Page 53 of The Talk Around Town

She scanned the kitchen for one, but there was nothing to be seen on the counters, except for the remains of their quick snack in the middle of the night.

A heavy knock at the front door made her jump.

A huge grin erupted on her face. The dope had locked himself out. Emma ran down the hallway, her robe slipping again as she pulled the door open.

“I thought—” Her smile drained from her face.

“Good morning, Emma. And I take it by those marks on your shoulder that it was a goodnight, as well,” said Darby, laughing. “Courtesy of my brother, I presume?” she teased.

Emma’s face flamed with embarrassment. “What makes you say that? Could’ve been anyone,” she said as she yanked up the errant sleeve of her robe.

Darby leaned against the doorjamb and raised an eyebrow. “Was it just anyone?”

Emma frowned and stepped back, making room for Darby to enter. “Of course not.”

She wrapped her arms defensively around herself. She’d really thought that it was Gabe at the door. Now she didn’t know what to think.

Darby closed the door behind her and followed Emma down the hall and into the kitchen.

“Well, it’s obvious someone gave you those bites, and I’m sure you weren’t playing Pictionary when it happened.”

Emma’s shoulders slumped. “No. Gabe spent the night,” she confirmed quietly.

“Ha! I knew it,” she joked, a happy sparkle lighting her eyes.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen him?” Emma asked quietly. She turned and fiddled with her new coffee maker to have something to do. Silence met her quiet question. She busied herself, dumping coffee into the percolator to avoid Darby’s stare.

“What do you mean? He’s here, isn’t he?”

Emma squeezed her eyes shut as the sharp pain from Darby’s words cut into her insides. She hadn’t seen him either.

“No.”

Emma couldn’t look at her. She didn’t want Darby to see how much it upset her that Gabe wasn’t there. If she could pretend it didn’t matter she might not think about it too much. But Darby was having none of that. She turned Emma around by the shoulder.

“Where did he go?”

Emma finally raised her gaze to Darby’s. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice betraying her uncertainty. “He was gone when I woke.”

Darby opened her mouth to speak, but disbelief rendered her speechless. She took a breath and tried again. “What are you trying to say? That he left?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that we had an amazing night, or so I thought. Then I woke up just now and he was gone. No note. No message. No Gabe.” She took a deep breath and said the words that resounded through her head. “I think maybe he’s regretting it.”

Darby put both hands on her shoulders and stared hard. “No, Emma! If he thought that, he’d tell you himself. There’s got to be a good reason he’s gone. Maybe he went down to the bakery to get you something for breakfast?”

Emma bit down hard on the hope that sprang up with those words.

“Maybe, but I don’t think so. I have a funny feeling that something’s not right. Maybe last night he realised he didn’t really want to be with me at all. It wasn’t exactly planned. We argued. Then we agreed to…”

She looked away, not able to stand looking into eyes so similar to the ones she’d spent the night staring at.

“No! I don’t believe that. The only reason he’s been telling anyone who’d listen he’s not interested is because he’s been trying to convince himself of that. He’s had a major thing for you since the first night you came to The Cow.” She continued when Emma nodded. “It wouldn’t have happened even once, if it had been a mistake.”

Emma looked back at Darby. “Did he tell you that? That he was interested?”

Darby frowned. “No, but he didn’t have to. We could all see it. He just tried to pretend he wasn’t. He couldn’t stay away from you, even while lying to himself. No. I won’t believe it.”

Emma looked Darby in the eye. “Was there a, you know, a-a bet, or anything like that? To see if…” She trailed off, unable to repeat whatwas going through her head. Just the thought made her feel sick even thinking it.

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