Page 64 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘You know I’d never want do anything to hurt you or George, don’t you?’
Cal sat back, his stormy grey eyes fixing on me with an expression I couldn’t read. ‘That sounds ominous.’
I swallowed and didn’t quite meet his eyes.
‘I just …’ I cleared my throat a little and tried again. ‘I just don’t think us … seeing each other quite so often is such a good idea.’
The competent explanationof the situation I’d been forming completely disappeared from my head the moment Cal had fixed that look on me.
‘What’s going on, Lexi?’ Cal’s voice was soft and enquiring, and against my better judgement – but unable to stop myself – I raised my gaze to meet his.
‘I can’t do this,’ I said simply, swallowing hard to try and hold back the tears I could feel threatening.
‘Do what, exactly?’
‘You. Me. Us.’
‘I thought we’d agreed that there was no “us” in that sense of the word.’
‘There isn’t.’
‘OK. Then I’m confused.’
‘I can’t do this. I can’t be this close a friend with you.’
‘Did I do something?’ He looked genuinely concerned.
‘No.’ I let out a sad laugh. ‘God. No. Not at all. In fact, you’re very lovely.’
He spread his hands. ‘Still confused.’
I rubbed my hands over my face,remembering too late that I was wearing make-up and hoping that I didn’t now resemble Coco the Clown.
‘Is this anything to do with the gossip you mentioned earlier?’
‘Sort of. But not in the way you think.’
‘I’m not sure what I think right now. OK, but you have plenty of male friends, right?’
‘I do.’
‘But suddenly I’m an exception.’
He definitely was, but not in the way he was thinking.
‘In this case, yes.’
‘Right,’ he said, simply and took a sip of his water, unlocking his gaze for a moment. A muscle flickered in his jaw, giving away the fact that he wasn’t quite as collected as he seemed. I took the opportunity to take a few deep, calming breaths and to try and remember the cool, sensible reasoning I’d been planning throughout dessert to lay out to him by way of an explanation.
‘So. Is that it, or do I get some enlightenment as to this sudden change of heart?’
‘Cal, please don’t be upset.’
He gave me a look that told me I was on a losing track with that particular line of discussion.
‘It’s for the best, really.’
‘That’s still not an explanation.’
