Page 143 of Between the Blue
It takes a few moments. Enough that I almost get nervous.
And then she smiles.
“Ben.”
Her voice cracks a little, and I think it makes my heart crack a little with it.
God, I missed her.
God, I love her.
I walk around the counter. Not really supposed to do that, but I don’t care.
I kiss her as soon as I reach her. She kisses me back. It feels like she needed this just as much as I did.
But when I pull back, there’s something in her eyes. Something weary. I don’t know what.
“You’re here,” she says.
“I missed you,” I tell her.
“I missed you too, Ben.” She hesitates for a second. Kisses me one more time. Then steps back, crossing her arms. “I just had no idea you were coming home.”
“I didn’t either until this morning.”
“Oh,” she nods.
I look at her for a few seconds.
“We haven’t talked in months, Jules.”
“We’ve talked.”
“You know what I mean.”
Jules blows a breath out of her nose. “Yeah.”
I lean against one of the shelves of skates.
She pulls her necklace out of her shirt collar and fiddles with it.
My sun necklace. She’s still wearing it. Something about that makes me feel like everything’s okay. But I still have to ask her.
“Is something wrong?”
Her eyes dart up to mine.
“No.” She says it a little too fast. “Why would you ask that?”
I shrug. “I just want to make sure.”
She bites her lip. Nods.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Jules?”
I’m not asking because I don’t trust her. It just looks like she’s keeping something bottled up. Like it’s causing her stress. I don’t want that for her.
She stops playing with her necklace. Lets it fall back in place at her collarbone.
