Page 67 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
“Kenny, hey. It’s Fischer from Bradley Properties.”
“Oh hey. What’s up?”
I’m not even sure how to ask this question, but I can’t endure any more of Grant’s obnoxious behavior without figuring out the cause. “Did anything happen on the drive back from the lodge?”
“No, sir. I got both Ms. Tate and Mr. Bradley back to the—”
“I mean did anything happen between them?”
“Oh.” He’s quiet for a long time, which doesn’t bode well. “Well, they started off pretty quiet, then Mr. Bradley said something I couldn’t hear. It turned into a pretty impressive argument, though I try not to listen to what happens in my backseat.”
I groan. “You didn’t catch anything?”
“Just something about St. Bart’s.”
St. Bart’s? But Grant hasn’t been there since he graduated college, and he refuses to talk about it because he spent the whole trip with a woman who ghosted him as soon as he boarded his flight to go home. It pretty much ruined him when it comes to trust in relationships, and yet I’ve always suspected there is some remnant of regret. I think if he ever encountered her again, it would end with all sorts of…
I swear loudly, then quickly apologize to Kenny. “Thanks for your insight,” I tell him and hang up, pacing the empty hallway outside the office.
I could easily be wrong, but something tells me Lila is the woman from St. Bart’s, and now I realize the reason Grant seemed so interested in Ember when I presented it as an option. He was hoping for a reconnection. He certainly got it, though it clearly didn’t end in his favor.
I should really get back to work before I make Grant even angrier, but I need a distraction.
I need Micah.
Though I forced myself to ignore my phone all day yesterday and take a breather, I’ve been missing her like crazy since the moment I drove away from her sister’s. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder, though I’d been hoping for the opposite.
She didn’t text me either. I don’t really want to read into that. She was probably busy with work, or maybe something to do with her siblings. I’m trying to be a better human and see the world the way she does, but rose-colored glasses are not my usual MO. I pull up our text thread and look at her name, both first and last because that’s what I always do with my contacts. But it feels so formal, so I edit her info so it’s justMicah, and then I send her a quick text.
Me: Did you settle in back home after that crazy weekend?
It’s a lame question, and I know it, but I don’t know how to navigate the silence between us.
Thankfully, she texts back quickly.
Micah: I slept most of yesterday! My bed and I were good friends!
Don’t ask it, Fischer.
Me: No running into new date prospects then?
I slap a palm into my face. I really just asked that.
Micah: Actually…
My heart sinks, though I really have no reason to stop her from going on dates. I have no right to be jealous. I don’t even deserve to know about her love life because I’m not willing to be a part of it. And yet…
Me: Actually what? Don’t tell me you had guys climbing in your windows to ask you out.
Micah: No, that’s Brooklyn. And that happened last weekend, not this one!
I freeze, trying to figure out where the indication of sarcasm is within her text. But I almost think she’s serious.
Me: You’re kidding, right?
Micah: No! That actually happened, and it’s soooo romantic!
It’s creepy and illegal, that’s what it is. But Micah sees love and potential everywhere, and that’s not something that is going to change. It is for this reason that I will not tell her about Grant and Lila’s likely history because she’ll try to turn it into some second chance romance and cause all sorts of unnecessary drama.
