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Page 54
“I’ve been here since eight a.m.”
I turned to look at him. “Why?”
“I only knew you were getting in today, not what time. I looked it up, and there was one flight originating in New Orleans, switching in Atlanta, that landed at nine thirty.”
“Oh. I thought you just came with Andrew.”
“You think I invited your ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas with us?” Andrew butted in. “That would be pretty low.”
“So my mom doesn’t know Toby’s here?”
Andrew shook his head. “I didn’t know until I found him waiting.”
“Good.” At least I didn’t have to be mad at the people I was spending the week with.
“You look great.” Toby’s voice came from right behind me. He pressed his body against my back, using the crowd as an excuse to get close. “But, then again, you always look great.”
It was strange being so close to him again. It was familiar and comfortable in a way I didn’t like. “I don’t know what you were expecting, but I have a feeling you’re going to be disappointed.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything. I just needed to see you.”
I watched the sea of black bags moving around the belt. I noticed the pink tag I’d tied around the handle of my rolling suitcase and reached for it. Toby placed a hand over mine. “I’ve got it.”
I backed up and let him pull it off.
“What do you have in here, rocks?”
I shrugged. “I brought a few pairs of boots and lots of sweaters.”
He laughed. “You really don’t know how to pack light.”
“And it’s really not your problem.”
He nudged me with his free hand. “I’m just joking.”
“There’s mine.” Hailey grabbed her bag.
“I could have gotten that for you.” Andrew tried to take the bag.
“It’s not a problem.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
I smiled. Hailey was enjoying his attention, even if she didn’t want to show it.
I turned back to Toby. “You can drop my bag.”
“I’ve got it.”
“And I’m leaving.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No you’re not. Andrew is not giving you a ride.” I gave Andrew a look daring him to argue. He nodded. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought.
“Why don’t you let me give you a ride? I’ll follow Andrew back to where you’re staying. It will give us a chance to talk privately.”
“Not a chance.” I yanked my bag out of his hand, quickly putting it down so I could roll it. “Let’s go.” I started walking, hoping Andrew and Hailey would follow.
“Cut me a break, Allie. I left at three in the morning to drive up here.”
I turned back to him. “Whose choice was that?”
“How far away are you guys?” Toby asked Andrew.
“About a half hour.”
“I think you can handle thirty minutes in the car with me. You’ve spent a lot more time than that with me before.” He gave me his puppy dog look that always broke me.
“And then what? You’re going to drop me off and leave.”
“If you really want me to.”
I turned to Hailey. “I don’t want to prolong this. Do you mind if I go with him and we’ll follow you?”
“Not if that’s what you want.”
Andrew grinned. “I’m sure I’ll keep Hailey entertained.”
I waited as Andrew gave Toby the address of our condo in case we got separated. I hoped that wouldn’t be an issue.
We walked out the lot. Hailey pulled me aside to whisper in my ear. “Call me if you need me. I probably shouldn’t separate from you, but you seemed to want some time to deal with him.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s just Toby.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready to talk when we get there.”
I hugged her. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
Toby opened the back of his silver Acura SUV. He wordlessly picked up my bag and placed it inside, next to his own, before closing it. He followed me to the passenger side and opened my door for me. Toby always insisted on that. When we first started dating it had seemed so charming. By the end, it got annoying.
I buckled up as I waited for him to get in.
He glanced over and smiled at me before typing the address into the GPS. He pulled out of the spot and caught up with Andrew as he paid and left the lot.
“I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“You and me both.”
“Your friend seems nice.”
“She is. She’s awesome.” At least Hailey was a safe topic.
“Is she on your floor or something?”
“She’s my roommate. We met over the summer.”
“Oh, cool.” He fidgeted with the radio, finally settling on a classic rock station.
It was obvious the car had been sitting outside for hours, it was freezing. I pulled my pea coat tighter around me, trying to get warm.
“You cold?”
I nodded. I really looked at him for the first time. Nothing about him had actually changed. He still had the same slightly long, brown hair, but he looked different. Almost older somehow.
He reached over and turned on my heated seat. “I would have done that right away, but you’re never cold.”
“I’m not used to the temperature yet.”
“What, a few months down south ruined you?”
“I’m not ruined.”
He looked at me. “No, you’re not.”
I glanced out the window and watched the wintery landscape. It must have recently snowed, because a fresh layer of white coated the grass and trees. “Why are you really here?”
“I already told you. I needed to see you.”
“Why? There’s nothing left to talk about.”
“Of course there is. We need to talk about us.” He picked up my left hand in his.
“There is no us—”
“There’s an us.” He squeezed my hand, and I tried to pull it away.
“Nice ring. You’ve never been a ring person.” His grip on my hand tightened.
I wasn’t going to lie. Honesty was probably my only way to get through to Toby. “It’s from Levi.”
He stiffened. “I’m going to hope you’re wearing it on your left hand because it doesn’t fit on your right.”
