Page 26 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Elliott closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the couch. “Yuka.”

“Okay, forget about hand size. Trade for the kind of shoes he was wearing.”

Elliott inhaled, her lungs tight and painful. “Jamie was there.”

A pause. “Sorry ... Who was what now?”

“Jamie—theJamie—was there last night.”

Yuka’s screech was so loud Elliott jerked the phone away from her ear. She would have been amused by Yuka’s excitement if the situation were anything other than what it was.

After a few seconds, Yuka seemed to register the fact Elliott wasn’t screaming with joy alongside her. “What’s wrong? Did he not remember you?”

“He did.” Elliott rubbed her palm against her sternum. “But he’s ... um. He’s Carly’s boyfriend.”

Her words hung in the air like string puppets, dancing before her eyes. Saying it out loud was more painful than she’d expected. Which, if she thought rationally about it, was ridiculous. She’d met him once, a year ago. They’d spent approximately six hours in each other’s company. Yes, there had been a connection. Attraction. Chemistry. But it had been temporary, and she’d known that from the start.

Just because she’d allowed the memory of that night to carry her through the long nights in that dark, isolated hospital room didn’t mean she had any claim on him. Even as her body slowly healed, loneliness was the sickness that festered in the silence, and it was only natural she’d relive those moments of joy to keep herself grounded. It didn’t mean they were meant to be, or that there’d been a reason they’d met that night.

The fact that her heart shattered like glass when Carly slid her arm possessively around his waist was an unfortunate side effect of an unusual situation and the unrealistic expectation she’d created in her mind over the past year.

Yuka still hadn’t spoken.

“Are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m ... shit. I’m processing.”

Elliott nodded in miserable understanding. The burning sensation of tears built beneath her eyelids.

“That sucks, Ellie. Bad.”

“Why, though?” She agreed, obviously, but admitting to it made her seize up with guilt. “The woman who saved my life is happy and with a man who, from what we know of him, is an amazing catch.”

“Sure. Good for Carly and all. I owe her big time for what she did for you. Butyou’remy best friend. Not Carly. And I know you’ve been thinking about Jamie this whole time and hoped you’d find him again. I wanted that for you.”

I wanted that for me, too.“They’re really cute together.” A few tears escaped, which pissed her off.

“I refuse to respond to that.” There was a beat of silence. “So what did he do? When he saw you?”

“We were only alone for a few seconds before Carly walked up, and then he pretended like he didn’t know me.”

“Thehell?”

Elliott grinned despite herself. Ten seconds ago Yuka had been screeching with glee that Elliott had run into him, now she’d probably slash his tires if Elliott said the word.

She was the most loyal friend Elliott had ever had.

“I think he just felt uncomfortable seeing me again. I mean, the last time he had, I’d used a fake name and left him sleeping on the sidewalk. I don’t know what I’d have done if I was in his shoes.”

Some men might have been pretty pissed at her, under the circumstances. But he’d just seemed shocked and then stayed quiet most of the night. Even this morning when they were alone and he could have let her have it, he’d just been ...nice.

How was it possible they lived in the same apartment complex? Elliott was paying extra to rent by the month, and that decision was looking better by the day. At least she could get out of here quickly if it became too much and she needed to relocate.

Yuka sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Elliott.”

“I am, too. And you’re the only one I can admit that to.”

“I know. That’s exactly why you should. We all need one person we can be totally vulnerable around and not worry about being judged.”

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