I decide there’s nothing I can do that won’t make me look like I’m spying and head a few doors down to grab a sandwich.
I’m about to walk out the door with my BLT when I see a head of pink hair walk by the window of the sandwich shop. I race outside and sure enough, the backpack Jordan was wearing the other day is attached to the woman walking away from me.
“Jordan!” I yell.
Her head whips around and that’s when I notice her red-rimmed eyes. She’s been crying. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?” She’s upset but I don’t think it has anything to do with me.
I hold up the sandwich bag and meet her where she’s at. “I work around here. I’m on a lunch break.”
She stares at the bag like she’s in a trance.
I want to ask if she’s okay but it’s clear she’s not. So, I grab her hand and pull her around the side of the building where I wrap my arms around her in a tight hug.
She immediately wraps her arms around my waist and starts to sob.
I move a hand to cradle the back of her head and let her get it all out. I hate seeing her like this. The girl I’ve come to know is strong and fierce. This version of her is vulnerable and frail. I don’t like it one bit and I’m curious as to what, or who, left her in this state.
After a few minutes, the sob turns to sniffles, but she doesn’t let go of me. “I am so sorry,” she says, burying her face in my chest.
“Hey… look at me.” I cradle her head in both of my hands, lifting her face, and use my thumbs to wipe away the lingering tears. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Her forest green eyes are the brightest I’ve ever seen them. But it breaks my heart because it’s at the expense of whatever turmoil she’s going through.
“Can we just forget this ever happened, please? I’m so embarrassed.” Her bottom lip starts to wobble again.
I bring her back into a hug. “Of course. I didn’t see a thing. Just two besties who ran into each other and love to hug longer than normal,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood by using her besties comment from the other day.
That makes her chuckle, and she pulls back to wipe her face with her pink sweater sleeve. “God, I’m such a mess. I’ll let you get back to your lunch.”
“Why don’t you join me? I could use the company.”
She shakes her head. “I wouldn’t want to impose. I’ve already taken up too much of your time.”
I reach for the sandwich bag that I dropped on the ground and then grab her hand. “You are anything but an imposition. Let’s go, beautiful.”
The convention center is a block away and I head there, knowing we can sit on the steps to eat.
It’s risky being seen with her downtown where anybody can see us, but I don’t want to leave her alone right now.
We take a seat in the sunshine, and I pull out the sandwich and offer her the other half. To my surprise, she takes it and takes a huge bite. I internally smile because I thought she was going to refuse.
“Are you going to tell me who made you cry so I can beat their ass?”
She shakes her head and swallows the bite she just took. “No. It happens every time and I shouldn’t let it get to me like I do.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, encouraging her to elaborate.
“It’s not something I like to talk about.”
I take a bite of my sandwich and nod. I’m not going to pry into something she doesn’t want to share and decide to change the subject. “I missed you at the coffee shop this morning. It wasn’t the same without you there.”
“I didn’t realize you still went to the coffee shop. You haven’t been in a week.”
“You noticed,” I joke.
Her cheeks turn pink. “You come for weeks at exactly the same time and then suddenly stop coming in. Of course, I noticed.”
“Oh, I was coming alright. Just not to the coffee shop.” I wink.
