Page 108 of Old Acquaintances

“But, Mom, henevercame to see me.”

She exhales. “I think, once he knew you were okay, he had a lot to process. Anger, obviously, otherwise he wouldn’t have attacked that man. But it was traumatizing for him. Lori said he had night sweats and panic attacks. It takes a lot of emotional strength to see someone you love in a vulnerable position. And for him to pull you out of that car and perform CPR when you looked like you were already dead…gosh. I don’t know how he did it.”

I pull my legs up and cry into my knees. “Mom, why didn’tanyone tell me?”

“He asked us not to tell you.”

“Butwhy?”

“He didn’t want to talk to you about it. He didn’t want to be associated with the event at all and he didn’t want to see you while you were recovering. He was still recovering himself and it must have been triggering for him. Then, you were so angry that he didn’t call, and he just asked us not to tell you any of it.”

“That still doesn’t make sense,” I cry.

“I don’t know, honey. You’ll have to ask him that yourself.”

I’m a little mad at her. “You know how much I hated him for all this time. If you had told me, then I wouldn’t have been so angry!”

“I’m sorry, Ella, it wasn’t my truth to tell.”

“You still should have said it! I went seven years without talking to him because of it.”

My mother defends herself, “All we did was not tell you he saved your life. Oh, and the jail thing. You two not talking to each other for seven years is between the both of you. I mean,heavensElla, you always claimed you and Elijah weren’t even friends.” She pauses. “I assumed you had a sexual past –”

“Mom!”

“Well, it’s the truth. We all thought that. But you two didn’t keep up with each other like friends. You just had Johnny in common. I did think it was strange for him to not clear the air eventually, but I never understood your relationship, so who was I to get in the middle of it?”

I pull my phone away before I throw it into the water. Eventually, I say, “Mom, I’ll call you later.”

I hang up and linger alone in the darkness. She painted such a vivid picture that I cry. For Tucker, having to find me like that, and for myself, in a coma, not knowing he held my hand the whole time. It wouldn’t have changed anything if he told me thetruth. I would have understood why he wanted to stay away, I just needed to know that he cared.

It’s relieving to be able to love him now without the anger. I don’t have to beat myself up for pining after someone who chose to abandon me despite giving every inkling that he would do the opposite. Of course, he didn’t leave me. He’s Elijah Tucker. He’d fly to Saturn and steal me a ring.

We have to talk about it.

I finally get up, my head heavy, my jaw tight. I’m drunk on crying and joy as I walk back to the house and find Callie walking past with her hair wrapped up, in her pajamas. Wyatt and Tucker stand in the kitchen. My heart leaps when I see him. When I push open the screen door and walk inside, Tucker’s face jolts.

Wyatt says, “Ell, are you okay?

I’m sure I’m splotchy and pale and tear-stained. I lock eyes on my target. “Yeah, can I talk to Tucker?”

Wyatt leaves us, confused, and I walk around the island to stand opposite Tucker. He eyes me with concern. He stops himself from reaching for me.

“What’s wrong?” he demands.

“I just talked to my mom.”

“Is she okay?” His voice rises, panicked. “Did something happen?”

“Everyone’s fine.” I swallow. “Tucker…you saved my life?”

His breath hitches. The refrigerator buzzes in the silence made by my expectation and his hesitation. He places, “She told you?”

The marble is cold and firm on my shaky hand, and I look up into his stern, unreadable eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He drags his palm across his face. “Is that why you’ve been crying?”

“Of course! I can’tnotthink about you without wanting tocry.” I take a step toward him. “And when my mom told me what you did –”

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