Page 43 of Since the Day We Wished

Nearly an hour had passed before Emma finished telling the entire story. The sun had descended toward the horizon, painting the sky in a warm palette of oranges, pinks, and purples, casting a serene glow over the beach.

Lisa leaned back in her chair with her mouth dropped open.

“I can’t wait to root for #teamLemma!” She reached up, forcing Emma to give her a high five. “So, how did you two leave it? When are you going to see him again?”

“He said he’d call,” Emma said wistfully.

Lisa sensed something was bugging her. “Emma? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I’m a little worried that it’s too soon after the divorce to have feelings for another man.”

“Emma, you look happy, and that’s what matters to me,” Lisa reassured her, reaching over to grab her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “There’s no set timeline for matters of the heart. The heart wants what it wants, and it doesn’t always have to make sense.”

“I just wonder—did I ever truly love Chad? Because if I did, how can I have feelings for someone else so soon after the divorce? What if I’m using Luke as a rebound guy? I don’t want to hurt him like that.”

Lisa gave Emma a reassuring look. “You’re overthinking things again, Emma,” she said softly. “It’s okay to have feelings for someone else after a divorce. You deserve to be happy, and Luke seems to bring that happiness to you. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Emma took a deep breath, realizing she was putting unnecessary pressure on herself. “You might be right,” she admitted, grateful for Lisa’s comforting presence.

Lisa swirled the straw in her empty glass. “Should we get another one?”

“No way,” Emma told her. “I’m already gonna have a headache tomorrow, and I don’t want to be hungover in a classroom full of kids. I think it’s time for us to go.”

Lisa reluctantly agreed and gathered her things as Emma’s phone began to ring. They both looked down at the name on the ID and gasped. It was Luke.

“I can’t answer it,” Emma told her, pushing the phone away. “I have too much on my mind about all this.”

“Come on, don’t be a baby,” Lisa teased, picking up the phone and answering it. She then handed it to Emma, forcing her to talk to him.

“Hey, Emma.”

Her heart fluttered as she heard Luke’s deep, husky voice on the other end of the line. Lisa’s words echoed in her head, urging her to stop overthinking things. She had dismissed her lunch with Luke as only friends hanging out, but deep down, Emma knew there was something more to it. She couldn’t deny the chemistry between them, the way his presence made her feel alive. Despite her efforts to downplay her feelings, she found herself drawn to him in ways she couldn’t fully comprehend. The more she tried to rationalize her emotions, the more she realized that matters of the heart defied any attempts at explanation.

Chapter 20

Luke

When Emma finally answered Luke’s call on the fourth ring, he stood still, with shoulders relaxed and his breathing evening out. He had been pacing back and forth in the backyard, grateful for the chance to talk to her privately without Jeremiah overhearing. Although Luke hated keeping secrets from his son, he wasn’t ready to reveal his feelings for Emma yet. He thought about how everything was still new, and they hadn’t even shared their first kiss. The missed opportunity during their dance kept replaying in his mind.

However, he had to focus on Jeremiah for the time being. When Emma came to pick up her lost dog a couple weeks ago, Jeremiah freaked out. How would he react to Luke dating Emma? Luke knew he needed to handle this situation delicately, given his strained relationship with his son. After leaving the animal shelter, they had gone for pizza and Jeremiah had even eaten downstairs in the kitchen while carrying on a conversation. Luke saw this as significant progress, especially after their earlier argument.

Luke felt a profound conflict clawing at his chest; he cherished the bond he had with his son, yet desperately yearned to find love and happiness again. He felt torn, as if something inside of him was splitting at the seams. His mind raced and his heart ached with painful agony as he fought to reconcile the relationship with his son and a future with Emma in a world where having both seemed impossible.

In truth, Luke felt exhilarated about his impromptu dinner date with Emma. It had been a long time since he had experienced such excitement and anticipation. He wasn’t willing to let that go just yet.

“Hey Luke. Um, did you forget something?”

“No. I said I’d call you. Remember?”

“Yeah, I didn’t realize you’d call so soon.” Emma’s tone was light-hearted, as if she were holding back laughter.

Luke could hear music playing in the background. “Are you still at the bistro?”

“Um, guilty. Lisa wanted to grab a drink, so I indulged her.”

“That was nice of you.”

“Yeah. But I think we’re heading home now. Or back to my place.”

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