Page 79 of When to Call a Blitz

Taking a sip, I head out to the front porch.

“You’re sitting outside?” she asks skeptically.

“It’s a nice day,” I call back behind me.

I settle in the chair, the frost biting into my skin through my sweats as I take a sip of coffee, the liquid already cooling rapidly, and begin to count the seconds.

I only make it to ten before the door is opening and Heidi slips through it, her fingers gripping the mug like her life depends on it.

She looks like she’d rather be anywhere else, but shecanbe anywhere else. She could leave right now.

“Hey,” I say, placing the mug on my knee.

She looks around, watching as the sun comes up above the houses across the way. “Hey.”

With a huff, Heidi sits down. Perching her coffee on her knee, she takes out her phone, scrolling through an app.

I try to keep my eyes glued in front of me, watching the cars drive by on their way to work, or the slight breeze blowing leaves that haven’t quite fallen from their limbs onto the chilly ground.

But my eyes drift over to Heidi more and more frequently, and eventually my anxiety gets the best of me.

“It’s a really nice morning,” I tell her.

“You said that.”

I nod awkwardly, letting out a quick sigh.

“Are you excited for Leo’s party?”

Heidi puts down her phone, leaning back against the cold chair. She takes a long sip of her drink, taking her time responding. “I think it’ll be fun.”

“It always is.”

The tension between us could be cut with a knife, and the longer I sit in it without saying something, the worse it’s going to be.

“I’m sorry about the other day,” I whisper, keeping my eyes focused in front of me.

“I know.” Her voice drips of melancholy, and I wish with everything in me that I could hug her.

“I want you to know that I appreciate you, and I do want to be your friend,” I press on.

Heidi’s jaw sets. “Okay.”

“Heidi,” I plead, unsure of what else I could say.

She shakes her head. “Just give me time to get over this, okay? I promise I will.”

Her green eyes finally meet mine, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she just watched someone kick Theodore.

“I just?—”

“Emmett. I appreciate your honesty. I appreciate that you want to be friends. I do. I don’t know why I thought that we could be more, but since my cards have been put on the table in front of you, I just need to be sincere and ask that you give me some time to process and get over it.”

I watch as she gets up from her chair, checking the time on her phone. “You should get going soon,” she informs me quietly before heading back inside without a backward glance.

“What do I do to earn her trust back?” I ask, running my hand through my hair.

I’ve been stressing all morning. I feel like I’ve found a little clarity on the situation. What I want. What I’m willing to do. I want her. I want to try.

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