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“Hi yourself.”
We sat down, and this time, I was next to her.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” she said, twisting her hands.
“That’s called a surprise.”
“How long are you here for?”
“Until Monday.”
“Oh.”
“Is there an issue?” I asked, once again sensing her lack of enthusiasm.
“No, it’s just I have an exam on Monday. And on Thursday. A paper due. Assignments. And labs. Plus, a shift Sunday afternoon.” She lifted her shoulders. “I planned on spending all my free time this weekend here or at the house.”
“I can sit with you.”
“Matthew, I have to concentrate. I-I can’t do that with you sitting beside me.”
“Why?”
“I’d be worried you’re bored, which after an hour of staring at my head, you would be.”
“Then I’ll go do some things and come back when you’re free.”
She bit her lip, looking upset. “I’m not sure I’ll be free at all.”
Suddenly, coming here seemed like a very bad idea.
“I didn’t know you had all that going on.”
She hung her head. “I know. We haven’t really talked.”
The words stung, but they were honest.
“Could you come for a fast dinner, and I’ll leave you alone the rest of the evening?”
She hesitated.
“Come on, Maddy. You need to eat something besides almonds and apricots,” I urged, picking up her container. “Come eat some real food with me, take an hour to relax, then get back at it.”
“All right,” she agreed. “I could use the break.”
I stood and helped her pack up her stuff. “Great.”
CHAPTER 17
MATTHEW
I’d forgotten how busy Toronto was. How everywhere you went, a thousand other people were headed in the same direction. After striking out at three restaurants, we ended up in a neighborhood pizza joint. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was what we could get on a Friday night. We ordered pizza and salad, Maddy refusing a glass of wine, instead drinking sparkling water.
The meal was an absolute disaster. The place was loud, and it was hard to talk. The time finding somewhere had eaten into the evening, and the restaurant was busy so our food took a long time to arrive. Maddy’s anxiety grew every moment that passed. I cursed myself for suggesting going out. Instead of helping her relax, it was adding stress. I could see it in the tightening of her eyes, the way she kept glancing at the door, and how often she twisted her hands.
When the food came, she barely touched it. We hardly spoke. The easiness that always existed between us was gone. There were no intimate touches, no shared laughter. Instead, we were tense, awkward, and distant. After dinner, we left and began walking toward the corner.
“I’m going to go home and study. Not back to the library,” she announced.
