* * *
Addison
After we ate at theHappy Horse, a quaint deliand antiques shop in a house right on the highway and complete with plastic lawn furniture for the rustic outside dining experience, we headed back to the motel. By the time I walked into my room, I was wrecked. I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of my melancholy.
I told Dylan I was going to take a nap while she transcribed our notes and made a few phone calls, but the minute my head hit thepillow, tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dylan and Asher’s story. The way Dylan knew Asher was it for her...that’s how I’d felt about Jake. How could I have been so wrong about him? I checked my phone, but there were no missed calls or messages. Apparently he hadn’t felt the same.
“Asshole,” I grumbled, tossing my phone on the bed.
“Addie?” Dylan knocked on the adjoiningdoor and pushed it open. “Hey, do you want—what’s wrong?”
I shrugged, looking away. “I don’t know, I’m just...blue I guess.”
She sat beside me and nudged my shoulder. “Missing Jake?”
I burst into tears, which was normally unlike me, but lately I couldn’t seem to control myself. Dylan wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Oh, buddy, this is bad.”
“I love him, Dylan. I don’t know how I’m goingto live without him...not that I plan to off myself or anything...”
“That’s good,” she grumbled.
“But I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest, and I just want him to hold me, but first I want to kick him in the goo-goo,” I sobbed, and buried my face in my hands. I heard Dylan snort quietly and I glared at her. “Don’t laugh. It’s not funny.”
“Goo-goo? Babe, it’s kind of funny.”
“You’relaughing at my devastation? Nice, Dylan.”
“No, I’m laughing because you said you want to kick Jake in the goo-goo.”
“Well, I do!” I snapped. “He’s a butt.”
She gave my shoulders a squeeze. “I know, buddy. He’s a total asshat.”
“Should I call him?”
“No, you should absolutelynotcall him.”
“But maybe if he hears my voice, he’ll realize how much he loves me and that he can’t live without meeither.”
“Addison, I understand the desire to talk to him, but he’s got to be the one who calls you or you’ll look like a desperate and crazy stalker type.”
“But Iama desperate and crazy stalker type!”
“Crazy maybe, but you’re not quite at the desperate level yet. And I’ve never known you to stalk a guy.”
I slapped my chest. “You don’t know Dylan. It feels icky in here. I don’t like it.”
“I know,” she whispered.
I decided I’d had enough of my pity party, so I wiped my cheeks, shrugged off Dylan’s sympathetic arm, and rose to my feet. “Well, that’s enough of that. I’m going to distract myself from him and read something happy and romantic.”
“You do that, Addie. And I’m going to go finish working on this fat surprise I have planned for you. It’s guaranteed to cheer you up.”
Iwrinkled my nose. “I hate surprises.”
“I know you do, but you’ll love this one. Now read your lovey-dovey mushy crap and let me get back to work.” She walked to her room and closed the door.
