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“Those are my favorite flowers,” she said, stunned.
“Yeah. You casually mentioned it when you came to my office to give me roses.”
“And you remembered.”
I hadn’t enough nerve to tell her that I remembered everything she told me. From her favorite flowers to the wishes she’d written in Wish Alley two years prior. Aaliyah Winters was someone I wanted to remember for the rest of time. To that day, Halloween night was still one of my favorite memories.
“I’m having a hard time believing that I haven’t had a mental breakdown somewhere along the line, and you’re just a figment of my imagination,” she said.
I chuckled and crossed my arms. “Well, don’t become sane any time too soon. I kind of like existing in your imagination.”
“I like that you’re here, too.”
She walked around the bedroom, and then entered the bathroom. “Holy shit!” she came dashing out quickly. “Connor! Did you see that tub?!”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
“It’s a freaking swimming pool!”
“Don’t be dramatic. It’s more of a hot tub if anything.”
“There’s a TV hanging on the wall! Who has TVs in their bathrooms?!”
“People who exist in imaginary minds of a woman who is having a mental breakdown.”
“Don’t wake me up from this trip,” she joked, shaking her head back and forth. “This is too much. You’re too much.”
“My mother’s been telling me that since the day I was born. Now, let’s get all these boxes moved in, and then we can order in some dinner or something. We can even eat out on the rooftop if you want to watch the sunset.”
I turned to walk away, and Aaliyah called out to me. When I looked back at her, she stood still, and her brown eyes flashed with emotions as her perfect, full lips parted from one another. “Thank you, friend.”
“For what?”
“Existing.”
* * *
After the moverscame and went, Aaliyah and I ordered food and headed out to the rooftop to enjoy dinner with one another. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Aaliyah was one of the healthiest people I’d ever come across, which surprised me a bit. Two years ago, she was downing chicken wings drenched in ranch as if she was a competitive eater, and now she didn’t drink or touch fried food. As I ate my burger and fries, she chowed down on a kale salad with some kind of lemony vinaigrette.
“For a long time, I thought you were an all-around perfect girl, but tonight you kind of killed that idea as you began eating kale,” I said, shaking my head in disappointment.
She laughed. “It’s not that bad. It’s actually good if you massage the dressing into the leaves and let it sit for a while. Plus, the grilled chicken is full of flavor. And my green drink—”
“Just admit you don’t like things that taste good, Red, and leave it at that. You’re eating grass and drinking grass.”
“Listen, do you know how much fat and unhealthy chemicals are in your burger and fries?” she asked.
I held up a stern hand. “No, and you better not tell me otherwise we will be roommates at war.”
“I’m just saying. What you put in your body has a big effert on your overall wellness. A bit of kale wouldn’t hurt you, Cap. Greens are your friends.”
“And a few fries wouldn’t hurt you either,” I said, waving one in her face. “Life is about balance. And, for your information, there is a slice of lettuce and tomato on my burger. And what is that I see?” I took the top bun off of my burger and dangled a piece in the air. “Is that an onion and pickles? I’m pretty much the healthiest man alive.”
She tossed her hands up in surrender. “Okay, health nut, my mistake. I need to be more like you.”
I held a fry in front of her face, and she took a small bite of it. Her eyes almost rolled into the back of her head, because Charley’s Diner seasoned fries were the best fries in the history of potatoes.
I smirked. “See? What’s life without a bit of deliciousness?”
