Where the Road Takes Me
Page 46
“Hey, beautiful.”
“You know what I love?” she said groggily.
“What?”
She skimmed her fingers over my nose. “These little freckles, right here. They don’t come out often. Sometimes in the sunlight. Barely ever indoors. But they’re out now. I bet it’s just for me.”
“I bet it is.”
Her eyes drifted shut again as she pressed her lips against my nose. And for a moment, I forgot that that was it. That the moment—right there—was as good as it would get for us.
It was the greatest thing we’d never have.
The thought created a knot in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t shake it. “You want to shower?”
“Okay.”
I kissed her once and tried to smile. “I’ll go after you, and then maybe we can get something to eat?”
“Sounds great.”
Last night, when she’d been in my arms, I’d asked her to stay—not in those exact words—but she’d known what I’d meant. She hadn’t responded, and that had been enough of an answer for me.
I’d wanted to tell her that I loved her—or at least I thought I did. But then she’d told me how she felt about me, and the word love hadn’t felt like enough.
I had three and a half days to find words that were enough. Even if she didn’t stay, at least she’d know how I felt about her.
She’d told me she’d wait outside while I showered. When I stepped out of the house, she was leaning against my car, and my mother was with her.
“I invited your mom. I hope you don’t mind.”
What was I supposed to say? That I did mind? That I wanted her all to myself and that I wanted her to be mine? “That’s cool.”
“I also rang Mary, and everyone else is going to meet us there.”
“Okay.”
“And Josh, too.”
My smile was tight, but I nodded anyway.
We got in my car and drove to Clayton’s restaurant, her hand on my leg the entire drive.
My mom linked arms with me as I watched Chloe walking ahead and into the restaurant. “It might be the last time she gets to be with everyone, Blake. Don’t be selfish. Let her have this moment.”
I looked down at her. “When did you get so smart?”
“Honey, I write romance novels. You don’t think I know what goes on in the minds of two people in love?”
Chloe
I frowned when Mary, Dean, and the kids walked in.
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked. He must’ve been watching me.
“Harry’s not here,” I said into his shoulder.
He put his arm behind me and brought my temple to his lips. “I’m sorry.”
They all joined us in the corner booth.
“Harry’s coming,” Dean said. “He wanted to meet us here. Said he had something he had to do.”
I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
“Dean, Mary, this is my mom, Celia.” Blake made the introductions. They talked among themselves for a while as I watched the seconds tick by. My eyes moved from the clock to the front door, waiting for Harry. When I saw him walk in with a skateboard under his arm, my heart leapt. I couldn’t contain my smile. Blake squeezed my shoulder once before standing up to bump fists with him. He took a seat on the other side, suggesting that Harry sit next to me. It was a small gesture, but one that didn’t go unnoticed. I was thankful that he’d thought of it. I was thankful for him.
“Hey,” Harry greeted.
“Hi,” I squeaked. I was nervous. I wasn’t sure what Harry would say to me.
“Can I sit?”
“Of course.”
He sat down and placed a bag on the table. “I got you something,” he said quietly.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I was still looking down at the table. Too ashamed to face him after what had happened between us.
“It’s not really for you. It’s more for me.” He tipped the bag and emptied the contents.
A phone.
“It’s an upgrade from your old flip phone. This one has Internet and stuff.”
I finally managed to look up at him. He was smiling, but the moment was awkward.
“I bought enough credit for a year. They charged it while I was buying it. I loaded Facebook on it and made you an account.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you have a Facebook account now. I’m your only friend. You can chat, send me pictures. Whatever.” He slid the phone over to me. “And it’s a gift. Mary always says never to look a gift horse in the mouth. I don’t really know what that means, but I think it means that if you get a gift, then you have to use it. This is my gift to you—you have to use it. You have to stay in touch. Send me messages. Pictures of where you are and what you’re doing. You have to let me know that you’re okay, and that you’re healthy.”
Mary sniffed, pulling me out of my thoughts. She buried her face in Dean’s arm.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, Chloe,” Harry said.
“Thank you. I love it,” I said, wiping my cheeks.
“Promise me you’ll use it.”
I laughed. “You’re going to have to show me how.”
He grinned and picked up the phone.
I tried to listen to his instructions, but instead I noticed Blake watching us the entire time, his eyebrows drawn and a frown on his face.
He stayed that way until the bell above the door chimed, and Josh ran in, carrying Tommy. “Hey, everyone,” Josh’s words rushed out, and then he set Tommy on the floor. Tommy stood on wobbly feet. “Okay, Tommy. Do it!” Josh ordered.
Tommy dropped himself on his diaper-covered butt.
Josh rolled his eyes, picked him up, and set him on his feet again.
We all watched.
“He did it this morning, took his first step,” Josh informed us, his eyes trained on Tommy. “Go on, buddy, do it again.”
Tommy stood still. His little eyes moving from one person to the other.
“Come on,” Josh encouraged. “You’re making a liar out of your daddy.”
Tommy moved.
We held our breaths.
