Page 137 of The Thought of You

“Good morning, dream team!” Sable emerges into the gym, her heels clicking across the floor with far more pep than I can muster. Even with most of my strength restored from my bout of food poisoning, enthusiasm is not currently in my arsenal.

I haven’t talked to Owen since Saturday, and it’s been torture. I haven’t been able to sleep, knowing he’s angry with me and it’s my doing.

I’ve been unfair to him, and I have to explain myself.

But with Sable’s interruption, I’m not going to get any relief from our debacle. Not yet, anyway.

I force a smile like I do when trying new foods, which is my least favorite thing to do. “Sable. Hi. How are you?”

“I’m great, but I’m more curious about how you are. Are you feeling better?” she asks, concern laced in her tone.

Owen gives a tight-lipped smile as I assure her, “Definitely. I had a rough go of it, but I’m feeling a hundred percent today.”

Except for the whole I’m secretly dating my co-worker, and it blew up in my face bit.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to coffee this weekend,” I say. “After the whole ordeal with food poisoning, my mother came to visit, so it’s been a busy couple of days.”

Owen’s eyes brighten at the mention of my mother, and my lips wobble with confessions bubbling up my throat.

Sable waves me off. “I completely understand. No need for apologies.”

My gaze instinctively drifts over to Owen, who starts to back away, but before he gets too far, Sable reaches out to stop him.

“I also came by to give you both good news,” she announces. “Addie’s classroom is almost finished. You can start moving back in there at lunch today, in fact.”

“Today?” I squeak.

“A few good Samaritans from around town pitched in to help over the weekend. Wasn’t that so nice?” Sable tilts her chin up, pride coloring her features. She loves this town almost as much as I do for its generous people—and delicious baked goods, among other things. “So, we’re all set to get things back to normal.”

“Normal,” I repeat, but the word doesn’t hold the same meaning as it might’ve last month.

Nothing will ever be “normal” again, will it? It can’t. I don’t think I even want things to go back to how they were when I had my own classroom—before Owen.

I won’t see him all day, every day anymore. He’ll be on his side of the school campus, and I’ll be on mine.

I clutch my stomach, which rumbles like it did over the weekend, a wave of nausea rolling through it. It’s not from any food poisoning, though.

“That’s, uh… great,” Owen says, but his tone falls flat.

A few of his students filter into the gym, and echoes of their laughter bounce off the walls. Owen hooks a thumb over his shoulder in their direction and parts from us with a brisk goodbye.

Sable nudges me aside and quietly says, “I’m glad you’re okay. I was so worried about you. I wasn’t the only one, either.”

“Huh?” I blink back at her.

“Owen was a wreck. He was paler than you and out of his head with worry.”

“Oh. He… well, he was probably concerned about taking on two classes at once for a minute. You know him—he’s not a great multitasker.” I frown.

A month ago, I would’ve let a jab like that roll freely off my tongue, but right now, the insult tastes more sour than a bad apple.

It’s not right.

“Actually, he’s become a good… friend.” I peer over at him as he animatedly chats with his students before class.

My heart aches as if there’s a whole country between us instead of just a basketball court.

“Is that all he is?” Sable lifts a brow.

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