“I know you will be.”
Silence settled between them in the expanse of the gym. Ben was grateful for the conversation he’d had with Julian. It had helped him gain some perspective. To let go of the hurt and frustration that had swelled within him when Amelia had shut down his suggestion of a date.
He had to put all that aside and just be there for her.
“Well, I’d better get to work,” Julian said. “I usually work out for about an hour.”
“Thanks for taking the time to chat.” Ben turned to look at him. “I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
The next day, Ben didn’t have to be at the school until after lunch. That week, they were only running the afternoon teen clinic. He went to the school just after lunchtime, hoping to catch Amelia before the kids arrived.
He spotted her car in the parking lot when he and Luca pulled in, so he was hopeful she’d have a little bit of time to talk.
When they walked into the hallway by the gym, he immediately spotted her behind the table. Smiling, he walked ahead of Luca to the table.
“Good afternoon, Amelia,” he said.
When she looked up, he could immediately see that she wasn’t having a good day. Her face was pale, and her features were drawn.
“Bad pain day?” he asked as he bent down on one knee beside her. “Maybe you should have taken today off.”
“I can’t,” she said. “I can’t let the pain drag me down. I need to learn to live with it. I still have to be able to do what I need to.”
He reached out and took her hand, grateful when she didn’t pull away from him. “No one would blame you if you took time off when the pain is too much.”
“I’ll lose myself if I do that, Ben,” she said. “I’ll retreat and never come out. Coming here to work is sometimes the only time I leave my apartment.”
Ben looked at her tired blue eyes, then nodded. “Okay. I understand. Can I do anything for you? Get you something?”
Amelia sighed. “No. I’m okay.”
“Do you want a coffee?” he asked. “Or a latte? I think I have time to dash out and get one for you.”
A smile flitted across her face. “Thanks, but I don’t need one.”
“This isn’t about need,” Ben told her. “If you want one, I’ll get it for you.”
She gazed at him for a long moment before she said, “Okay.”
Ben grinned as he straightened to his feet. “Same as before?”
“You remember?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“I do.” He paused. “Mocha latte. Do you want it iced?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
Winking at her, he turned and headed to where Luca stood. “Coffee run, Luca. Let’s go.”
It didn’t take long to get to the nearest coffee shop and pick up Amelia’s drink, along with a sweet snack for her. He would normally have gotten a drink for himself and Luca, but since they were going to be playing basketball, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy them.
Back at the school, he wove his way through the teens who had arrived for the clinic, then set the cup on the table, along with the small bag containing the treat. “Here you go.”
Amelia looked up and smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
