Page 39 of Holding On

"I'll stop by. But just so know, we're in apartment twenty-eight. Second floor." He gets that nervous smile again. "So when's a good time to come over?"

"I have to be at work in an hour but I have tomorrow morning off if you want to come by then. Or I'll be home all day Friday. That's my day off. Stop by anytime. I'll just be putting stuff away. I still haven't unpacked all the boxes."

"The building is cleared for re-entry," a man says through a megaphone.

"Guess that's our cue to go," Mike says, still staring at Heather. He hasn't taken his eyes off her this whole time. "It was nice meeting you. I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it." She waves at me. "Nice meeting you, Becca."

"You too."

Walking back up the stairs, I start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mike asks.

"You met a girl. And you were nervous."

"I wasn't nervous."

"You were totally nervous. Like you were back in junior high."

"You're exaggerating."

We arrive at our apartment and go inside.

"It makes sense." I follow Mike to the kitchen. "You dated Tricia for years. You're out of practice when it comes to dating someone new. Or did you date anyone when you two were apart? You never told me."

"I dated a few girls."

"But it didn't turn into anything."

"No. My heart was with Tricia. But I'm not out of practice when it comes to girls. And I wasn't nervous just now."

"Whatever you say." I laugh.

He just shakes his head but he's got a smile on his face, which he didn't have last night after getting that text. This Heather girl came along at just the right time. She's exactly what Mike needs right now. A distraction to keep his mind off Tricia. And maybe Heather will become more than that.

Just like Ethan and I may become more than friends. I doubt it, and yet part of me would like to be more than friends with him.

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