I turned to look at him. “Why?”
“I only knew you were getting in today, not what time. I looked it up, and there was one flight originating in New Orleans, switching in Atlanta, that landed at nine thirty.”
“Oh. I thought you just came with Andrew.”
“You think I invited your ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas with us?” Andrew butted in. “That would be pretty low.”
“So my mom doesn’t know Toby’s here?”
Andrew shook his head. “I didn’t know until I found him waiting.”
“Good.” At least I didn’t have to be mad at the people I was spending the week with.
“You look great.” Toby’s voice came from right behind me. He pressed his body against my back, using the crowd as an excuse to get close. “But, then again, you always look great.”
It was strange being so close to him again. It was familiar and comfortable in a way I didn’t like. “I don’t know what you were expecting, but I have a feeling you’re going to be disappointed.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything. I just needed to see you.”
I watched the sea of black bags moving around the belt. I noticed the pink tag I’d tied around the handle of my rolling suitcase and reached for it. Toby placed a hand over mine. “I’ve got it.”
I backed up and let him pull it off.
“What do you have in here, rocks?”
I shrugged. “I brought a few pairs of boots and lots of sweaters.”
He laughed. “You really don’t know how to pack light.”
“And it’s really not your problem.”
He nudged me with his free hand. “I’m just joking.”
“There’s mine.” Hailey grabbed her bag.
“I could have gotten that for you.” Andrew tried to take the bag.
“It’s not a problem.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
I smiled. Hailey was enjoying his attention, even if she didn’t want to show it.
I turned back to Toby. “You can drop my bag.”
“I’ve got it.”
“And I’m leaving.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No you’re not. Andrew is not giving you a ride.” I gave Andrew a look daring him to argue. He nodded. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought.
“Why don’t you let me give you a ride? I’ll follow Andrew back to where you’re staying. It will give us a chance to talk privately.”
“Not a chance.” I yanked my bag out of his hand, quickly putting it down so I could roll it. “Let’s go.” I started walking, hoping Andrew and Hailey would follow.
“Cut me a break, Allie. I left at three in the morning to drive up here.”
I turned back to him. “Whose choice was that?”
“How far away are you guys?” Toby asked Andrew.
“About a half hour.”
“I think you can handle thirty minutes in the car with me. You’ve spent a lot more time than that with me before.” He gave me his puppy dog look that always broke me.
“And then what? You’re going to drop me off and leave.”
“If you really want me to.”
I turned to Hailey. “I don’t want to prolong this. Do you mind if I go with him and we’ll follow you?”
“Not if that’s what you want.”
Andrew grinned. “I’m sure I’ll keep Hailey entertained.”
I waited as Andrew gave Toby the address of our condo in case we got separated. I hoped that wouldn’t be an issue.
We walked out the lot. Hailey pulled me aside to whisper in my ear. “Call me if you need me. I probably shouldn’t separate from you, but you seemed to want some time to deal with him.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s just Toby.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready to talk when we get there.”
I hugged her. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
Toby opened the back of his silver Acura SUV. He wordlessly picked up my bag and placed it inside, next to his own, before closing it. He followed me to the passenger side and opened my door for me. Toby always insisted on that. When we first started dating it had seemed so charming. By the end, it got annoying.
I buckled up as I waited for him to get in.
He glanced over and smiled at me before typing the address into the GPS. He pulled out of the spot and caught up with Andrew as he paid and left the lot.
“I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“You and me both.”
“Your friend seems nice.”
“She is. She’s awesome.” At least Hailey was a safe topic.
“Is she on your floor or something?”
“She’s my roommate. We met over the summer.”
“Oh, cool.” He fidgeted with the radio, finally settling on a classic rock station.
It was obvious the car had been sitting outside for hours, it was freezing. I pulled my pea coat tighter around me, trying to get warm.
“You cold?”
I nodded. I really looked at him for the first time. Nothing about him had actually changed. He still had the same slightly long, brown hair, but he looked different. Almost older somehow.
He reached over and turned on my heated seat. “I would have done that right away, but you’re never cold.”
“I’m not used to the temperature yet.”
“What, a few months down south ruined you?”
“I’m not ruined.”
He looked at me. “No, you’re not.”
I glanced out the window and watched the wintery landscape. It must have recently snowed, because a fresh layer of white coated the grass and trees. “Why are you really here?”
“I already told you. I needed to see you.”
“Why? There’s nothing left to talk about.”
“Of course there is. We need to talk about us.” He picked up my left hand in his.
“There is no us—”
“There’s an us.” He squeezed my hand, and I tried to pull it away.
“Nice ring. You’ve never been a ring person.” His grip on my hand tightened.
I wasn’t going to lie. Honesty was probably my only way to get through to Toby. “It’s from Levi.”
He stiffened. “I’m going to hope you’re wearing it on your left hand because it doesn’t fit on your right.”
