“Don’t try to kill me with any of those green babies of yours, okay?”
She snorted, like I wanted her to, and we got the food and were back on the road within a few minutes. I devoured the burger and fries before she’d opened her bag. “I need you to trust me.”
“For what?”
“What I’m about to share with you.”
Her face got serious, and she tilted her body toward me. I wanted to take a picture of how damn adorable she looked—brows set in determination, her mouth slightly opened. I let myself enjoy it for two seconds before I said, “This is the biggest secret I’ve discovered living here.”
“What is it?” she asked, rather breathless.
“Dip your fries into your chocolate milkshake.”
She blinked once and then again, not moving from her stance. “That’s…that’s not a secret.”
“Yes, it is. Do it. You’ll understand.” I jutted my chin toward her drink and bag of food, and she groaned as she picked it up and did as I asked. She hesitated as she got chocolate goodness on the fry and put it in her mouth.
It was weird how much I looked forward to her response. Would she thank me for showing her the best dessert in the world? Would her large brown eyes widen with awe?
“Hm,” she said, chewing in silence.
Hm.
That was her response? No. That wouldn’t do.
“Hm? That’s all you have to say about this magical combination? Nora, I might make you walk the rest of the way.”
Her shoulders sank at the reminder of why we were in the car together. I was such an asshole. I’d wanted to tease her but missed the mark. Shit. I needed to distract her. Ask about plants? Her greenhouse? My heart raced in my chest as I stared at her grief-stricken face, and I panicked, unable to form words with my goddamn mouth.
But then she dipped another fry into the shake, and her eyes crinkled on the sides. “This is…I can’t quite put a finger on it.”
“Divine. Excellent. Amazing. You can use any of those words.”
She laughed, and just like that, the tightness in my chest disappeared. It was crazy how emotionally invested I was in her happiness when I still wasn’t sure if I liked the woman. We were friends, sure, but that damn story about losing her only friend hadn’t left my mind since she shared it.
After this trip, I needed distance from her. But until then, I’d do whatever I could to keep that smile on her pretty face.
We argued about the best desserts for the rest of the drive, but when I got off the exit and neared the hospital in a suburb of Chicago, she quieted. The energy she had talking about organic chocolate evaporated like the mist on a hot summer morning, and I had no idea what would happen once we pulled up.
Did I get out with her? Could her mom recognize me? Did she want me to stay, wait for her? She’d have no way of getting back, and it wouldn’t be the worst thing if I had to find a hotel for the night. I tapped my fingers on the wheel to the erratic beat of my heart. Once we parked, I tried to read her face.
It was blank. Just wide eyes, lips pressed together. Was she worrying about her dad’s health or her mom? Probably both. “Hey,” I said, unable to take the tension anymore. “It’ll be okay. I know it.”
“You don’t.” She took a shaky breath. “But I appreciate the effort.” She unbuckled and got out of the car, waiting next to the door, and I jumped out to get her backpack.
In small moments like this, the lie between us came to light. It was easy to forget the lie, that I worked for my parents, when she laughed and shared parts of herself with me. But it was there, and it was just the thing I needed to put a barrier between us.
“Would you like me to wait for you in the parking lot? I can stay at a hotel and drive you back in the morning.”
“Let me talk to my mom first. I’m hoping, honestly, that they’ll say to hell with this plan and I can move home.” Her eyes got all watery, and her throat clicked when she swallowed. “This will show them they need me there to help.”
“Right.” The sinking feeling in my gut meant nothing. If she moved home with her parents, I could get rid of all the plants and not worry about her burning the place down. It would be a good thing for her to return to her sheltered, protected life. But the feeling morphed into crushing disappointment, and I took a step back, like that would help construct the few walls she tore down. “Well, I’ll wait an hour or so.”
“Are you sure you don’t…want to…” She trailed off, pointing her thumb over her shoulder, but she stopped and shook her head. “Yes, I’ll keep you posted in an hour.”
She walked toward the hospital entrance, and I ran my hand over my chest, willing the uncomfortable feeling to disappear. Nora and I weren’t going to be lifelong friends. There was no way. It was for the best. I knew it.
But it still ate at me not knowing if I’d get to see her weird hair or mismatched outfits every day.
