place to live that isn’t his parents’ basement.”
I let out a chuckle and sat back in the booth trying to relax and enjoy this, knowing soon these types of outings would have to be planned out way in advanced and would probably be weeks or months in between.
“Now, your turn for the hot seat.” Leika sat forward and leaned her elbows on the table. “Have you called Bianca?”
I shot her a look of surprise. Leika had treaded carefully around the topic since the confrontation with my father. “No, she made things clear the last time I saw her.”
I left out the part about her being back and not having contacted me, but then something struck me… Leika latched on to Bianca right away when they met, in fact I knew that Leika had texted Bianca after she’d gone back to school.
“Did you know she’s back?” I accused.
Leika smirked. No hint of apology in her voice when she said, “I wondered when you were going to figure that out.”
“How exactly was I supposed to figure that out? It’s not like we’re still speaking. The only reason I know is because her brother let it slip her mother had an accident. Is she okay?”
“I’m not playing messenger. If you want to know you’ll have to call her yourself.”
“She made a choice,” I said through gritted teeth.
“A choice to get her mother the best doctor she could find. Do you really hold that against her while blackmailing him to help her at the same time?”
“You know it isn’t that simple.”
“It is to her.”
“I just –” my voice cut out and I hesitated, trying to decide if I was really going to admit what Leika already knew but I’d never confirmed with words. I took a deep breath. “I thought she was different. That she would stand by my side and fight with me. Fight for me. I thought she’d stay.”
“Her mother is sick, Court. She didn’t do it to hurt you. In fact, my guess is it hurt her a great deal to make that choice. The ridiculous thing is that she did exactly what you wished everyone would have done for you – she stood by the people who love and depend on her. It’s who she is. She will always stand by the people she loves, you included, but you have to earn that love. Right now, she needs you. It’d be a good time to stop wishing things were different and start showing her how much she means to you. Does she have any clue what you did for her? Why your father is helping them?”
“No.” I shot her a warning look. “You didn’t tell her, did you?”
“Of course not, but I think she has a right to know.”
“All that matters is her mom gets the care she needs.”
Leika smirked as she lifted her glass. “You’re completely in love with her.”
My eyes widened, and a weight settled in my stomach. I didn’t bother refuting Leika’s words. Maybe I hadn’t said it aloud, but I’d been grappling with the same realization for weeks now. I couldn’t get her out of my system. Didn’t even really want to.
“Can we talk about something else?” I muttered and swallowed the last of my beer.
“Sure,” Leika chirped. “Let’s talk about the toast you’re going to give at my engagement party next weekend.”
I shook my head and let out a rough chuckle. “Why don’t you just write it for me since I’m sure you have a very specific list of things I can and cannot say.”
It was after eight when Leika finally sighed and said she needed to get home to pack for her weekend away. We hugged, both holding on for a little longer than usual. Things were changing, and it seemed we both felt uneasy about that.
“Love ya, kid,” I said as I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Make sure your place has a spare bedroom. If I’m visiting freaking New Jersey I don’t want to sleep on the couch.”
I’d just settledinto bed when the ping of an incoming text set my heart to beating wildly. It didn’t matter that it had been months without talking to him – every text still had me hopeful that it was him. And every time I looked at the screen, that hope dissolved into a wave of disappointment.
Leika: I got engaged! Party next Friday at 7pm. Address attached.
Me: Congratulations!
