Too bad, Hads.
“About what he said…” I begin, and her finger freezes on the rim of the mug. I mentally will her eyes to look at me, and it works. I stare into her baby blue crystals. “Is that true?”
She clears her throat, her pink lips parting.Eyes off her lips, Braxton.
“You’re my best friend.” She shrugs. “Of course, I never shut up about you.” My heart sinks. She has a point. Maybe it wasn’t what I made it out to be.
“But why did he assume we were dating?”
Again, she shrugs. Her eyes shift back to the mug in her hand as she responds. “Beats me. I guess because we’re here together. Just us.”
“Yeah, guess so.” I huff, shoulders falling. Surely I wasn’t making all her nervousness up in my head. I know Hadley loves to flirt with me, but it’s because it gets under my skin. Or it used to before I decided to flirt back. There is chemistry here, though. She has to feel it. I’m not giving up just yet, but I do let it go for now.
For now.
“You know what this day reminds me of? The last time we went to a fair together?” Hadley asks as she swaddles the coffee mug between her hands.
I smile, hoping it’s the memory I’m thinking of. “The Juniper Grove county fair?”
“Sixth grade.” She takes a long sip of coffee, shifting her eyes away. I mimic her actions except I keep my eyes glued on her, watching her subtle movements.
“Do we talk about that day now?”
She shrugs. “Why not? We’re mature adults.”
“The day Hadley Dawson became a woman. In front of the entire town.”
She rolls her eyes with a laugh, then meets my eyes, all traces of humor gone. “You were so good to me that day. While everyone else shouted quite creative names for the girl with crimson on her white pants, you took care of me. You didn’t care about your reputation or ego. You were just…there.”
“Where else was I supposed to be?” I knit my eyebrows together. “You needed me.”
“Despite the unusually cold night, you wrapped your jacket around my waist. Then you bought me a pretzel and walked me home.” Hadley sighs, rubbing her forearm. “You’ve always been there. Here. And I don’t think I’ve said thank you. So…thank you.”
Dumbfounded, I search for a response while I search her tear-filled eyes, trying to find the more-than-a-friend love there. Nothing other than “I love you, that’s why”feels worthy enough to be said right now.I swallow the lump rising in my throat. This is my opening. The moment I could confess everything and get on with my plan to make this woman my partner in life.
But the second my lips part, the door to the coffee house swings open, bells chiming.
Moment over. Hadley shakes her head as if waking up from a daydream. Because maybe that’s all we are… an unattainable dream.
No, that’s not right. There is so much more to us, but it can wait just a little bit longer.
“Ready to get back to the hotel for the night?” I ask.
“I got about a quarter of a cup of coffee left, Rawls. Don’t rush my coffee drinking,” she threatens with a smile, back to her pre-memory lane self.
“Down, Bully.” I hold my hands up and lean back, as if releasing the desire to spill my guts here and now in the simple motion. She grimaces before throwing the rest of her coffee back.
“Alright, Rawls.” Hadley stands and begins walking out of the coffee shop. I watch her walk away for the second time today. She flings her head around to smirk at me. “You coming? Or are you just going to keep watching me walk?”
Heat flashes up my neck, and I stand up and follow after her, nodding good day to the barista who is holding back a laugh. I hear the laugh let loose as the coffee shop doors swing closed behind me. The icing on the cake? That song about being a girl’s boyfriend without the benefits is playing on the patio speakers outside the coffee shop. I researched the singer and lyrics while Hadley finished her McDonald’s food earlier, and I’ve adopted the song as my anthem.Thank you, Mason Kane.
Chapter Fifteen
Hadley
Braxtonisintheshower right on the other side of this very thin wall. I can hear the water droplets hitting the floor of the tub and…
Oh dear heavens.Someone shut my brain off!
