Page 79 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Shit, was she about to cry for the second time that day?

Blythe kept going. “I can’t imagine you have many people you can talk about ...this... with.” She waved a hand around. “Because of everything with Carly and all that.”

Elliott took a sip of coffee to buy some time while she thought. From the limited interactions she’d had with Blythe, she seemed genuine and trustworthy. Jamie obviously felt the same, to have been open about this with his sister, and that only added more points in her favor. Yuka was the only person Elliott had talked to about Jamie, and while Blythe certainly wasn’t an impartial party, it could be nice to have a fresh perspective.

“Carly’s the only reason I’m alive right now.”

Blythe’s expression remained neutral. “Yes.”

“Isn’t—” Elliott reached across to rub her arm. “Doesn’t it seem horrible when you think about it? I kissed her boyfriend, she saved my life, I move to town a year later and make said boyfriend break up with her. And now he wants to be with me for real, and I think I want that, too, but how? How can I do that to her?”

The kindness and empathy in Blythe’s eyes made Elliott think this wasn’t the first time Blythe had heard something along these lines. What had her conversations with Jamie been like?

Blythe tipped her head toward the empty café. “Want to sit down?”

Elliott followed her and they sat at the same table where she had first met Blythe to discuss working together.

“You may not want my advice—and actually, I wouldn’t even call it advice. That’s what I give Jamie, but he’s my brother and sometimes he’s an idiot so I basically have to tell him what to do every once in a while. I’m in no place to tell you to do anything, but I’d love to share some observations with you, if that’s okay.”

God, to be a fly on the wall sometime when Blythe lectured Jamie. That was probably entertaining as hell. “I have no idea what I’m doing, so by all means. I’m open to anything you’ve got.”

“First things first. He wasn’t Carly’s boyfriend when you two first met. Neither of you did anything wrong that night, so let’s get that out of the way now.”

Elliott gave a little nod. “Yeah.” She knew deep down it was true, and Yuka’d told her the same thing, but it was nice to hear someone who hadn’t sworn best-friend fealty to Elliott say it.

“Second. She saved your life, yes. You moved to town. But you didn’t make Jamie do anything. He did what he thought was right, and I’m one thousand percent certain it would have happened eventually anyway. He and Carly’s relationship has always been strange to me, in that it always just seemed like a convenience thing. Even so, he’s tried hard not to be an asshole like our father, and to take commitment seriously. So when you came back to town, it didn’t take him long to realize being with Carly wasn’t the best thing for either of them. He knows you’re different, Elliott. That what happened between you two was something extraordinary.”

Elliott’s voice cracked. “It was.”

It still is.

A quiet moment passed before Blythe spoke again, her tone gentle. “You don’t have to answer this, but ... does part of you want to try with him? See what happens?”

“Part of me?” Elliott almost laughed. “More likeeverypart of me. Everything except this voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t because of his history with Carly. But with every day that passes, that voice gets quieter and quieter, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll listen to it.”

Blythe offered her a small smile. “I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me happy, but only because I want Jamie to be happy. If the expression on your face is any indication, you seem to really like him.”

More than was healthy, probably. “I do.”

“He’s extremely into you, too, if you didn’t know. Like, embarrassingly so.”

Elliott’s smile couldn’t be stopped. Hadn’t she felt this exact thing, less than a mile away, sixteen months ago? A bubbly sort of giddyexcitement filling her chest at the mere thought of spending more time with the handsome blond man with the sexiest dimple she’d ever seen?

“I’m gonna say one more thing, and then I should probably head out so my four-year-old doesn’t completely annihilate my husband before dinner.” Blythe retrieved her phone and pulled up Instagram. “But I just wish you’d both stop looking at the past and consider what could happen next, because it looks like Carly has. Did you know she’s already seeing someone?”

Elliott blinked at the screen. How had she missed that?

Carly had posted the selfie yesterday, her arm extended to capture herself and the handsome, dark-haired man standing behind her, his head next to hers as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“But ... she’s only been gone a month.”

Blythe shrugged and took her phone back. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.” She arched a brow. “Sometimes it only takes one night.”

Touché.

“Look, I’m not saying you have to do anything because of that. If you have other reservations, that’s between you and Jamie. But if Carly’s the only thing holding you back, it just seems like that’s maybe not something you need to worry about anymore, you know? Love can be messy and inconvenient. It doesn’t always show up at the most opportune time, or even with the person we always thought. But that’s what makes it so magical. She’s moved on and living her life. Why can’t Jamie do that, too? Why can’t you?”

“I—” Elliott started, then stopped. She honestly didn’t have an answer for that.

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