AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, shut up, Graham. And stop being crass. I called to see if we could meet and talk.”
“Just talk?”
“Can you meet or not? This afternoon?” she snaps.
“Of course, I can meet. But why not now?” I ask.
“Well, because I have meetings all morning. I want to try and sleep for a few hours, so I don’t look like I just woke up from a coma.” I laugh at the visual.
“It’s true. I already have terrible bags under my eyes,” she complains. “Anyway, I won’t be free until the afternoon.” She explains it like I’m a five-year-old who might now understand.
I lie back on my pillow and relax. Even if she’s pissed at me, I love hearing Apollo’s voice. It’s soothing.
“I’m free until about five-thirty. And I’m a month out from orientation. So, I can be anywhere, anytime you’d like,” I tell her, my words full of innuendo I know she doesn’t miss.
She ignores me. “Okay, meet me at the Sun and Her Star at 1:30. It’s at West Seventeenth Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue.”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll be there with bells on,” I reply happily.
“Fine. Well, goodbye,” she says primly.
“Wait,” I call. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.
“For what?” she asks wearily.
“Why are you awake, Sunshine?” I ask, serious now. “Is everything okay?”
There’s a beat of silence before she answers.
“No, Graham, everything is not okay. I can’t sleep because part of me wants to get up and come find you and crawl into your bed and stay there for the rest of my life and make up for five years of lost time. And the other half of me wants to pack a suitcase and put as much distance as I can between us.”
The frustration and hurt in her voice reached me loud and clear. It’s like a kick to my gut to know that I’ve made her feel this way. I’ve been teasing her, and she’s genuinely upset.
“Hey. Listen. I’m sorry. I’m not here to hurt you. I know that may be hard to believe after everything that’s happened.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I hold my breath. Maybe I came on too strong.
“Deep down, Graham ... I do believe it. Because I know who you used to be. But I don’t know you anymore.”
“I’m the same person,” I tell her. Not being able to see her right now is frustrating.
“I don’t know that.”
“You do.”
“How? We’ve lived completely separate lives for the last five years. How can I be sure that this isn’t just nostalgia and boredom? What if you miss the fast life in LA? What happens then? My heart breaks all over?” She sounds frantic and I can imagine her running her hand through her hair repeatedly as she paces.
I’ve got my work cut out for me. But, I don’t want to overwhelm her.
She still loves me.
I have a chance.
“Apollo, I don’t want to make you promises. Those are too easy to break. I want my deeds to be my monuments.”
I hear her sharp intake of breath and a whispered, “You remember?”
“There’s not one second I’ve spent with you that I didn’t commit to memory.”
