AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You gotta explain the orange.” I held up the burnt orange fabric I pulled from the box. With Niko safely behind a gate so his fur wouldn't get on the fabrics, we opened the boxes one by one and separated everything out by line.
“For fall. I know you will love that design.”
“Are you going to show me any of these? I know you have your notebook. The last one I saw was that green dress.” I folded the fabric and set it on the dresser, pulling out more fall colors from the box.
“You’ll be at the show.” Ophelia opened a long and skinny box, pulling out a metal clothes rack. As she began to set it up, I nodded.
“Well, yeah, but thesearethe clothes, right?” I pulled out another piece of fabric.
“Ha, that would have been nice. Some are done, yes, but others, like the showstopper at the end, still needs to be sewn. I have my work cut out for me.” She shook her head and groaned, tension building in her voice as she set up the clothes rack.
I curled my leg and sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at her as she concentrated on the rack. “I thought we had a few days to relax.”
Ophelia gave me a soulful expression. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I have to get these pieces done. We will have one day, I promise—just us.”
I shrugged and nodded, giving her some kind of agreement. “Good thing I still have work. I almost took the week off but decided only the day before and the day of the show.”
“Which is more more than enough, and I'm so grateful for your help. You have no idea and…oh.” Ophelia’s expression turned into a smile. “That reminds me. Do you have any openings for teeth whitening?”
“Phe…” I grumbled. “You don’t need your teeth whitened. If you want to come in, I can polish them before the big night.”
She raised her shoulders and gave me a bright grin. That girl in no way needed teeth whitening. “I can live with that. I remember that last time you whitened my teeth—took forever.” She finished setting up the clothes rack and stood, putting her hands on her hips, turning to me. “Milo’s coming to the show, right? Can we use his truck to get some of these things there? It may take a few trips with your car.”
I sighed. I knew the topic of Milo would come up eventually. I had been avoiding telling her any details over the phone since I was still working out the details myself. I told him I needed to think, but not a lot of thinking had been done. I’d been trying to avert my attention to other things, distracting myself if at all possible. I rearranged my bookshelves, deep cleaned my bathroom and kitchen, and Niko had been on so many walks his paws must ache. I was hoping Ophelia wouldn’t talk about him her first night. I longed for the nights where we would sit and watchGilmore Girls,covered up with blankets and tea or hot chocolate in our mugs. No boys allowed.
“Well,” I said with a sigh, “Milo is in Seattle, so no, he won’t be coming to the show.”
Ophelia narrowed her eyes, raising one brow flawlessly. “Why is he in Seattle?”
I shrugged. “Looking for a place to live, I guess.”
Ophelia stopped; her arms raised with a shirt hanging half off a hanger. She jerked her head toward me and glared. “What?”
I once again shrugged, pinching my brow. “If Hannah gets full custody, I guess he’s going to move to Seattle.”
Ophelia’s stare turned blank, and her eyes bored into mine. I’d never seen this woman with this expression her face before, and Ophelia was full of expressions.
“What?” I asked, shifting my weight on the bed.
“Are you…moving with him?” she drew out, her voice low and soft as each word hit my ear drums.
I shook my head. “I can’t move to Seattle.”
“Why not?” she snapped, placing the hanger on the clothes rack with a sharp bang. Her expressionless expression turned to something entirely different. That look your mom gives you when you told her you got detention or that you broke a lamp…hands on her hips and everything. Ophelia was that mother right now, staring me down.
I shrunk. “I can’t just uproot my life. He’s coming back in a few days. We’ll talk then.”
“Why not?” she asked again.
“Ophelia, he didn't ask me. He just assumed. I have everything here, my house; my job; my family; Portland is my home. I can't just up and leave for some guy,” I defended, my voice growing louder as I talked, anger slipping back into my body.
Ophelia shook her head. “This isn't just some guy. This is Milo.”
I tilted my head, pursing my lips. Not knowing exactly what to say, I chose to stay silent. I didn’t want to talk about this right now. I wanted to see Ophelia and not have to worry about the mess that my love life had become ever since Kent said he was cheating on me. I didn’t want to decide what to do so soon, and I didn't want it to consume me.
“You are such an idiot,” Ophelia mumbled under her breath.
My eyes nearly bugged out of my skull. Ophelia was known for being blunt, but she was never rude about it.
