She sits down across from me and puts her bag on the chair next to her.
“Do you want anything?” I ask.
She waves me off and says, “Nah, I’m good. So, what’s up? What did you want to talk about?”
I sit up straight and clear my throat. When I look at her, she pinches her brows and worry spreads across her face.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
“Uh, well. I don’t know how to exactly say this, so I’m just going to come out with it. I’m going to see my dad.”
The worry expression is replaced with shock and surprise. She opens her mouth like she’s about to say something but stutters her words as she holds up her hand.
“Hold on. You’re what?” She turns her head to the side, her ear facing me like she needs to hear this again.
“I’m going to drive three hours out of town to see my dad.” I keep my voice stern and steady. Not letting the emotions control me.
“Why?” she asks sharply.
“Why not?”
“Because the guy left you and your family, Ro. Why would you want to talk to a man who broke your heart and left you?”
“This is the first step that will allow me to move forward with my life.”
Her brow arches. “Why now?”
I look at her and I don’t say anything. Hoping that she will put the pieces together. Having the conversation with my mom and aunt and then Addie. All the women in my life are pushing me toward Ellie. Maybe seeing my dad is the extra push I need.
“Why, Rowan?” she asks again.
“Because I just need to do this. I need to move on from my past with him and start thinking about the future and what I really want.” I stare at her.
She crosses her arms and presses her lips together. “Fine. I’m going with you.”
I knit my brows together. “Ellie?—”
She holds up her hand. “Rowan, I’m going with you. I’m not having you do this by yourself, okay? I’ll sit in the car when you go talk to him. I just can’t let you go alone. Okay?”
I look at her and don’t say anything.
“Please,” she pleads.
I nod my head once before saying, “Okay.”
She lets out a loose breath, and she drops her arms. “Okay. All right. When are we going?”
I continue to stare at her and say, “Right now.”
“Now?” she slightly shouts.
I splay my hands out and don’t say anything. She bites the bottom of her lip, and I can feel her leg start to bounce under the table. Then I hear the little squeak that’s coming from the ring she’s spinning on her finger.
“Okay, let’s go.”
* * *
Ellie decided that she was going to drive. However, I told her that I couldn’t sit in her car for three hours. Some of us aren’t fortunate enough to fit in a small car. The face she made was ridiculously cute; she was annoyed, but I couldn’t help but laugh at her annoyance.
