Page 53 of Seeing You

Or bed?

“Please,” he begged again.

Stalling, she carefully pulled her hand free and picked up her coffee. Fortunately, Marcus did the same, and they spent a few minutes focused on their food.

“I don’t know what I can do to help you,” she finally admitted.

“Let me spend time with you. Let’s be friends again. I want to learn more about what you’ve been doing with your life. I want to see where you live. I want to see your family. And maybe we can try having dinner together again without it turning into a disagreement.”

“It was a fight, Marcus, and it’s the way things have been going since you came back.”

“I know, and I take full responsibility. Just…tell me you’ll give me a chance.”

It would be so easy to say yes.

It would be a little less easy to tell him no and walk away.

But that second option would be out of spite, and she wasn’t that kind of person. She liked to believe she was fair.

“Are you the only one taking care of your father?”

“We have a nurse that comes for four hours in the morning to help get him out of bed and showered, and she does some exercises with him. Then another nurse comes in the evening to help him get ready for bed and help him with whatever else he needs.”

Nodding, Billie already had an idea in mind, but she wasn’t sure if it was the best idea. Taking another chance with Marcus could be emotional suicide, but so could walking away.

“What time does the evening nurse come?”

“Six. How come?”

“Why don’t you come for dinner tonight and we can talk some more?”

His entire face lit up. “Really?”

“Don’t…don’t get your hopes up. It’s been a long day, and I’d really just like to go home and relax.”

“I can pick up dinner if you’d like.”

Smiling, she said, “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

Finishing their cake and muffins, they made plans to see each other later. When they stood up, he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what? I still think this isn’t going to go any differently than our last interactions.”

He grinned. “Well, that last interaction was incredibly satisfying.” Pausing, he winked. “And I’m choosing to think positively. And I want you to know that I promise to be open to everything and to be better about listening.”

It was pointless to argue. Only time would tell.

“Then I guess I’ll see you at six.”

He kissed her cheek one more time before clearing their table off. “I better get this cake home to Dad. I’m sure he’s frantic by now, waiting for it.”

“Tell him I said hello and if there’s anything special he wants, just let me know.”

“I will. Thanks.” He smiled at her and her knees went a little weak.

And there go all my defenses.

This time he walked away, and she watched him go. At the exit, he turned and waved with a boyish grin, and she swore hedefinitely chipped away at the wall she had put around her heart after their last meeting.

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