AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She chuckled and leaned back to her side. “Compatible? That’s a strange choice of words.”
I furrowed my brow. “We are, aren’t we?”
She turned to gaze out her window. “If there was anyone in this world I could be compatible with, it would probably be you, but I’m just not meant for things like that.”
I felt a rumble in my chest. “Not meant for what?”
She sighed taking her hand away from me. “Being with someone. It requires strength I don’t have. Don’t think I’ve ever let anyone see me as much as you have. But we have a good, solid friendship. It makes me feel important, safe, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. Would you?”
Well, fuck. How could I say it now? “I don’t want to close any doors on opportunities, Raven. I like who we are now, but I get the feeling we could be more if we tried. Would you at least consider the possibility? If we promised each other it wouldn’t ever affect the friendship?”
“Ransom—”
I took her hand in mine again, needing that connection. “Just think about it. That’s all I’m asking.” I kissed her knuckles gently and set our entwined hands on the seat between us.
Her eyes widened. “Ah, o-okay.”
She wasn’t pushing me away entirely. That seemed like progress. I knew I had to let her go tomorrow, but I wouldn’t give up on the possibility of us. I’d keep chipping away at our insecurities until we both felt sure enough to take that step together.
14
PHOEBE
Despite the crying babies and cramped legs, the commercial flight back to New York wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone had that glazed holiday look of either being hung over or being around family too long. The similarities between the two were eerie.
Even the cab ride home was fine. It wasn’t until I got back in my apartment that reality set in. I was back and this didn’t feel like home. Home had high ceilings and wide-open spaces near a beautiful frozen lake.
Within the first few minutes, the walls started to feel like they were closing in, so I opened a window. The blast of cold air quelled the panic, but I wondered how I would continue living here now that I’d gotten used to Minnesota. It was like I’d seen behind the curtain, saw the inner workings of the people walking down below, and realized it was all just a show. They each had their own struggles, their own issues, and glopped on the makeup to keep anyone from seeing how unhappy they were with their life. Hadn’t I done the same thing a few weeks ago? But then I learned something better. Something about how freeing it was to be myself. I didn’t want to go back to covering myself up and pretending to be happy. I wanted to just be me.
As the cold breeze nipped at my cheeks, the beginning of my article took shape in my head. I raced over to my laptop, completely avoiding all the unpacking I needed to do, and wrote:
In a world of impossible beauty standards, a select few not only made it, they were crushing it and riding a star to the top of the heap. As their schedules filled with photo shoots, endorsements, and interviews for all the top magazines, did the weight of their obligations become too much? Did the industry demand too much of them just as they were finally becoming successful? Or did the Shadow Reaper snuff out their light before they could bask in the glow of their fame?
Holy shit! Did I just write that? It was like an out-of-body experience as the words jumped from my fingers to the keyboard. Shadow Reaper? Whoa. Good name.
Before I could see if I could be a conduit for more words to leap out of me, my phone buzzed with notifications. A lot of them.
Why did I have thirty text messages?
Twenty-eight of them were from Molly. They were all the same.
Molly: When are you coming back?
I sighed. I missed her too.
Me: 3-4 weeks, babe. You’re gonna have to be more patient. I just left.
Molly: Ahem. You know me better than that. I’m gonna text you every day until you have to come back to shut me up.
Me: Alrighty then. Until tomorrow.
Molly was awesome. But I had work to do.
Before I could concentrate on it, I noticed two texts from Ransom.
Ransom: Hope the flight was okay. Text me when you’re back home safe.
Ransom: I miss the T-shirt you wear to bed.
