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“He said he was falling in love with you, and she told him that she would never give you permission to be with him, then hung up on him.”
My blood heats. “Permission?”
“Yep. Pretty fucked up if you ask me. She’s the one who cheated, and you’d think if she was really your friend, she would want to give you a chance at happiness too.”
He’s goading me, and I know it. He wants me to be angry enough at Cat that I’ll call Spencer. But damn if it isn’t working anyway.
Spencer
The rain has been pounding hard since I started my shift this morning, which always makes for a long day. I’ve dealt with three accidents and given four speeding tickets. I can’t wait to get home and get these wet boots off my feet. After the week I’ve had, I think a couple beers might be in order too.
As I pull onto my street, I’m surprised to see a car in my driveway, even more shocked once I realize it’s Lori’s Audi. She’s blocked every attempt I’ve made at contact, and after Cat’s response to my efforts to mend things, I was feeling increasingly certain that all hope was lost.
My body is buzzing with nervous anticipation as I park at the end of the drive, my eager eyes searching for her as I rush out of my truck. She’s not in her car, instead I spot her standing on my front porch. My feet can’t seem to move fast enough as I hurry over to her, the grin on my face most likely making me look like a cartoon character.
She’s standing on the top step as I make it to the porch. There are only two steps separating her from me, though any space feels massive. She looks down at me with a shy smile on her face. It reminds me of that first day in the coffee shop, and my heart swells in my chest.
“Hi,” I say, stepping onto the first step.
Color fills her cheeks. “Hello.”
I move to the second step, leaving only one step between us. “It’s so good to see you.”
She nods in agreement, her throat bobbing as she swallows and wets her lips. “You too.”
We stand there silent for a moment, so close yet so far away from each other, our eyes locked, until the rain begins to blow onto the porch. She moves back to make room for me as I take that final step.
“Do you want to come inside?”
She shakes her head. “I can’t stay, I just wanted to apologize face to face.”
“Apologize?” My eyebrows bunch as I point to myself. “To me?”
“I’ve been a little unfair to you during this…” she pauses, waving her hands as if to conjure the right words, then she sighs and shrugs in defeat, “shit storm.”
I laugh, and she bites down on her lip to keep from doing the same. “Well, you don’t need my forgiveness, but you shall have it anyway. Even though it was me who started the shit storm in the first place.”
She shakes her head. “We all played our roles. I should’ve told her the truth to begin with.”
I want to ask her exactly what the truth is, if her truth is anything like mine. Instead, I give her a warm smile and brush a damp piece of stray hair out of her face. “Is that the only reason you came here?”
Her eyes fall to the ground as she shakes her head. When they lift to meet my gaze again, they’re filled with uncertainty. “I also came here because I need to ask a favor of you.”
“A favor?” I smirk, knowing there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. “Color me intrigued.”
She presses her lips together, trying to hide her own amusement, and sighs. “There’s this banquet on the fifteenth I’m expected to attend for work…” she pauses, her eyes shifting to the car passing by. She tucks her hands in her back pockets before bringing her gaze to me again. “Cat normally goes with me, but…” She shrugs. “And the thought of going alone is—”
“If I go with you, will you consider it a date?” I interject.
She sucks in a breath as her eyes widen, the color on her cheeks deepening as she chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know. What would the night look like if it was a date?”
“Well, I’d pick you up, maybe bring you some flowers. I’d want to open doors for you and pull out your chair. If the night calls for it, I might hold your hand or put my arm around you. And, at the end of the night…” I take a step, closing the gap between us, standing close enough that I can feel her panting breaths, “there’s a good possibility I’ll want to kiss you.”
She wets her lips, rubbing them together as she clears her throat. “I suppose I can handle that.”
“Then it looks like you’ve got yourself a date.”
ILLUSIONS OF ASH
