Page 55 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

Nora tilted her head, considering. “You know her, she’s always game for something new, especially if it’s attention grabbing.” Turning, she spoke directly into my ear. “They’re touring wedding venues while they’re here.”

I gasped. “Is there a ring?”

Anton and Olivia had been dating for years, but neither of them was in a rush to get married—even though it seemed inevitable. They were so happy together.

“It’s been purchased, just no proposal yet.” With her gaze fixed somewhere in the middle of the crowd, she muttered quietly enough that I almost didn’t hear her, “The window is closing.”

“What window?”

“Nothin’.”

“What do you mean?” Why was she being so annoyingly vague?

At first, I didn’t think she was going to answer. But then her shoulders fell, and she looked sad in a way I’d never seen from her before. “Some people just… are too scared to try, you know?”

I hated seeing the resignation set in her mahogany eyes. “You okay, Nora?”

“I’mperfectly fine.” Nodding toward the temporary stage constructed of wood pallets, she added, “Gonna get this thing started soon.”

My earlier dread grew in my stomach again. “Do I have to give a speech?”

“What?” She looked at me with outraged disbelief. “No. Why did you think that?”

Relief flooded me so abruptly that I fell against the wall. “Emily said something when I got here.”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Oh, Em. No, I would give you so much warning. I would never just drop that on you. Jesus, that’s like the meanest thing I could do to you. I have an idea of what I’m going to say, so I’ll give the opening speech.”

“You haven’t planned it?”

She lifted her drink to her lips. “What’s there to plan? I’m just going to get started before handing the microphone to Ben.”

As if conjured by her words, he showed up next to me and placed a copper mug in my hand. Jerking his chin toward the frenzy at the bar, he said to her, “Give me a couple of minutes’ warning when you want to get started.”

She yelled after his retreating back, “This is your warning.”

He gave her a thumbs up in recognition before he leaned over the counter and took a drink order.

Scanning the bar again, I searched for perfectly tousled, chestnut-colored curls. “Have you seen Elijah?”

I wanted him, but after the first flood of attention, I was enjoying my usual anonymity against the rear wall. When he was with me, eyes darted in my direction. Observing. Assessing. Judging.

She pointed at the center of the dance floor. “Somewhere in there with Remi, Sterling, Bet, and Lola.” Over my shoulder, Nora nodded, then joined Ben to go on stage.

I took a sip of my Moscow mule and winced as the vodka burned a bit as I swallowed. He had taken me seriously about that triple. Resting against the wall, I noticed a throbbing pain in my leg. I bent down to lift the hem of my dress. The pale skin of my calf had turned a dark shade of purple. Apparently, I hadn’t taken the step breaking completely unscathed.

With the back of my head pressed against the wall, I took a gulp of my drink. This time, I welcomed the burn of alcohol.

Chapter 17

Elijah

Areyouhere?They’reabout to start.I texted Hazel. It sat beneath the texts I’d sent before, with no responses. The image of her still buried under work asherfundraiser started made me frustrated and sad. And wondering about our relationship when I went back home in a week. Would she keep to our plan? Would she make time for me?

Doubting her before it’d even begun wasn’t fair. Even if my concerns seemed valid.

She was passionate about her work, and I wanted to support that. But there had to be space in her life for me, or none of this could work.

I lifted my hand to run through my hair, before remembering that I’d styled it and lowered my hand to my side.

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