“Will you see that she gets home safely?” Ben asked Donovan.
“Oh, no. Dad. It’s fine,” Lela said. “Donovan’s apartment is in the opposite direction from mine.”
“I’d like to walk you, Lela. If you’re okay with it.”
Their gazes connected and she smiled. “Sure. It’s a beautiful night.”
“It definitely is.” Donovan gave Deb a hug, then went to shake hands with Lela’s father—but Ben was having none of that, pulling him into a bear hug.
“Donovan, I hope we can see you again the next time we come to town.” Ben playfully slugged Donovan on the arm.
“Count me in.”
Lela opened her arms wide. “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. I love you.”
“We love you, too, sweetheart,” Deb said.
Donovan watched as this happy family unit exchanged a teary, and lengthy, goodbye, which was eventually put to a stop when Lela wrenched herself from the embrace. “Bye.”
Deb and Ben toddled off across the street, shopping bags in tow.
“Ready?” Donovan asked.
“Yep.”
They headed off to Lela’s. “Your parents are great, Lela. So nice. I really like them a lot.” It was funny that he and Lela were so alike and yet their parental lot in life could not have been any more different.
“Oh, my God. My dad is in love with you. I could see it in his eyes. When you two started talking about music from the seventies? Mom and I nearly left you two at the table.”
Donovan laughed, feeling so drawn to Lela it was like a drug. When they turned on to her street, he was almost disappointed she didn’t have a fan or two waiting for her. It would’ve given him the easiest of excuses to see her inside.
“Do you want to come in for a drink?” she asked.
The sense of relief he felt was immense. He didn’t need to invent a reason to be alone with her. “I’d love to.”
They climbed the stairs and Lela keyed her way inside. The light in the foyer was on, making it easy to spot Rio as he padded down the stairs, voicing his displeasure at Lela’s absence. She unbuckled her sandals while Donovan toed off his shoes.
“Come on, buddy,” she said to Rio as she flipped on the hall light, then started off for the back of the house. “Let’s get you fed.”
Donovan trailed behind them to the kitchen, watching as Lela filled Rio’s bowl.
“What do you want to drink?” she asked.
He couldn’t think of a single beverage, alcoholic or not, that was going to satisfy what he was feeling right now, what he’d been feeling for the last several hours. What he’d been feeling for the last two months. Or three years. Or thirty.
“I don’t want a drink,” he answered.
“Water?”
“No, thank you.”
She turned and shot him a quizzical look. “Okay… then what do you want?”
He couldn’t take it. A million answers flooded his brain, all of them having to do with her. He wanted to touch her and kiss her. He wanted to take her upstairs. He longed to finally spill the sappy, lovelorn contents of his head and heart. Let them leak out all over the floor, then hope for the best.
“Lela, I don’t want to be friends anymore.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
