beyond stupid.
Suddenly I froze as my eyes fell on one of the cars parked outside.
Ty’s pickup was sitting there.
I looked over at the long line and found him standing just inside the door, looking down at the ground.
His energy was gray.
CHAPTER 32
I walked slowly in his direction. I wasn’t sure what he was doing here. More than enough time had gone by since he had come back to town and I hadn’t seen or heard from him. Maybe he was just here to make it official. That would be all right by me.
But as I got closer, I began losing my resolve. It took all my willpower to hold back and not run up to him and throw myself in his arms. I felt weak, the pounding in my chest and head growing stronger. But I held my ground.
“Hi, Abby,” he said, giving me a hug. “Long time no see.”
I kept my arms down at my sides.
“Hey,” I said when he let go.
I looked over and saw Lyle watching us between orders.
“So you think you’ll have time to talk?” he said.
“I don’t have a break for another half hour,” I said. “If even then. As you can probably see, we’re pretty swamped and I’m on the machines. Thanks for stop—”
“I’ll wait,” he said. “I’ll just be at the table in the back. Come over when you can.”
“Sure,” I said. “But like I said, it might be a while.”
I struggled letting go of his eyes but reminded myself about my decision. Reminded myself where I had put the vases that he had made. Reminded myself that it was actually me that had made a decision, that I was the one who needed to talk to him.
When I made my way back behind the counter, Mo almost blew a fuse.
“Not cool, Craig,” she said. “Not cool. We have 12 orders on deck. Get your sorry ass in gear.”
***
When things finally quieted down I walked over to him.
“Hey,” he said as I sat down.
I saw it now. The sadness in his eyes.
He reached over and touched my arm.
His touch felt electric, like fireworks on a summer night pulsating through my body. It made me flinch, the power too strong. I pulled my hand away. He looked down.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“Me too,” my voice breaking a little. “So what’s up?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I… I just wanted to, I just had to see you. I needed to know how you were doing, you know, face to face. It’s been too long.”
I nodded. It had been more than a month since we walked along the river and I told him how much I loved him and he had left my words hanging in the cool autumn air like old forgotten clothes drying on a laundry line.
“I’m fine,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “You?”
He smiled, but then lost it and looked back out the window.
“Not so good,” he said.
“Sorry to hear that,” I said without any real feeling.
But I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to hold him, run my fingers through his hair like I used to. Like I did that night up in the mountains. But seeing him now, I could feel it. Things had changed between us. They had really changed. As I stared at him, a staggering sadness rushed through me like a winter wind, leaving me cold and empty.
And alone.
I held back the tears that were trying to break free from my eyes and looked away.
I didn’t need to tell him it was over. I didn’t have the heart. Or the strength.
“Well, if there’s nothing else,” I said. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“I know this is weird,” he said. “But can we just talk for a few minutes, please?”
“Sure,” I said. “About what?”
“Well, tell me how your Thanksgiving was,” he said.
He was just making small talk now, because there was nothing else.
“I can barely remember,” I said.
How could it have gotten like this? How could there be this giant wall between us? Just a few short months ago, we were together. Hearts, souls, bodies. We were one. Now it felt like shattered glass in my heart when I looked at him.
This didn’t feel like love anymore. Something else,
Suddenly I froze as my eyes fell on one of the cars parked outside.
Ty’s pickup was sitting there.
I looked over at the long line and found him standing just inside the door, looking down at the ground.
His energy was gray.
CHAPTER 32
I walked slowly in his direction. I wasn’t sure what he was doing here. More than enough time had gone by since he had come back to town and I hadn’t seen or heard from him. Maybe he was just here to make it official. That would be all right by me.
But as I got closer, I began losing my resolve. It took all my willpower to hold back and not run up to him and throw myself in his arms. I felt weak, the pounding in my chest and head growing stronger. But I held my ground.
“Hi, Abby,” he said, giving me a hug. “Long time no see.”
I kept my arms down at my sides.
“Hey,” I said when he let go.
I looked over and saw Lyle watching us between orders.
“So you think you’ll have time to talk?” he said.
“I don’t have a break for another half hour,” I said. “If even then. As you can probably see, we’re pretty swamped and I’m on the machines. Thanks for stop—”
“I’ll wait,” he said. “I’ll just be at the table in the back. Come over when you can.”
“Sure,” I said. “But like I said, it might be a while.”
I struggled letting go of his eyes but reminded myself about my decision. Reminded myself where I had put the vases that he had made. Reminded myself that it was actually me that had made a decision, that I was the one who needed to talk to him.
When I made my way back behind the counter, Mo almost blew a fuse.
“Not cool, Craig,” she said. “Not cool. We have 12 orders on deck. Get your sorry ass in gear.”
***
When things finally quieted down I walked over to him.
“Hey,” he said as I sat down.
I saw it now. The sadness in his eyes.
He reached over and touched my arm.
His touch felt electric, like fireworks on a summer night pulsating through my body. It made me flinch, the power too strong. I pulled my hand away. He looked down.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“Me too,” my voice breaking a little. “So what’s up?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I… I just wanted to, I just had to see you. I needed to know how you were doing, you know, face to face. It’s been too long.”
I nodded. It had been more than a month since we walked along the river and I told him how much I loved him and he had left my words hanging in the cool autumn air like old forgotten clothes drying on a laundry line.
“I’m fine,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “You?”
He smiled, but then lost it and looked back out the window.
“Not so good,” he said.
“Sorry to hear that,” I said without any real feeling.
But I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to hold him, run my fingers through his hair like I used to. Like I did that night up in the mountains. But seeing him now, I could feel it. Things had changed between us. They had really changed. As I stared at him, a staggering sadness rushed through me like a winter wind, leaving me cold and empty.
And alone.
I held back the tears that were trying to break free from my eyes and looked away.
I didn’t need to tell him it was over. I didn’t have the heart. Or the strength.
“Well, if there’s nothing else,” I said. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“I know this is weird,” he said. “But can we just talk for a few minutes, please?”
“Sure,” I said. “About what?”
“Well, tell me how your Thanksgiving was,” he said.
He was just making small talk now, because there was nothing else.
“I can barely remember,” I said.
How could it have gotten like this? How could there be this giant wall between us? Just a few short months ago, we were together. Hearts, souls, bodies. We were one. Now it felt like shattered glass in my heart when I looked at him.
This didn’t feel like love anymore. Something else,
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