“Sure, that sounds great!” I shiver again. “When were you planning on heading out?”
He squeezes me tighter. “Go shower before you freeze to death. You can text me when you’re ready, and I’ll drive us.”
I nod in agreement and break free from his embrace. I immediately feel the tension break when I’m out of his arms. My mind may know that Andrew and I have been apart for a while and need some time to get back to where we were, but my body certainly doesn’t.
“I’ll text you,” I say as I begin walking down the dock. He just stands there, watching me walk away.
Sitting outside the ice cream shop, Andrew has a double scoop in a cone with mint cookie and huckleberry, an odd combination to me, but they’re two of his favorites. The huckleberry is a seasonal flavor only offered when the huckleberries are at their peak, and the mint cookie is supposedly the best mint he’s ever had with “the most natural mint flavor I’ve ever tasted.” I took a lick off his cone to taste it, and he’s not wrong.
I spoon a bite off the top of my double scoop in a bowl. I savor the chocolate cherry chunk, before asking, “How was track this year?”
“I qualified for Nationals in the triple jump.”
“Andrew, that’s incredible!”
“And then I burst into flames at the actual meet. I did terrible.” He draws out the last word for emphasis.
“It’s still impressive you made it that far, especially as a freshman.”
He nods in acknowledgment.
I twirl my spoon around a couple of timesbefore actually taking a bite. When I finally swallow my ice cream, Andrew remains silent, leaving me nothing but room to ask what is really on my mind. “What made you decide to take me here today?”
He pauses, mid-lick. After a beat, he continues and then holds his cone down lower as he responds. “I just wanted a normal day with you again. Everything has been so heavy lately, and I’ve missed the bookstore and this heaven.” He holds his ice cream up in the air to show me.
I chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve missed everything being simple too.”
For some reason, the memory of my dream comes floating back. I still need to ask Andrew about doing the mud run with me. “Not to ruin it, but I had this dream last night, and it got me thinking.”
He raises his brows with amusement and sits back on the bench, watching my face. “You had a dream that has been making you think? This should be good.”
I shove his shoulder. “Oh, stop it, Andrew. I’m being serious!”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just teasing you. I’m listening. You know I’ll always listen when you need me to.”
“I do know.” I start on my second scoop of ice cream, chocolate peanut butter brownie, loaded with fudge, peanut butter swirls, and big brownie globs. “Anyway, I remembered Rebecca and I were supposed to do a mud run this summer. It’s not until mid-August, so there’s still plenty of time before it.” Avoiding his piercing gaze, and feeling vulnerable, I lower my voice a decibel. “I was hoping you’d do it with me since Rebecca can’t anymore. I know you already said you’d be willing to run with me this summer, and you said you’d help me figure out how to start living my life again, so I thought maybe?—”
Andrew cuts me off. “I’d love to do it with you, Em.”
I smile. “Really? Are you sure?”
Andrew is nodding his head vigorously. “Of course! It’sobviously important to you, and the fact that you still want to do it is huge. I’m definitely going to support that!”
“Thank you.” I reach over to touch his arm, squeezing. He twists his arm around to grab my hand. He holds it for longer than expected. His touch sends an electric charge up my arm and through the rest of my body, resulting in a pink blush on my cheeks. Surely, he notices. I shy away, taking my hand back to scoop more of my ice cream. “It’s melting.”
He clears his throat and redirects the conversation. “Is there anything else you had in mind to do this summer so we canreallylive our lives to the fullest?” A smile cracks wide on his face.
I think of Rebecca’s words from earlier.I should ask him to take me on a date, or I should just lean in for a kiss. Maybe I should just lay out all of my feelings on the table for him and eliminate the confusion sitting between us.We were so close before, like Rebecca said. Except that wasn’t Rebecca. It was just a version of her that my subconscious made up.Doesn’t that still mean that’s what I want to do, what I should do?The little devil on my shoulder asks. She’s a pesky little thing.
“Em?” Andrew looks at me closely. “Did I lose you?”
I shake my head a little, trying to understand what he’s talking about. When my focus comes back, I mutter, “Sorry, I was just thinking more about that dream I told you about.”
“Oh, were there other things it inspired you to do?”
“It was just a dream.” I sigh. “I can’t put too much weight into it.”
He nods in approval, but I can’t help but notice the look of disappointment that crosses his face too. “Were there any non-dream-inspired things you wanted to do?”
