Before we fell in love. I finish silently for her.
Her eyes swivel down as her throat works down a swallow, the delicate curve of her neck straining.
“I’d like that,” I say quietly.
I’m an honest man, but in this moment, I know I’m lying. I don’t want to be her friend—I want to be so much more. I always wanted to be more.
“I have to ask, where is this coming from? You’ve been close to biting my head off every time we’ve run into each other.”
She laughs. “I’m not planning to leave Red Mountain, and by the looks of it, you don’t have plans to leave anytime soon. It’s a small town, and we used to be great friends. Plus, it’s more exhausting avoiding you than it is to just suck it up and move past this awkward shit.” She pauses for a moment, a knowing smirk on her lips. “And you paid for my fee, so I’m feeling a little more inclined to be nice.”
I chuckle. “There it is, the real truth. Least I could do.” I give her a teasing smile and she rewards me with one of her own.
I’m still working out a way to make things up to her, but taking care of her fee was a start.
Her smile fades and her eyes regard me carefully. “I’m sorry about your dad.” Her breath shakes for a moment before she exhales fully. “I—I wish I had known. I would’ve gone tothe funeral, paid my respects. He was a good man, and he was always good to me.”
My jaw tightens as my tongue rolls across my teeth to keep from doing something stupid like cry. I’ve done a tremendous job of keeping my emotions at bay, but Ellie has a way of dragging it all up too the surface, even if she doesn’t intend to.
“Thanks,” I rasp, my voice husky despite myself. “He always liked you—loved you, actually.” Because he did. He never stopped talking about Ellie, making sure I never forgot about her. Not that I ever could, but I could tell it hurt him to lose her, and I think he hoped we’d find our way back to each other.
Her glassy, green eyes meet mine, a rare flicker of emotion passing through them.
Fuck, I want to hold her. But I think if I did, my emotions would break loose. It would be too much for me—everything I want, but nothing I can have.
She steps forward and then quickly steps back, shaking her head as she does.
I think she wants what I want. And she’s fighting it.
A little seed of hope starts to take root.
After a brief moment, she smiles a soft smile, but her gaze looks brighter—at least brighter than its been when I’m on the other end of them. We’re quiet for a stretch before she speaks.
“What did you get?” her eyes are fixed on my bag.
“Pancake special. You?”
“Pancake special,” she breathes a laugh before biting her bottom lip to keep her smile from fully breaking free.
The same orders we’ve always gotten. I guess that’s something that’s never changed about me or Ellie—we both like breakfast for dinner.
CHAPTER 19
Elyse
EARN BACK OUR PRIVILEGES
17 YEARS OLD
“Who wants chorizo?” Raúl, Dominic’s dad yells out as if we’re not all in the same room.
He’s lively today, dancing in place as he grounds the sausage into the pan. He’s making one of my favorites, chorizo con huevo. It’s not exactly a dinner meal, but he makes it for me no matter the time because he knows I like it.
“’Apá, you can stop dancing. We don’t need dinner and a show,” Dominic says, his skin flushed with embarrassment.
I swat his arm, but his dad seems unfazed. “Mijo, music is meant to be danced to.No te preocupes, no es mi intención hacerte pasar vergüenza.”(Don’t worry, it’s not my intention to embarrass you.)
Dominic groans, pulling at his hair. “’Apá, she knows Spanish.”
