AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That makes me look up and lock eyes with him. He isn’t doing his joking smile or conniving grin. He looks sincere, serious, and vulnerable.
“Please,” he says faintly. “I really want to get to know you, Ana.”
A slight chill brushes down my spine at the sound of my name on his lips. I find myself staring at him, his mouth and then his eyes. I take in those blue eyes and his pale golden hair. The kindness and sunshine that seems to radiate off of him. I can’t figure out what it is about him that has me so intrigued. Part of me can’t tell if he’s just amusing and weird, or if it’s something more. It feels like there’s a little piece of him calling to a little piece of me. A piece I didn’t even know I had but now seems very noticeable and aware. I can’t ignore it. I truly don’t know what it is that makes me say the word, but something in my gut tells me that I need to. So I sigh and say, “Okay.”
He raises his eyebrows, “Okay?”
“Yes,” I say, writing my number on the corner of my pad of paper and rip it off. I stretch it out towards him, but before he can grab it I pull it back a little. “You better not be messing around with me. I don’t play games.”
He smiles, a real big genuine one. “I promise you, I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”
I narrow my eyes at him again before letting him take the paper. “Are you really eating here or are you leaving now that you got what you came for?”
“I came here for a cheeseburger, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, eyes wide with fake innocence.
I roll my eyes, “I can’t with you.” I turn around and leave, but I can't wipe the smile off my face as I walk to the kitchen to turn his order in.
ELEVEN
NOW, FALL
“I don't know, I kind of just want to go home,” I say to Maddie who is sitting next to me in the back of Elliot’s truck while looking at me with her incredulous puppy dog expression—a special talent of hers. I’ve only been half paying attention to what she’s been saying and half daydreaming while living in my memories; my only source of true comfort these days.
“You always go home. Just come out with us one time. Just one time and then I’ll never ask you again,” she promises.
“Well if that’s not the biggest lie I’ve ever heard,” I chuckle and lean my head back in defeat. I groan dramatically but say, “Fine.”
“Yes,” Maddie cheers. “Okay, we’re just going to the diner. Your favorite one on Union Avenue.”
“Okay,” I sigh.
The rain cut our day short today. This was our third weekend in a row that the four of us gathered to help at the ‘house’. Maddie and I were working on taking junk out of the house and into the back of the truck while David and Elliot started tearing down non-load bearing walls. I made the mistake of asking what a load bearing wall was and I was bored just seconds into David explaining it to me. I tried to be polite and follow along the best I could but I don’t think I retained any of that information.
I look out the window and see Elliot closing the front door of the house before he and David run off the treacherous porch into the pouring rain towards their own vehicles. Elliot makes it to his truck and gets settled into the front seat.
“To the diner on Union please, sir,” Maddie jokes. Elliot shakes his head and mumbles something under his breath.
David follows us in his car as we make our way to the diner. The truck is silent, all three of us tired and sore. I’m close to actually dozing off and I think I may have for a few minutes before I feel the truck stopping and see that we’re already at the diner.
“Did I snore?” I ask Maddie.
“Just once,” she says. I look at her and she smirks. “It was so cute.”
I roll my eyes as she and Elliot laugh. I hop out of the truck and run to the cover of the awning over the double doors. The red neon lights that cover the silver diner look bright against the dark and cloudy sky. I open the door for Maddie, Elliot, and David as they rush over.
“Thanks, Ana.” David smiles down at me. I toss him a half smile in return before following Maddie into the restaurant. The older man at the counter greets us and seats us in a large booth. I slide into one side at the same time Maddie slides into the other. She freezes and looks at me briefly, her eyes asking me if I am okay. I know she is referring to me sitting next to David. I nod my head slightly to tell her not to worry about it as David slides in next to me. He keeps a good distance between us.
“Even though the weather cut us short, I think we still got a good amount of work done today,” Maddie says as we all pick up our menus and look them over.
Elliot nods his head. “Yeah, more than I expected. You and Mads got a lot of the junk out, I think most of it actually.”
“It should be illegal for people to move out of a home and leave behind boxes and old furniture,” I grumble. I hear David let out a small chuckle.
“You’re surprisingly strong, Ana,” Elliot comments. “I don’t mean that in a condescending way…I just, I know you don’t exactly?—”
I cut him off with another laugh. “I know. I have stealthy strength.”
“Yeah, I was impressed when you carried out that huge tabletop by yourself,” David adds.
