Page 102 of David's Love

“Not liking the real me…” he confesses, and my heart stumbles in my chest.

He reacts at the astonishment on my face with a slow nod.

“Yes…” he says as if ashamed by his admission.

“How could I not like you?”

He lowers his hands and mine and places them on his lap.

“What do you know about me, Elizabeth?”

More than you think. I wish I could say.

I say nothing, though.

“You don’t know who I am.”

“You told me a lot about yourself. And I’ve seen a thing or two.”

“Yeah… And everything was true. But that is only a part of me.”

A few moments pass.

“You know…” he says, leaning back into the couch. “Meeting you in secret was way more convenient than I thought. It wasn’t only about not going public with you, although that could’ve screwed things up fast. I have no doubt about it. Something else was at play, and I didn’t even know what it was at the time. I liked that we played a game. It helped me get to know you. It also helped me introduce some parts of myself to you. Reading Rain’s book also helped hide who I really was. Talking about convenience. That was way more than I had hoped for. So I likedthat game. It bought me time and helped me figure things out for myself.”

My hands soften in his grip.

20

ELIZABETH

He freesone of my hands and scoops up his drink again. His hands don’t shake, but even so, I feel the tension in his frame.

His smile is gone as he looks at me with a different expression on his face, concerned yet also at peace that we are having this conversation.

“There are things you need to know about me, and although I haven’t planned to have this conversation tonight, I think this time is as good as any.”

He trains his piercing stare on me, and I crumble inside, not knowing what to expect.

“You weren’t the only reason I came back this week. My schedule had been a little crazy, and staying away from you was hard, but there was something else. I had to go visit someone.”

My heart jumps out of my chest and leaps around the room, looking for its way out.

I thought I had secrets, and here I am.

This can’t be good.

It can’t be good.

I must have the expression of someone about to faint as he squeezes my hand and holds it gently.

“It’s a story. Nothing will change what we have,” he says casually, and my heart reluctantly calms down.

“Her name was Anna,” he says, tipping his gaze and staring blankly at my hand. “I’ve indirectly told you about her. The pink dress. The jewelry. The things I bought for her that weren’t for her in the end.” A soft smile pulls at his lips before he continues. “I went to the cemetery today and had a little talk to her.”

I push back a tiny gasp.

“It was her death anniversary. We had some history together… I met her in high school, and soon after, we became friends. Good friends. We were inseparable. The year we graduated, we declared our love for each other.”

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