But then he fell on his butt again.
“You know what I love?” she said groggily.
“What?”
She skimmed her fingers over my nose. “These little freckles, right here. They don’t come out often. Sometimes in the sunlight. Barely ever indoors. But they’re out now. I bet it’s just for me.”
“I bet it is.”
Her eyes drifted shut again as she pressed her lips against my nose. And for a moment, I forgot that that was it. That the moment—right there—was as good as it would get for us.
It was the greatest thing we’d never have.
The thought created a knot in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t shake it. “You want to shower?”
“Okay.”
I kissed her once and tried to smile. “I’ll go after you, and then maybe we can get something to eat?”
“Sounds great.”
Last night, when she’d been in my arms, I’d asked her to stay—not in those exact words—but she’d known what I’d meant. She hadn’t responded, and that had been enough of an answer for me.
I’d wanted to tell her that I loved her—or at least I thought I did. But then she’d told me how she felt about me, and the word love hadn’t felt like enough.
I had three and a half days to find words that were enough. Even if she didn’t stay, at least she’d know how I felt about her.
She’d told me she’d wait outside while I showered. When I stepped out of the house, she was leaning against my car, and my mother was with her.
“I invited your mom. I hope you don’t mind.”
What was I supposed to say? That I did mind? That I wanted her all to myself and that I wanted her to be mine? “That’s cool.”
“I also rang Mary, and everyone else is going to meet us there.”
“Okay.”
“And Josh, too.”
My smile was tight, but I nodded anyway.
We got in my car and drove to Clayton’s restaurant, her hand on my leg the entire drive.
My mom linked arms with me as I watched Chloe walking ahead and into the restaurant. “It might be the last time she gets to be with everyone, Blake. Don’t be selfish. Let her have this moment.”
I looked down at her. “When did you get so smart?”
“Honey, I write romance novels. You don’t think I know what goes on in the minds of two people in love?”
Chloe
I frowned when Mary, Dean, and the kids walked in.
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked. He must’ve been watching me.
“Harry’s not here,” I said into his shoulder.
He put his arm behind me and brought my temple to his lips. “I’m sorry.”
They all joined us in the corner booth.
“Harry’s coming,” Dean said. “He wanted to meet us here. Said he had something he had to do.”
I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
“Dean, Mary, this is my mom, Celia.” Blake made the introductions. They talked among themselves for a while as I watched the seconds tick by. My eyes moved from the clock to the front door, waiting for Harry. When I saw him walk in with a skateboard under his arm, my heart leapt. I couldn’t contain my smile. Blake squeezed my shoulder once before standing up to bump fists with him. He took a seat on the other side, suggesting that Harry sit next to me. It was a small gesture, but one that didn’t go unnoticed. I was thankful that he’d thought of it. I was thankful for him.
“Hey,” Harry greeted.
“Hi,” I squeaked. I was nervous. I wasn’t sure what Harry would say to me.
“Can I sit?”
“Of course.”
He sat down and placed a bag on the table. “I got you something,” he said quietly.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I was still looking down at the table. Too ashamed to face him after what had happened between us.
“It’s not really for you. It’s more for me.” He tipped the bag and emptied the contents.
A phone.
“It’s an upgrade from your old flip phone. This one has Internet and stuff.”
I finally managed to look up at him. He was smiling, but the moment was awkward.
“I bought enough credit for a year. They charged it while I was buying it. I loaded Facebook on it and made you an account.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you have a Facebook account now. I’m your only friend. You can chat, send me pictures. Whatever.” He slid the phone over to me. “And it’s a gift. Mary always says never to look a gift horse in the mouth. I don’t really know what that means, but I think it means that if you get a gift, then you have to use it. This is my gift to you—you have to use it. You have to stay in touch. Send me messages. Pictures of where you are and what you’re doing. You have to let me know that you’re okay, and that you’re healthy.”
Mary sniffed, pulling me out of my thoughts. She buried her face in Dean’s arm.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, Chloe,” Harry said.
“Thank you. I love it,” I said, wiping my cheeks.
“Promise me you’ll use it.”
I laughed. “You’re going to have to show me how.”
He grinned and picked up the phone.
I tried to listen to his instructions, but instead I noticed Blake watching us the entire time, his eyebrows drawn and a frown on his face.
He stayed that way until the bell above the door chimed, and Josh ran in, carrying Tommy. “Hey, everyone,” Josh’s words rushed out, and then he set Tommy on the floor. Tommy stood on wobbly feet. “Okay, Tommy. Do it!” Josh ordered.
Tommy dropped himself on his diaper-covered butt.
Josh rolled his eyes, picked him up, and set him on his feet again.
We all watched.
“He did it this morning, took his first step,” Josh informed us, his eyes trained on Tommy. “Go on, buddy, do it again.”
Tommy stood still. His little eyes moving from one person to the other.
“Come on,” Josh encouraged. “You’re making a liar out of your daddy.”
Tommy moved.
We held our breaths.
But then he fell on his butt again.
