Page 114 of Bump and Run

“I’ll be there.” She pops up onto her toes and kisses my cheek. “Bye, Junior.”

I grab her arm and pull her back in for a real kiss. “Bye, Ellie.”

Her eyes flutter open and she smiles one last time before opening the door.

I listen to her leave, sensing the shuffling of her shoes. Somehow, they sound heavier than usual, like the air before a vast thunderstorm.

I put on some pants and walk out into the living room.

“Eliza leave already?” Ty asks as he slides his jacket on.

“Yup,” I answer, beelining to the kitchen.

“She coming back? It’s early. And Friday night.”

“No. She’s freaking out about the play.” I grab a beer from the refrigerator.

Ty leans against the doorway. “And how are you feeling about tomorrow?”

“I’m fine.”

He chuckles. “I’m so nervous, I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

I take a quick chug. “We’ll be fine, Ty. We just need to trust each other.”

“You talking about the game?” he asks. “Or Eliza?”

“… Both.”

“Well, if it makes a difference, Grant’s been freaking out, too. Might just be an actor thing…”

“Yeah, probably.”

I take another drink, hoping that’s the case, but Eliza’s been a little off for weeks now. She’s got that strange twinge in her eyes — like there’s something going on behind them but she won’t say a word. Tonight was the first time it really seemed to mess her up.

“We’re going to dinner,” Ty says. “Want to tag along?”

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“See you later then.”

I linger in the kitchen, slowly drinking my beer long after he leaves. Part of me thinks that if I wait here long enough, Eliza will come back or maybe she’ll need me and call but I know she won’t. She’s too strong for that. If there is something bothering her, she’ll tough it out alone and that kills me a little. She should trust me the way I trust her.

I toss the empty bottle into the trash can and grab a new one from the fridge.

---