Page 20 of Between the Blue
“They do,” he nods.
“Oh. Didn’t know that.” I shake my head, still processing what I’m seeing.
“Obviously.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah,” Sutty says. Turns around. “But you know what’s not?”
“Skates or blades?” Julia asks the family in front of us.
The line moves forward.
She hasn’t seen us yet.
“Your lack of trust in me,” Rhett finishes, flicking my temple. “You prick.”
“Fuck.” I rub my head. “Do you mind?”
A bunch of kids suddenly appear. Drop their skates on the counter. Julia moves to grab them. Starts putting them up as the family in front of us moves out of the way.
“Oh, would you look at that?” Rhett says. “Nature calls.”
My brows pull together.
“Gotta go find a bathroom. Be right back.” He grins, ducking out of line.
I click my tongue.
Little shit.
Start to call after him, but then I’m interrupted.
“Skates or blades?”
I turn back to the counter. Her back’s still to me. She’s putting a pair of skates away. But when I don’t answer, she turns my way.
She freezes in place. Just for a second. Just like I do. Something about that makes me happy. That I made her pause.
Makes me even happier when her face spreads into a smile.
For me.
“Ben,” she says.
And suddenly, even though nobody calls me that, I want everyone to.
Because she makes it sound so good.
“Hey,” I say back.
She looks me up and down. Tilts her head to the side. Steps up to the counter.
“Skates or blades?” she asks.
“Blades,” I tell her.
She stares at me for a second, then nods downward with her head.
