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I shrugged and glanced down at my bare ring finger. “Sort of. I got roped into it to support the girls. To be honest, I’m not hoping for much. Perhaps I’m just not cut out for relationships.” My last one practically broke me.
“Please don’t say that.” Something about Wyatt’s tone made me look up. “I can’t imagine someone as amazing as you getting only one chance at finding love.”
As we walked side by side back to my car, Wyatt’s hand brushed against mine every so often. Confusion burned my cheeks and I pulled away each time; but when it happened for the third time, I widened the distance between us. “It’s great that you published your novels. I remember you working on the story in junior year.”
He looked at me sideways. “You still remember that?”
“Course I do. It was a fantasy series involving two brothers, right?”
“That’s right.” Wyatt’s smile was almost shy.
“I’m sorry I never got around to reading your books.” There was once a time when out of everyone in the world besides Indie, Wyatt knew me the best. And yet here he was, standing beside me, familiar but also a stranger. “And I’m sorry we didn’t keep in touch. I’ve been…”
Dealing.
Trying to survive.
“Hey, I get it. We’ve both been busy. Why don’t we have a restart? A new beginning for both of us.” He stuck out his hand. “Hi. My name is Wyatt Alexander. I used to be a high school English teacher, but I quit my job to write full time. Every day, I wake up excited about creating something new but also fearful that this is all just a dream. I’m also dipping a toe into digital art, and I have an unhealthy fascination with buttered popcorn.”
Accepting his offered olive branch, I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Everly Knight. A preschool teacher who’s obsessed with celebrating the holidays and visits the craft store more than I probably should. I don’t often drink coffee, but I love the smell of it in the morning. And if you look closely, I usually have glitter somewhere on my body.” I gestured toward the stain on my pants.
A mischievous look crossed Wyatt’s face. “Lucky for you, glitter’s my favorite color. Nice to meet you, Everly Knight. I haven’t been to Sunnyvale in years and wondered if you’d be interested in showing me around. You seem like someone who’d know where all the fun spots are.”
My smile slipped. “Oh, I’m not too sure about that. I’m not exactly what you’d call fun.”
“I highly doubt that. You always had some exciting project up your sleeve. Remember your rent-a-princess business? You made a convincing Elsa.”
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “Don’t remind me.” One year, I’d dressed up as Elsa to serenade Wyatt in his dorm room.
“My hallmates ragged on me, but it was the best birthday gift ever.”
“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration,” I said, more than a little embarrassed.
Wyatt shook his head and took my hand, the simple act causing my heart to race. “It was the most memorable thing anyone’s ever done for me.” He hesitated before letting go. “Anyway, I’d love to hang out some more. I want to see the best that Sunnyvale has to offer.”
I rubbed my fingertips together, remembering how good his hand felt in mine. “Sounds like a plan.”
