Page 60 of Forever Love-Reimagined

After I’d been MIA recently, I hoped she wasn’t leading me to slaughter.

“But it’s probably a good surprise, right?”

“I can’t imagine it being something bad. I mean, you didn’t do anything wrong, did you?” She elbowed me like she was kidding but looked at me as if expecting an answer.

“Umm… I don’t think I did anything wrong, exactly. I haven’t spoken to her much recently.”

“Because of me?” She sounded genuinely concerned, and I didn’t want her to think she was the problem.

“No. Not because of you. I was supposed to go to her place yesterday, but you’re my friend, and you needed me.”

“But you told her that, right? That you were with me?”

“I don’t think so. I said something came up, but I told her I loved her, and I would see her today. And I even sent flowers to her work with a sweet card.”

“What if she’s not at work today?” Her eyes widened, and I hadn’t thought of that. “Boss, when was the last time you talked to her?”

“We had lunch with Ty and David on Saturday, and I left a little after that, but I texted her Saturday night and yesterday.”

“Wait a minute. You haven’t seen or spoken to her, besides texts, in a day and a half?”

“Technically, no, but I’ve been in contact and let her know I was thinking about her.” I shook my head at how selfish I had been by not letting Blake in.

She was the best thing ever to happen to me, and I didn’t want her to see me so disheartened. My fear of her seeing me as a failure had kept me from leaning on her. Why was I afraid she would look at me differently? I was probably worried it would make it more real to me if I said something.

“Leia, this doesn’t sound like you at all. You love that woman so damn much. Why were you avoiding her?”

Why was Haley so observant?

“I’m not sure.” I hung my head.

“Look. You need to put your fears aside and focus on opening up to Blake. What you have with her is special. You are that couple who makes everyone else sick by how cute you are together. If she was worried, she probably wouldn’t go through all this to ask.”

God, I hoped she was right. There wasn’t anything I could do now but continue to the food truck and see what was in store.

When we arrived, we were the only people there.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but do you have an envelope with the name ‘Leia’ on it?” I asked the man behind the window.

“Sure do, sweetheart. You her?”

I chuckled because how else would I have known about it if I wasn’t her? But I kept that thought to myself.

“Yes, I am. May I have it?”

“Sure thing.” He winked at me before handing it over.

I immediately ripped it open and yanked out the paper:

GO TO THE PLACE WE LIKE TO WALK

THE ONE WHERE I TURN INTO BINDI IRWIN WHEN I TALK

(OUR BENCH)

“What does that mean?” Haley couldn’t stop laughing, and a huge smile crept across my face at the memory.

“We went to Central Park on Saturday, and I thought we would talk, but for some reason, she kept blurting out the kinds of trees and animals around. She was so cute doing it that I couldn’t help but join in.”

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