“Don’t do that.” She sulks and drops her shoulders. “Turn broody and ridiculously over the top, maybe borderline deranged on the tenacious scale.”
“And?” I simply reply.
She takes a beat to study me before she grumbles with herself. “Gah, okay, fine.Elodie hasperhapscalmed since yesterday. I’m not sure how it was last night when she was with her parents, so perhaps stay clear of her dad for a while,”she attempts to joke. “But this morning, I saw her while Lola was with her grandparents at the donut festival.Elodie wanted to skip that. A shame, as they are criminally good.”
I raise my brows, giving her the sign that she needs to shorten her answers.
Sutton presses her lips together, takes a deep breath, and then gives me a comforting look. “Yeah, you know where to find her. No need to ask.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale a large breath. Partly from nerves, a little from not needing to search too long, and a major part relief that I know Elodie so well now. Ialso feel her, as though I’m telepathically experiencing her hollow stomach and mixed emotions swirling in her chest.
“I’m sure you can show Foster where to go.”
“Yeah, sure.”
They both look at me, and I nod goodbye.
You would think that I would run down the street to Elodie.
Instead, I slowly pace, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Because Elodie is honest, she’s love, she’s everything I want.
And for once, I learned not to rush to get what I want; it requires delicate maneuvering because it’s so perfect it could break.
26
ELODIE
It’s crazy how a simple bench can be the center of the universe, where people come to contemplate life. My hometown of Everhope has the best one, perfectly placed for people-watching on Main Street. Normally, I’d rejoice that good coffee is just across the street. Today, though, I’m only using my to-go cup to keep my hands warm. I’m not rejoicing, but I’m not drowning in sorrow, either.
The feeling of someone approaching is strong. It’s an all-too-familiar presence of someone who is persistent, arrogant, and I wouldn’t change a thing about him.
“Thought I might find you here.” I hear Hayes’s voice and, in my peripheral view, notice the way he takes a few steps cautiously before he slides onto the bench. There is a little distance between us, but not so much that all I would have to do is take my pinky to touch his.
"Not many places to go here unless I’m at my parents'." I keep watching people entering and leaving Foxy Rox.
“Is it a coincidence that this is also where we talked the first day we walked back into one another’s lives?”
When he puts it like that, my stoic face softens because Ifind it both funny in a way and poetic. For a moment, amusement wins out over restraint. “We’ve come full circle,” I say, looking at him, feeling a bittersweet warmth.
Even though it’s been two days, the reverence in Hayes’s eyes remains the same. Sure, he doesn’t appear to have slept, and the stubble on his face is the perfect length to scrape against my thighs. But as I watch him, I shift from worry to noticing something peculiar: his patience. There is more of it than before, and that quiet change soothes me.
“A lot has changed since then, I get that.”He outstretches his arm across the back of the bench. “But to me, it’s only good.”
I laugh dryly. “Then you were some high-powered guy holding legalities over my head.”
He clears his throat, and his face contorts. “I’m aware. To be fair, I was in major shock.”
I nudge his shoulder with mine and begin to smile. “Why? It was a completely normal BBQ. Potato salad included.”
“The fact you just joked is maybe promising.”
“I needed time to think or cool off. But now that I’ve had that, then I’m certain of a few things.” I roll my lips in and debate the best way to explain myself, feeling hesitant at first. “Sometimes I think who we were on the island are two completely different people than who we are now. Then I remind myself that it has to be. Those were carefree moments, and now we have responsibilities, whether at work or, more importantly, with Lola. We’re not the same people now.” As I say it, I feel the weight of change settle over me, blending nostalgia and acceptance.
He collects the cup of coffee from my hand and sets it down on the ground under the bench. Scooting closer, I feel his arm wrap behind me to bring me a tad in his direction. “Can I tell you a little secret?”
“That you like the real world a lot better?”
