“I never doubted your strength, my dear,” Lou says, patting my hand.“But the worst part about being as strong as you are, Amy, is that nobody knows how much you’re hurting.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Matthew interjects, his voice low.
My head snaps up.Our eyes meet.
He knows.He’s seen.
The thought is both terrifying and strangely comforting.
Matthew rips his eyes from mine.His jaw tightens as he pushes his chair back, the legs scraping against the floor.“Nice meeting you, Lou.”
“That’sLouisto you,” Lou corrects him.
“Louis,” Matthew repeats, sending him a curt nod before heading toward my office.
I watch him walk away, my gaze snagged on the confident line of his shoulders.The same man whose job it is to take my dream away is the one who offered me a safe place to sleep.He’s the ruthless lawyer who holds my future in his hands, yet he’s the kind stranger who sat on the floor and gently wiped away my tears.
How can they possibly be the same person?
“That young man had me fooled,” Lou says in disappointment.
“You and me both,” I mutter, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Lou asks gently.
“I didn’t want to worry you,” I confess, looking down at my hands clasped around the warm mug.“And I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Disappoint me?”he echoes, surprised.“You can never disappoint me.”He squeezes my hand.I squeeze back, grateful for this kind old man who has become the father I never had.
I glance at his book and its worn cover.“Don’t you wish life was more like a novel?”I ask with a wistful smile.“A little less messy, a little more predictable…”
“Meaningless,” Lou says.
“Easier,” I counter.
“My dear, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.”
“Yeah,” I agree, my eyebrows rising and falling.“I’m learning that.”I sip my coffee, hoping to draw some strength from the caffeine, but the anxiety remains, a cold weight in my chest.
“You’re not alone in this,” he reminds me, his gaze steady.“So many people love this place and wouldn’t want to see it close.”
I nod, drawing strength from his words.
“I’m ready to help you in every way that I can,” he adds.
“Thanks, Lou,” I smile, rising from my chair.“Well, better not keep Matthew waiting.”
“He’s a good man, that Matthew,” Lou says, making me spin back.
“You made him call you Louis,” I remind him, amused.
“I didn’t say what he’s doing is right,” Lou says, defensive.“I’m simply saying that a person shouldn’t be defined by their job.”
“Simply…” I nod, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Simply,” he repeats with a shrug and a playful wink.
“I’ll talk to you later, Lou.”
