Page 15 of The Now in Forever
“Okay.”
Ed’s smile lights up the trail. “Okay?”
“Let’s do it.”
He jumps, fist in the air—so reminiscent of the final shot ofThe Breakfast Club,I laugh.
We shift focus to the task at hand, running the rest of the way in silence. Moss hangs off the trees in great swaths, catching the morning sun and making everything look like we are in an enchanted forest. When we make it to the parking lot, it’s still just my car.
“How did you get here?”
“I ran. There’s a trail down that way to the beach. It’s not too far.Hard, though. You always see people on TV running gracefully on the beach, but it’s a real slog through all that sand.”
“‘If this were only cleared away,’ they said, ‘it would be grand.’”
Ed laughs, a booming belly laugh that fills me with joy and pride that I made him do that.
“Alice in Wonderland?”
I make an exaggerated frown. “Through the Looking Glass.”
“Ah, of course. I stand corrected.”
I dig my key fob out of my bag and point it at my car. “Want a ride?”
“Yeah.”
In the car and back on the road, we work out the details of our workshop. First, we’ll swap manuscripts and give each other feedback. Then we’ll go from there. It’s not as detailed a plan as I usually make, but I’m going with the flow. Living in the moment. It’s better to just leave the past in the past.
WHAT'S YOUR SIGN?
TEN YEARS AGO
After shelving more books, I head back to the counter, and Ed is chatting with a young guy with shoulder-length bleached hair. They clasp hands in that dude way that makes it seem like their hands are hugging rather than a shake. “See you there.”
“You know it.”
Ed turns his green eyes on me. “What are you doing later?”
“Today?”
He laughs. “Yeah.”
“I’m not sure.”
“My friends are having a little thing for me… It’s at the beach. Anyway, do you want to come? You have your bike, right? We could ride together; there’s a paved path that’ll take us all the way there.”
I nod but keep my lips tightly closed. If I open it, the butterflies that are wildly flapping in my stomach may fly right out of my mouth.We arrange to meet at the park after I’m off work.
Ed heads into the Westerns section, a stack of books in his hands.
I send two quick texts under the counter. The first to Grandma:
Me: I’m going to sleep over at Robin’s tonight. :)
And the second to Robin:
Me: Met a cute boy. He asked me out tonight, but I think it’s a friend thing. Can I sleep at your place?
