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“I’ll just live out of my suitcase.”
“All right.” Azalea stood up and went back to her bag, finishing putting her clothes in the drawers. “Eli met Sarah last year. They’ve been together ever since.”
“Oh.”
Azalea turned around to face down Jewel. There was no judgement coming from Jewel, but she couldn’t read her mood, and it bugged the crap out of her that she couldn’t. “What is going on?”
“Nothing,” Jewel mumbled.
“No, something is going on. What is it?”
“It’s nothing. Really.” Jewel stood and moved to the window. She gazed out into the farmland that stretched for miles.
Azalea slowly came to stand next to her, their bodies not touching. She let out a shuddering breath and debated how to broach the topic. Something had changed, and it frightened her what it might be because she had never seen Jewel act like this before. “I’m here, whenever you want to talk to me about it.”
“Thanks.”
“I wish you would, too. At least if not me, then someone. I’m worried about you.”
Jewel turned to her then, giving a wan smile. “There’s nothing to worry about, Lea. I promise you. Just something I need to work out in my own time.”
“I’ll trust you on that, but I’m still going to worry.”
Jewel didn’t answer. They stood there for a while until Azalea gave in and finished putting her clothes away. Eventually, they went downstairs to see what was for dinner.
* * *
Eli had co-opted her time. Jewel had gone up to bed hours before, but there Azalea sat with a wine glass in hand and Eli next to her on the couch, a fire roaring in front of them. Eli drank only water, which Azalea knew was because she had to leave soon to go check on the cattle. They would both, no doubt, pay for staying up so late.
“And how is Sarah?”
“She’s doing well. She should be up here next week for a visit.”
Azalea scrunched her nose. “Long distance is hard, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Eli grimaced. “But we make it work. I wouldn’t make her quit music ever.”
“I can understand that.” She immediately thought of Jewel. No, like Sarah, music was so much a part of their lives it was nearly impossible to separate them. She sipped her wine and rested into the couch, letting the pillows encompass her. It was good to be there. They may not be that far from home, but it was separate enough that she could see how being at Indigo would be a wonderful break from the real world.
“Are you and Jewel…?”
Azalea gripped her glass tighter, her thoughts interrupted. “Are we what?”
“Dating?” Eli asked sheepishly.
Shaking her head, Azalea leaned forward and put her glass on the coffee table. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why?”
Eli shrugged. “Seems like you are.”
“What makes you say that?” She was genuinely curious. If Eli saw it, perhaps others did, and she would have to rectify that. She didn’t want Jewel to end up with any gossip around town because of her. That would be a struggle to get through, especially because they worked at the same school and spent so much time together.
Eli narrowed her gaze and raised an eyebrow at her. “You truly don’t know?”
“Enlighten me.” Azalea grabbed for her wine to have something to do with her hands. She couldn’t help but notice the slight tremble in her fingers. She tried to hide it from Eli, not wanting to explain or think about why it was there.
