Page 82 of The Sound Of Us

I’m not sure I want to comment on Ben’s observation. Mostly because I agree with him and admitting it would bring a whole host of questions.

Eli reaches us with Pepper walking right against his leg like someone would steal him away from her if she walked an inch away from him. Or it could have something to do with the treat in his pocket, since she can’t stop sniffing there.

Eli lifts his hand in greeting. Ben and I return the sign.

Eli signs. I frown because I don’t get it.

Ben claps his hands. “Help you,” he exclaims. Eli grins (and that makes me swoon secretly) and gives Ben the thumbs up.

Ben gives me the proudest smile I’ve ever seen and then repeats the sign to me. “This means, can I help you?”

I try it out, and then to Eli, I sign, yes, please.

Making sure I’m still facing Eli, I tell Ben, “Eli is helping Mrs. Dalton with the coffee stand. They’re next to us.”

Ben holds up his palm to Eli for a high five, which Eli returns. He looks at me again, but I’m worried his infectious gaze would last too long and people would notice us stargazing at each other out here in broad daylight. So I look away, hating how I have to pretend that him being here means nothing.

But he understands and when my eyes go back to him, he’s already at the trunk with Ben, and with Pepper still stuck to his side.

I join them.

“Ben, you go on ahead with this one,” I say, handing him a crate of hardbacks.

He takes it from me and tells me to not to forget the petty cash box.

I watch Ben leave after failing to convince Pepper to walk with him. Hidden behind the open trunk, my eyes devour Eli. I’m aching to lean over and kiss his lips and, from his hungry eyes, I know he’s ready for anything.

With a frustrated sigh, I hand him a crate of paperbacks and then reach over for the petty cash box and the last crate of children’s picture books.

Eli slams the trunk shut while balancing the crate in one hand, and we make our way through the crowd. Frank said he’ll turn up later when the sun comes out. I encouraged him to get in some extra sleep because if Frank got some extra sleep, then I got to be in the same vicinity as Eli for a few hours without having ongoing panic attacks.

Eli looks over at me several times as we walk. It’s damn near impossible to avoid returning his quick gazes.

We reach our stalls. Eli sets his crate down and then turns to relieve me of mine. He slides his hand underneath the crate, over mine. His touch, right here in front of everyone, sends bolts of electricity racing through my body.

When both crates are set down, I clutch the petty cash box, desperate for something to hang on to. In a moment of crazed madness, I scour the park, looking for an escape. A place where Eli and I could go for a few precious moments.

“Axel.” Mrs. Dalton’s voice carries across our stalls.

She eyes me curiously, silently asking, Are you okay?

I nod and give her a thumbs up.

But I’m far from okay. I didn’t anticipate that being here with Eli just a few yards away, in this public place, would be this difficult. The urge to grab his hand and run as far away as possible grows at an alarming speed.

“I should get things going,” I tell Eli, waving over at our stall. He nods and moves out of our stall and into theirs. Pepper follows him.

“Look at the fuckin’ cheater,” Ben says, coming up behind me. My blood freezes and the bones in my face crack. I whirl around, my eyes wide with fear and every blood-draining emotion you can think of.

Ben has his hands on his hips, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Let’s see her come crawling back when Eli leaves back for the city in a couple months. Don’t take her back.” He laughs.

I follow his eyes and only the table next to me keeps me from fainting with relief. Pepper. He’s talking about Pepper. Not me. Not Eli.

Ben goes to the back of the stall where he’d been unpacking the paperbacks with no inkling of the heart attack he nearly gave me.

“Hey, you need some water or something?” Casey’s voice breaks into my almost-heart-attack stupor.

I blink. “Uh, no. Thanks, Casey.”

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