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“Of course. You know I’m always here for Noah.” Elena wraps her hand around the mug. She doesn’t smile. She isn’t her usual sunshiny self. Her eyes have barely met mine since yesterday.
Fuck. All this time, I’ve been worried about Noah’s reaction to finding out about Tara that I didn’t think about how Elena might feel knowing that I lied to her too.
“I’m so sorry I lied to you about Tara.”
She shrugs. “I understand why you did.”
“Just because you understand doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.”
“It’s all right, Grant. Don’t worry about me.” She stifles a yawn. “I’m actually going to get some rest myself. Noah didn’t sleep much last night, and I was up talking with her.”
I hate how cold she seems. Far away. I want to pull her against me and tell her how I feel. I want to feel her in my arms and know that she’s mine. I want to breathe in her familiar sweet scent that I’ve missed so much over the last week.
But as much as I want her to stay, I know now isn’t the right time to talk about us. It’s been a crazy weekend, and I need to give her space.
Mom pulls Elena in for an embrace. “I hope to see you again soon.”
After she leaves, my mother sniffles and dabs at the corner of her eye.
“Why are you crying, Mom?”
“I’m just happy to meet the person you finally decided to give your heart to.”
As if I had a choice.
As if anything in this world could’ve stopped me from falling in love with Elena.
Now I need to figure out how to get her back.
20
Grant
I stare downat my phone, willing it to vibrate with a response.
Me:Merry Christmas, Elena.
I textedher earlier this morning while Noah was opening her presents.
I know Noah misses her too. She’s been holed up in her room reading on the new Kindle I bought her. It’s always been just the two of us on Christmas Day since my mom started taking a holiday cruise to Italy with a widow support group a few years ago. But spending this holiday without Elena just doesn’t feel right.
Which is why I burst into Noah’s room. “Get dressed. I need your help in the kitchen.”
Noah’s head jerks up from the book she’s reading in bed. “What?”
“We’re bringing Christmas dinner to Elena.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You want to bring the food to the nursing home?”
“W.W.B.D.”
A wide smile spreads across her face. “Bruce Willis would definitely do that.”
Elena’s mother might not even remember who Elena is, and the thought of her alone on Christmas like that guts me.
“The only problem is, we don’t know which nursing home her mother is at.”
Noah snatches her phone off the nightstand. “Leave that part to me.”
