Page 45 of Soaring and Steadfast

“We were giggly too, honey.”

“I’ve never been giggly in my life.”

“Puh-lease – you are absolutely giggly and often. Every time I touch…”

“Hey now,” Trophy chuckled, interrupting Stephanie as Lila sat up, wide-eyed and shocked. “No describing it unless you plan on doing it – and we both know you just grunted a watermelon outta my favorite spot.”

“You are truly a cretin.”

“I love your pet names for me…”

“It wasn’t a pet name.”

“Oh. Can we get back to your best friend is hooking up with my best friend? How weird is that? It makes my skin crawl to think of them kissing or worse.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be picturing either of them kissing.”

“Did you not just hear your buddy? Were we not just talking about giggly moments?” Trophy began again, and this time, Lila decided to clear her throat loudly to announce that she could hear them.

“Good morning, you two.”

“Hey Lila,” Stephanie began from the bedroom. “I’ll be out in a few. I’m just feeding Angel…”

“And I’m not missing the show,” Trophy laughed in the distance, making Lila roll her eyes. “Can you put the coffee on?”

“Yup – and I’m getting a shower,” Lila volunteered, giving the two fair warning to use the restroom since there was only one bathroom in the apartment. As she scooped the coffee into the filter, she paused and stood there, holding the scoop and thinking.

This could bemyapartment.

This could bemyview.

That could bemy Louisin the bedroom and then shook her head. Honestly, if she knew him like she suspected, he would be the one making coffee and would probably bring it to her in bed. The man honestly treated her like a queen, and she felt like the biggest fool brushing him off or hesitating. Starting the coffee, she grabbed her phone and texted Louis once more while the water was warming up for her shower.

Let’s discuss hypothetical situations over breakfast – and I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.

On my way.

CHAPTER TWELVE

PASTEUR

This was it – and he knew it.

He was about to get his heart broken, cut to smithereens by Lila, or cross-examined by the world’s most jaded person, and he couldn’t blame her for any of it. She had been through more than any one person should ever go through, and it hurt knowing someone you cared about suffered at the hands of someone else.

As he moved to knock on the door, Lila was already walking out and had about the same semblance as a person on the way to the guillotine. Her face was pale, her lips pinched, and she wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

That did not bode well at all.

He wouldn’t push, wouldn’t press; he would listen to what she had to say and answer with an open heart because anything less would be disrespectful to her and their relationship.

Oh gosh, I want us to have a relationship too, he thought raggedly, swallowing as he drove. He could feel her eyes on him, watching and waiting silently, and it took everything in him not to bark ‘What?’ at her because he could tell something was wrong.

They pulled up to the same Cracker Barrel, almost sat at the same table as yesterday, and the waitress handed her a menu – only to see her shake her head. Just as he was about to ask her what was going on, a waitress walked up with a carafe.

“Y’all want some coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Louis said quietly and then paused, glancing at Lila. “Could we get some biscuits and a few minutes before we order?”

---