Page 29 of Standing Still

“Seriously?” I pull a face. “You don’t think you deserve your success?”

“Not that I don’t deserve it. I mean, why would anyone want to getmyautograph? I just write books. Then there is the fear of no one turning up.”

“And did people turn up?”

“A lot,” she laughs, and I can see the pride in her face.

“So, what’s the problem?”

She laughs. “No problem,now. I’ve done it and I loved it and seeing how much joy my books bring to people changed something in me. I can’t even put it into words, Ben.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, Elle.”

“Took some getting there, but I am.”

“There have been some rough times?”

She rolls her eyes. “Come on, I know dad told you I got married, and divorced. It’s okay though, we’re still friends.”

“You and your ex?” Don’t believe that for a second. Who are friends with someone they divorced?

“We were always better as friends. Don’t get me wrong, we loved each other, but he wasn’t…” she tilts her head and looks at the sky, suddenly at a loss for words.

I find myself staring at her profile, waiting for her to finish that sentence.He wasn’t what?

She clears her throat. “We’re better off. He’s in a relationship with a great woman and he’s happy.”

Don’t know what the fuck possesses me, but I ask. “What about you, Elle? Are you happy?”

“Of course,” she looks at me, sitting up and dusting her hands off. She doesn’t sound as if she fully believes it, though. “I need to call an Uber,” she says and gets to her feet, startling Jedi who jumps up and barks.

I settle the dog, surprised by the sudden change in her. But like fuck, I’m letting her call a cab. “I’ll take you home.” I look up at her.

“Oh… But you’ve been drinking,” she does a cute little hiccup and curls her lips in together, putting her fingers against her mouth.

“I stopped drinking a couple of hours ago. I’ve eaten my weight in seafood since. I’m good. Promise.”

“But my hotel is only over there,” she waves her arm in no discernible direction. I already know she’s at the Hyatt. It’s actually close to my place.

“Elle, it’s fine, I’m gonna see you home.”

She looks at Jedi, who looks back up at her. “Oh we kept you out late huh,” she scrubs his cheeks with both hands and Jedi’s tail thumps. Shit, this dog is getting way too much attention.

She eventually relents, so we head to my truck. Jedi jumps in the back and curls up straight away on his blanket. Elle puts her hands over her chest and makes an aww sound as she slips into the passenger seat and pulls on her seatbelt.

“So, I never actually said congratulations,” I say.

“For what?” she asks, perplexed by my comment.

“The award, the New York Times Bestseller List.”

“You heard about that?”

“We have the internet here, remember?”

“Oh, come on,” she slaps my thigh and I try not to let that make me feel anything. “Stop trying to make out like I think Mystic is a backwood hillbilly town.”

“Don’t you?”

---